Evidence of mice in my X17Z - first timer storing camping for winter

[scottystang]

Hi everyone,

I have my X17Z stored in my front yard for the winter. I went inside it today (just because I miss it haha) and noticed mice droppings in the sink and in the bathroom vanity cabinet saw some RV toilet paper all chewed up with more droppings. I wasn't expecting mice at all, how in the heck are they getting in? I have grates covering all the outside vents. Is it possible they're coming from underneath?

I set some traps, but my wife and kids are freaking out at the thought of camping in our beloved camper in the Spring when mice have been hanging out in there all Winter.

I've read other threads that suggest placing dryer sheets throughout the camper to prevent mice. Does this work?

Thanks in advance!

- Scott

[dmward]

We have always used dryer (Bounce) sheets and have never had a problem. Stored it in a few locations too.

Some folks on here will say they don't work though [emoji6]

[fmichaels]

We use fresh cab rodent repellent bags and peppermint oil. one benefit is your trailer smells like christmas.

[gloryb]

I tried the Bounce sheets one winter on someone's recommendation. The mice were worse than ever that year. Trying the Fresh Cab this year.....also got an outside cat to hopefully lower the mice population.

[Imnaha.Mansion]

If it's close to your house so you can plug it in I'd get an electronic mouse Anoyer. I have had them get into my trailer by chewing into the heating ducts and then through furnace. Blocked that. Then they moved through the cabinets that had plumbing chases. PITA.

[RVer-Bill]

Put the sticky traps in the trailer if it's near the house and check it every few days. They work much better than snap traps. We live in the woods and get 2 or 3 mice each winter in the garage and attic and use those traps. I have them in the trailer, but haven't gotten any mice in there in years. I tie the traps to something, as the mouse sometimes drags it under something.

[Imnaha.Mansion]

I like the snap traps but I tie some cotton trussing string to the trigger and rub peanut butter into the string. That way the mice can't s real your bait and they trigger the trap tugging on the string.

[SkyBound]

The best thing you can do is make sure all attractants are removed from the inside of the trailer. Don't give them a reason to go in there. Retract all stabilizers as the fewer ground contact points the better. Put some steel wool over the furnace exhaust port, and put mothballs all around the exterior frame underneath.

I can say from experience that dryer sheets do nothing for mouse repellent. They leave a great fresh scent in the trailer but I have found mouse droppings sitting on top of dryer sheets in the storage bays of trailers. I have also heard that peppermint oil soaked into cotton works, but have no personal experience with it.

If I see evidence of a mouse, I'll set a snap trap. Once one mouse is removed, I clean up all droppings, leave it for a few days and check again. I will only set a trap again if I see new droppings.

[scottystang]

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the tips. I set a couple of traps, but will check out the Fresh Cab bags and dryer sheets to prevent them from coming in. My guess is they're coming in from under the bathroom vanity in the gaps where the hoses come up. So far the only damage has been to items (like toilet paper and dish rags) not the trailer. I removed EVERYTHING from the trailer today so there's no reason for them to come in other than to seek out a warmer place than outside to nest.

[SkyBound]

I have noticed on a few new trailers that there are in fact large gaps and holes in the underbelly where hoses and lines come up through the floor. I usually go over the underside with a fine tooth comb, patching any small slits or tears in the plastic membrane and spraying expanding foam insulation into the gaps around the water line from the fresh tank. I would encourage everyone to have a look at theirs as I was sure surprised at the size of gap - I could see right through the floor!

[Seann45]

Dryer sheets do not work... my buddies Jayco they used the dryer sheets as TP. The cab fresh from Amazon seems to work well as to sticky traps and snap traps.. but since you are parked in your own yard I would power up the RV and use ultrasonic pest repelers.

[sask934]

My first winter and my trailer is 75Kms away. I used bags of stuff recommended by a farm supply store. It could be cab fresh.

I know that dryer sheets do not work as my shed last year had them in and they used them to nest in. Same as soap shavings from Irish spring as I used them both. This spring I will see the effectiveness of the bags that I used and report back. I can say that I have seen no evidence in my shed thus far using the bags I purchased.

[xtruckerbob]

We have we used ultrasonic pest gadgets and had no problems for 10 or more years. We also have several cats .

[Jagiven]

Lots of traps!

There are tons of openings under your htt. I crawled under mine, armed with a flashlight steel wool and marine caulk, and filled everyone of them. There is a lot holes. Once I found them on the under side I filled the ones I could reach from inside too. I have never had an unwelcome winter guest.

Good luck.

[dmward]

Dryer sheets work for me, but maybe just because I take anything that might attract mouse out of the trailer. I also give it a thorough cleaning before storing.

Dryer sheets do make it smell nice when we pick it up in the spring tho [emoji6]

[Stingray75]

Remove anything food related that might attract or keep them there then wipe down every non-carpeted surface with a strong ammonia & water solution. They don't like the ammonia residue on their little feet.

[NC Roamer]

Went into the basement cargo compartment Saturday and found a shredded roll of paper towels and mouse scat. Knew immediately I had an uninvited guest.

She had gotten into the electrical compartment beneath the queen bed through a hole in the flooring. The factory had foamed it, but not enough as I could see driveway gravel through it. Her nest of shredded paper towels and carpet scraps was in one corner of that compartment. Two wiring access holes in the rear wall had provided easy travel into the cargo compartment.

I was going to set a trap but then found her, dead. She had squeezed into the plastic water control panel compartment in the left cargo hatch and was unable to get back out.

I cleaned everything up and crawled underneath from one end to the other with a can of insulation foam. There were quite a few places that needed it. I also pulled out the drawers in the kitchen and bath and pulled off the LP furnace return grill looking for places to foam. And, needless to say, I foamed the wiring holes in that under-bed electrical compartment. Finally, I put out a four-pack of sticky traps just in case one gets back inside.

I am just glad my wiring was not chewed.

[bucko]

Get a bag of steel wool from any hardware store, and stuff it around the openings that the hoses pass through that you described as their entrance point. They (mice) will not chew through steel, so this will prevent them from access in any of these areas.

[scottystang]

Thanks everyone. I filled the smaller gaps with spray foam (found a kind that says it's for pests since it doesn't taste good if chewed). I put down some dryer sheets after a thorough cleaning and took EVERYTHING out of the TT. There were some larger gaps too big for spray foam, but I'll try the steel wool tip for those. I'll check it in a week or so and see if they've moved on, hopefully to the neighbor's boat to save my precious TT haha.

[Seann45]

I had a mouse in the house (RV). He never got into any of the food there.. but did eat the buttons on my TV remote..