How do you keep mice out of camper?

[bcmorr]

Discovered today that mice have gotten into my 1 year old fifth wheel, and am curious to hear some theories on how to keep them out. I had drier sheets spread all over the place. I found mouse poops in a few different places, not alot of it though. Today I placed a dozen sticky traps throughout the unit including the storage areas, 4 bags of fresh cab, and another box of bounce sheets. I will go back in a couple of days to check the traps. Am thinking if the mouse problem continues I'll pull the trailer home and it'll sit on the driveway the rest of winter. At least then I can check it daily.

[Wrascal]

Catz. Lots of 'em.

[Bearles]

We had the same issue a couple years ago, I feel for you. Our visitor made a nest in the in floor furnace duct and used the furnace as a toilet with the nest in another air run. I went through and found every little opening in the floor, looking under cabinets, closets and furnace area and stuffed them with steel wool, be sure to get the storage area under the front, lots of openings there. We also had bounce sheets in several places to help. Lots of debate about bounce sheets can be found here but I thought try it who knows.
Good luck.

[BillMc40]

I try to make sure all holes are sealed. Bounce dryer sheets, cedar wood. A few years ago I used moth balls, neighbors have old buildings full of junk. Been told irish spring is good also.
BillMc

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by BillMc40

snip... I used moth balls, ...snip

Moth 'balls' worked for us, too.

We had a class-B with a packrat problem. We never found evidence of them inside, but one year they made a mess of the engine compartment. We didn't want a repeat of that so on the advice of friend and class-A owner, we used moth cakes; same stuff as moth balls, just in a plastic case with a hook on the end for hanging in a closet.

We placed 2 'cakes' in the engine compartment and 1 hanging at the rear near the generator.

They didn't last the whole winter. We had to replace them after a month or two. But no more packrats!

[Seann45]

Dryer sheets don't work... old wives tale started by Bounce... In my buddies trailer the mice used it as TP. I picked my mouse up on the way down here for the winter... finally got him with a sticky trap baited with peanut butter.. I now have fresh cab packets in here.. not really sure if they work or not but they do smell nice.. I am also putting a few moth balls into the enclosed underbelly on mine.

[Jagiven]

First crawl underneath and find every hole you can and plug them. I found a lot. I have been told they only need enough for there head to squeeze through. I then spread out a few sticky traps just in case.

Every fall we remove everything that has a food odor to it. Wash the entire unit down.

The reason are a lot of myths about Irish spring soap, bounce, and other. Don't wast your time with them. I know people in the old car group, that swear by cab fresh, but I have not tried it.

[dennis b]

I put up a NO TRESSPASSING sign!
WORKS SO FAR! LOL

[xtruckerbob]

We had a small rodent problem in our shop after we cut our corn so we added ultrasonic noise. It seems to work for us, but shortly after the noise as added 4 cats came to live with us in our shop. Not sure which one works best but together it is very effective.

[Mustang65]

DW has plastic shot glasses with cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil located through out the TT, and dryer sheets. Each storage compartment by each of the doors, under the sinks, in the bathroom... We did this on our other trailer also and have not had any issues.

I also used the spray insulation foam (called GREAT STUFF, HomeDepot) in EVERY opening I found under the TT, and all the openings around pipes/wires in the floor from under the trailer into the living space. So between all the above mentioned items, so far so good... but always subject to change.

The biggest opening that I found was a 2" opening/hole where the spare tires cable went through the cold weather sheeting under the trailer. I took a spare plastic blank 4"X4" electrical box cover.. drilled a small hole in it and routed the spare tire cable through it and mounted it over the hole. I would have never noticed it if I was not filling all the holes.

The second biggest opening I found was where the electric wires entered the TT on the front cross member (frame), there was about a 1/2" opening where critters could have gotten into the TT. Lots of FOAM!!!!!!

Just my thoughts,
Don

[Snake Plissken]

Originally Posted by Seann45

Dryer sheets don't work... old wives tale started by Bounce...

Really? Crap...I've been using them for years and have never had a mouse. I also remove all food and clean the camper really well.

[utbgcamper mom]

for winter storage, we also bag up all paper products, cushions and bedding. This can also attract them for nesting

[SmokerBill]

Just keep one of these nearby...

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...13&postcount=1

[3330]

Everyone is being pretty cautious and not mentioning good old fashioned poison. I have those plastic trays of D-con in several places where the pets can't get to them and they seem to have cured the old rodent problem just fine.

[rick danger]

Originally Posted by 101vet

Everyone is being pretty cautious and not mentioning good old fashioned poison. I have those plastic trays of D-con in several places where the pets can't get to them and they seem to have cured the old rodent problem just fine.

I use rodent blocks under the house. Problem is they stink when they rot. (the mice not the blocks)

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by 101vet

snip... good old fashioned poison. ... cured the old rodent problem just fine.

If the poison was in the trailer, where (in the trailer?) did the old rodent(s) go to die?

Thankfully, I didn't have them inside and wanted them to stay away and stay out.

[3330]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

If the poison was in the trailer, where (in the trailer?) did the old rodent(s) go to die?

Thankfully, I didn't have them inside and wanted them to stay away and stay out.

That's a good question. I've read about the problem with decomposing bodies and stench. When I acquired my rig I found sign of mice having been in there but after cleaning everyplace I could get to and placing the bait around I just haven't noticed any critters or sign of them.

We had a pack rat infestation under our home some years ago and fought them with D-con. I found several dead rats outside the house in the yard in the following weeks but none in the crawlspace. I've heard over the years that poison makes them go outside looking for water but really don't know for sure.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by 101vet

...snip... D-con. I found several dead rats outside the house in the yard in the following weeks but none in the crawlspace. I've heard over the years that poison makes them go outside looking for water but really don't know for sure.

D-con makes them bleed to death internally. I guess dehydration could be part of the initial stages and make them very thirsty.

FYI to those following this:
One of the problems with poisons is that they can cause unintentional poisoning of predators/scavengers (cats, owls, dogs, etc.) when they eat mice that ate the poison.

[bosheby]

utbgcamper mom,
when you bag up all paper products, cushions, and bedding, do you use plastic bags? And then you leave them in the camper? Because mice chew through plastic bags, so I was wondering....???

[Str8shooter]

Course steel wool combined with Great Stuff spray foam in every possible opening as others have noted. Take your time and search all opening both inside and underneath your camper. May need to temporarily remove the protective covering beanth your rig.