Critters in your light fixtures?

Graunke · 01-26-2019, 01:27 PM

We opted for outdoor storage this winter to save some money, and long story short it was a mistake.

I have something in my light fixture in the bedroom of the 2017 Alante 31V. There is one light fixture affected, it is either a mouse or a chipmunk. Filling with fluid (waste), the typical popcorn insulation, and some remnants of seeds from a tree on my property.

Has anyone any insight on to how this works above the ceiling, but below the roof line? I know it is a one piece roof, and need to seal the area off, and figure out how it got into there. Is it a conduit channel? Is it ziptied wires to the frame? How is this area accessed?

FWIW, there is ZERO evidence anywhere else in the camper of an invader, so far it appears to be isolated, and once it is above zero again I hope to spend some time out there to either trap or evict the culprit.

Grumpy · 01-26-2019, 01:31 PM

Vent stack from one of your black or gray tanks in all probability. Enough room above the tank for them to climb the pipe up to just above the ceiling.

Graunke · 01-26-2019, 01:45 PM

So this goes from the under carriage, all the way through the rig to the roof line I assume? And in between the roof line and the ceiling is the probably culprit?

Grumpy · 01-26-2019, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graunke

So this goes from the under carriage, all the way through the rig to the roof line I assume? And in between the roof line and the ceiling is the probably culprit?

Yep.

Johnny Lightning · 01-26-2019, 08:47 PM

This may help, if you have droppings, mouse droppings are about 1/16 in in diameter, chipmunk a little bigger, about 1/8 in. A mouse trap will get a mouse but you'll need a rat trap for a chipmunk. Peanut butter infused cotton ball will usually work for bait. I'd trap the little critter first so you don't seal him or her in. Please don't ask how I know all of this.

Graunke · 01-26-2019, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Lightning

This may help, if you have droppings, mouse droppings are about 1/16 in in diameter, chipmunk a little bigger, about 1/8 in. A mouse trap will get a mouse but you'll need a rat trap for a chipmunk. Peanut butter infused cotton ball will usually work for bait. I'd trap the little critter first so you don't seal him or her in. Please don't ask how I know all of this.

I've considered this, and had a pest control buddy stop out. Problem is, where to put the traps? I don't imagine there is a whole lot of space enough for a snap trap when I pull the light fixture down. There is zero evidence of traffic anywhere else in the rig, so it's isolated to that spot, and I don't want to encourage him to go exploring at this point. Know what I mean?

hawkster · 01-27-2019, 06:53 AM

We had a mouse in the ductwork in ceiling. The ductwork for the air is a channel in the foam. So I think the ceiling is fiberglass roof, hard foam insulation, and the soft cover you see on the ceiling. Hopefully there are braces somewhere. Since the mouse was near my bedroom, I removed the outer (in bedroom) a.c. cover. Where one of the foam ducts met the a.c., I made a duct tape floor. Then installed the mouse trap on top of the duct tape near the foam ducts. Then I duct taped over the other side opening to seal it all. It took three days but the mouse met his demise. Once a day I pulled back the tape on the trap side to check. The outer cover was left off.

Never thought of the opening to the vent stack from below. I'll have to see if I can get some sealant there.

Graunke · 01-27-2019, 09:22 AM

I'll have to wait until it warms up here to attempt that. It's -18 this morning! But once the weather turns, I'll get up on the roof and see what I can see.

Definitely spending the extra on indoor storage next year. Not worth the headache these little bastards cause just to save a few hundred bucks.

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