Rodent prevention

[Eaglechief_13]

This last winter when winterizing I placed Cab Fresh anddryer sheets throughout, and cotton balls with peppermint oil in the pantry.

It seemed we avoided a mouse visit until we opened one of the kitchen drawer and found shredded paper. That appears the only place. It looks like it came in through a spot that the heat duct goes down through the floor near the kitchen sink. I plan to seal that spot with some steel wool but does anyone have a suggestion I am not already using?

[us71na]

Be aware that steel wool will rust pretty quickly in outdoor air and even faster after it gets wet from road spray. I would seal the crack with silicone and cover it with aluminum foil tape.

[dewey02]

Supermarkets sell copper scrubbies that you could use instead of steel wool, if you are afraid of rust. I would guess that chewing on copper fibers hurts a mouse's mouth as much as chewing on steel wool fibers.

[Seann45]

I used the metal pot scrubbers and then finished the job with LOW EXPANDING foam in a can insulation.

[fmichaels]

I don't think you missed anything. Unless you mouse-proof every opening and every crevis, you will always have the potential for rodents. I would seal the area where the rodent got in and when you winterize, make sure you have cab fresh or peppermint oil (or both) at that location.

[Zoony]

You can buy expanding foam in a can that has cayenne pepper in it, rodents will not chew

Available at the box stores. Great Stuff rodent/bug

[norty1]

Originally Posted by Zoony

You can buy expanding foam in a can that has cayenne pepper in it, rodents will not chew

Available at the box stores. Great Stuff rodent/bug

Great idea. I never heard of. That's why it's a good idea to walk the isles in big box stores for new products. I just found all kinds of new pain products.

[rodandmir]

We had a rat get into our X213 last winter through a huge hole where the wiring harness goes into the trailer under that tub. I the week he lived there he pissed and crapped everywhere. 1 year later you can still smell it in the bathroom. Nothing I have tried has removed the smell. The trailer is also built so that you can not get behind anything without smashing your way in there. I believe that it was really stupid of Jayco to put a half inch wiring harness in a 2 inch hole to start with, and then to build a trailer that you can not actually access behind appliances to clean or repair things.

I realize that making you take your trailer to a dealer for every little thing is good for business, but I have had really bad experiences with dealers, be it motorcycles, cars or trailers. Now I refuse to use them, and If I cant do it myself I will just buy something else. Lots of competition out there

New trailers are slapped together as cheap as possible with the hope that they make it through the warranty period without major issues.

[bucko]

^^ but do you enjoy camping?

[norty1]

Please let us know when you find one that is to your liking.

[Jagiven]

Mice are a pain! Do not use any spray foams from a hardware store in areas that are exposed to water. That type of spray foam holds water and in the long run could cause rotten wood.

I bet I filled close to 30 holes on the underside of my HTT. I recommend steel wool and the copper pot scrubbies and good silicone sealant (aka caulk). I crawled all over the underside of our HTT. Every spot that a pipe or a wire (mostly grounding wires) come through the frame was a large hole. Shoved pieces of steel wool into the hole, then silicone it in to create a nice seal. Then I went into the HTT, and found every hole from the top side and did the same. The worst hole was for the 7 pin electrical, it was huge, probably something like a 2” diameter, it took a bit to fill that hole.

I use a couple copper pot scrubbies at my shore power connection to. When I pull the cord out of the slot, I place one scrubby down low and one high to encapsulate the cord, behind the cover. Been meaning to slice a scrubby so I can get try to get by with a single scrubby.

I have never had a mouse in my trailer, and other than the end of season good cleaning, I do nothing else all year.

In the process of sealing all the holes I found a hidden vin number under the HTT.

[VicS1950]

I agree that sealing all the entry points is the solution. Smelly things and other tricks might help, but keeping them out is the real key. That said, it is not easy to find all the entry points. It usually takes spending some time under and around the trailer with a very detailed inspection.

I've learned that sealant methods are critical to keep out those who already have established a happy home. Like many humans, rodents are curious, but basically lazy. They will chew to get back in, but not so much if they are just poking around looking for a new home. Any good sealant keeps them out in that situation.

Breaking into areas for access was mentioned. A possibility is to use a marine deck plate to get access where needed and maintain a finished look while providing future access. They come in various sizes and colors.

Deck Plates | Deck Hardware | Boat Deck & Covers | West Marine

vic

[Zoony]

not to split hairs here, but it's probably worth mentioning.

Silicone sealants and caulks should have a bead size within specification, usually max 1/2". That is not a lot. If you're glopping silicone into a 1" or 2" hole, you'll be re-doing it again soon.

also, important to tool the bead.

/hair split.

[mets721]

Last year I sealed all holes I could find in my Whitehawk. The biggest one was where the overflow tube for the fresh water fill was located. I removed all food, paper products, towels, etc. Basically anything that they could make a nest from. I also put cottonballs with peppermint oil under the sink and in any cabinets that once held food. The one thing that I probably will not do again is place mothballs in the outside kitchen and the main storage area. I still have a slight smell and it's been 5 months since I took it out!

[EagleHT]

In addition, to keeping everything sealed tight, I keep mothballs and rodent bait stations located under my camper.

[rrbenn]

We have a 2013 Whitehawk 26DSRB. I cant believe the number of holes I've plugger it steel wool and foam. Thought I had them all. Went out today and one has been in the drawers in the kitchen. Just can't believe that every place they run an electrical wire they use a 2 inch hole. Guess I need to take the black sheet off the bottom ant try a different angle.

[BrentB]

Here's a couple of good items for sealing openings:
http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Mesh-Ra...it+copper+mesh

http://www.amazon.com/GREAT-STUFF-Pe..._bxgy_86_img_y

[croixlarob]

I have had mice problems in my TT at my seasonal site for years. Try to plug up the holes I could find (beneath the tub was a big one). Crawled under the trailer at night to see if I could see light. I use a lot of sticky traps and I tend to catch a mouse or two at least once a week. The problem with that is if I catch it on a Monday and it is 90 degrees they really stink. Because I don't show up until Friday evening. Tried the electric trap and caught none. Bought the noise maker and caught a mouse on a sticky trap next to it. Had bowls with cotton soaked with peppermint oil and they ate the cotton. I also had a chipmunk get caught on a sticky trap over the winter and found it under the kitchen table freeze dried. This weekend I kept smelling dead mouse even though I could find none. The smell was coming from beneath the stove. I move out the stove (six screws) and some help from my wife and found a 4 in hole courtesy of Jayco drilled into the floor to fit 10 wires through. Also a dead mouse stuck to one of my snap traps. I am pretty sure there were chipmunk turds there too. Just thought I would let fellow campers know where they may find an area that may need to be sealed that they were unaware was there. Removing the stove was not all that difficult but I would suggest to wear gloves because the stove is made mainly of sheet metal.