Mice!!!

[canuckowner]

It's been a long time since I posted on JOF. Still check in from time to time though.

We'd been enjoying some late fall camping with our trailer out on some private wilderness land we own. Spent the whole weekend last weekend and then went out yesterday to winterize and immediately upon opening the door could see pieces of tissue all over the floor... mice!

Was actually able to find a live one in an empty box that it fell into. Figured and hoped it was the only invader. Filled the trailer with snap traps (>12), glue boards (x4) and multi catcher boxes (x2) overnight and found 4 more caught today! (I've also put in some boxes of warfarin but just hope they'll all be quickly caught instead).

It is mind boggling to me how that many mice could sneak in and most likely did so within the past week. I can fathom one mouse sneaking in some how but a whole herd of them is just nuts.

The next week is going to involve removing every last item out of the trailer to be washed/disinfected, then wash and sanitize the entire rig: floors, walls, cupboards, etc. even if it means taking things apart. Then I'm quite sure we'll repeat the entire procedure again in the spring before we use it again! This is really disturbing and unsettling to us. Just makes my skin crawl.

Have owned our Jayflight since new in 2011 and have until now never had a mouse get it. I guess I let my guard down and should have had some pest control around the perimeter and inside. Wont happen again...

Until this fall it has always either been parked in town or used at campgrounds... this was the first time it spent extended time out in the woods.

Anyway, its therapeutic to vent but also wanted to remind others that $50 worth of pest control devices inside and outside your trailer is good insurance. Sure glad we at least caught this problem early on.

[RogerR]

There are a ton of posts on mice. A few of mine from prior trailers I owned, none from the current one. Try the search function if you have not already.

I think all would agree that prevention of entry is better than catching them after.

My personal preference is the long crawl end to end packing holes with screen wire strips and then go back and foam or silicone it into place. First underneath, then go inside and do the same thing from the inside.

Some places like slides seem to be a highway to heaven. Others have claimed success with bobcat urine and other repellents. You can also bait around tires, stabilizers and the tongue jack.

We had to replace cushions and drapes several years ago.

Now I also use cab fresh inside plus glue traps.

Good Luck.

[canuckowner]

Thanks Roger. Just so thankful I'm not discovering this in spring but rather within at most 2 weeks of entry. All the beds and even the sofa had blankets covering them so that's going to make it much easier to just launder rather than replacing cushions/ mattresses.

I'm going to have to do as you say and go over every inch looking for holes to fill with steel wool. But now I am also wondering if the slide would have allowed entry as it never seals perfectly tight.

[t18skyguy]

A better choice is bronze wool. Same as steel wool but won't rust.

[Jim Davis]

X2 on the Bronze Wool. I avoid steel wool like the plague.

[Chet & Marie]

I have heard that chunk up Irish Spring bar or two and put it around the unit. My neighbor uses dryer sheets. I keep mine in a shed with boxes of mouse bait around and have not had a problem.

[michael.g]

Originally Posted by Chet & Marie

I have heard that chunk up Irish Spring bar or two and put it around the unit.

I have seen several pictures of Irish Spring bars with little teeth marks in them. I had always heard Irish Spring worked until I saw the pictures.

We us dryer sheets too, but that's for the spiders. We put them in every drawer and every cabinet as well as above each slide. Any place that we can put one.

Mice are tough. They eventually will get accustom to most deterrents and just go around them. The best deterrent is to make sure they do not get in.

-Michael