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You can't make mice go away. You can only trap or kill. There are many different traps and poisons out there and each have their pros and cons. Just make sure you understand the proper use of your weapon of choice. You also need to plug any possible access points into your rig. Store food in rodent resistant containers where possible. Be aware mice love to chew electrical wiring and can cause a lot of damage in a short period of time so you need to address the problem ASAP
Rats and mice navigate and find each other mostly by a urine scent trail they leave behind as they move about. Sorry I know that's gross but that's reality. You should try to nutrilize the scent trail as much as possible. There are a number of products on the marker to help with this. Check at Petco and Pet Smart.
I've read where RV'ers have covered the bottom of their trailer with wire mesh to keep mice from entering. I spent a weekend under our 5th wheel and used a combination of wire mesh, stainless steel scrubbers and wood to plug holes where mice or rats could enter.
The stainless steel scrubbers work well to shove into holes and gaps, the mice can't chew through it.
A buddy swears by mothballs. He has several travel trailers (small to large) on his property in Indiana. He places a small bowl full of mothballs in the storage compartments and on the floor in the trailers. He says it keeps the mice away. He did say he has to air out the trailer for about a day before he's able to use it.
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"Small House, Big Yard "
"May the FOREST be with you" Alfa See-Ya 5'er and 2007 Kodiak C4500 Monroe
As noted…keep traps handy. Seal openings as well as you can. We have some of the little ultrasonic things from Amazon as recommended by H&L and they do a pretty good job. We've only had mice twice in 4.5 years…it's just one of those things you have to live with if you're going to park in the woods or non urban areas.
I used a copper mesh to stuff around all pipes coming in from the basement and any place that it looked like a rodent might enter from outside. It's pretty difficult to completely seal everything, especially around the battery compartment in our trailer. If you have pets, be sure not to keep pet food in the basement unless it's in a rodent proof container. Same with birdseed.
We found evidence of mice a couple of times but the first one apparently moved back out since we didn't ever catch him and we found no more droppings. The second one we heard in the middle of the night so we immediately got up and set a trap baited with peanut butter. He took the bait almost immediately and was killed. I thought he seemed pretty big and might be something other than a mouse but Bill says no. I still say he seemed big and more brazen than I imagined a mouse would be. He was bouncing around like a pinball while I was standing on the steps up to the bedroom. Glad we caught him quickly cause I wasn't going to sleep knowing he was there.
Good luck! They seem to like peanut butter.
-- Edited by Judy L on Saturday 7th of May 2016 07:43:54 AM
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Judy LeMosy
2007 New Horizons Summit 38' / 2001 Volvo 610 w/ Smart Car on bed
As others have said, the highest priority should be filling any external gaps (and getting rid of any mice that are in the RV). For sealing the basement, we used spray sealing foam, cooper mesh or a combination of both on any basement gaps. Also look for any gaps that can be closed between the basement and the living area (e.g., we found a gap/opening to the basement in the corner of the entry area shoe nook (i.e., the shoe storage area that is below the entry close in many New Horizons)).
We also found placing LED rope lights under the RV to be helpful, when we are staying in more remote/natural areas. Some opinions vary on the effectiveness of rope lights, but after not using them at one remote location and seeing the difference after putting them out, we were convinced they made a difference.
Oh, I do have ultrasonic devices, fresh cab, mint oil soaked cotton balls in various places within the RV … but I think the real trick is sealing the basement as best as possible and it certainly does not hurt to seal areas between the basement and the living area. We will continue to use the LED lights under the RV in remote/natural locations, since you can never fully seal the basement (e.g., slide openings into the basement). We also place LED lights under the truck, in areas where we know there are mice or other similar animals (as was mentioned above, mice will chew on electrical wires).
We always keep old-fashioned mouse traps baited with peanut butter in strategic areas in the basement, to alert us to any potential future issues. But to date, since further sealing the basement and using the LED lights in remote locations, we have not caught or seen evidence of any further mice.
Hope you enjoy a mouse free zone soon!
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2014 New Horizons Majestic 40' 2014 Ram 5500 HD with Utility Bodywerks hauler body
We seem to have become a mouse farm. Now afraid to plug any openings, how will they get out out, there is no food in the trailer now. We seem to have droppings everywhere, really gross.
Move in next week to start our full time travels but not real happy about the mouse farm we seem to now have, I think they get in around the hole for the fresh water. In our New Horizon trail, once in there they seem to be able to go anywhere they want.
Going to try Irish spring shaved soap today in all the draws which they seem to like.
Yuk now seeing dropping on the couch and bed spread. They are having a grand old time, wife is starting to freak out.
Well off to get more mouse trap may also try a sonic devise of some sort.
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Bob C
The fulltime Dream begins, class of 2016
2016 Dodge Ram 5500 HD Classy Chassis hauler bed/air ride
Being that new of a unit and that big of a problem.........I'd see your insurance company.
A lot of units up here end up with mouse infestation claims after winter storage. There are lots of them getting written off by our local insurance companies.
Definitely you need to block where they are coming in. Mesh and steal wool work very well. Next, you need to trap and dispose of what may be in there. I would avoid using poison as you don't want to find dead/decaying rodents in there. Stick with traps because then you do know they are being caught and gone. Clean up the area with bleach to help kill germs and to eliminate scent. There are plug in devices and they seem to work well to offer sounds that keep rodents and bugs away. I have used them for 11 years and haven't had any rodents even when everyone around us does.
We have killed 3 mice in traps in the basement. Add CAb. Spray everyone down with pet sanitizer and Lysol covered 2 possible opening, one was the freshwater hose inlet and a second one that was near the hyd slide motor.
So far it after 2 days have not seen any new dropings. Have not check out yet today but hold out hope that they may be gone, the weather warming up may have also helped.
Figures are crossed, move in Friday to our new home.
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Bob C
The fulltime Dream begins, class of 2016
2016 Dodge Ram 5500 HD Classy Chassis hauler bed/air ride
Don't forget to check the locations (under sinks, behind toilets, washer, etc.) where your plumbing and electrical come up through the floor from the basement. Stuff any extra open space around the pipes with steel wool, stainless steel scrubbers or copper mesh. That way, even if they find their way into the basement, hopefully you'll keep them out of the living area.
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Judy LeMosy
2007 New Horizons Summit 38' / 2001 Volvo 610 w/ Smart Car on bed
Not an answer to your problems, but we had mice a while back, so I started setting out a mouse trap in the basement. Since the basement is right under our bed, if the thing was tripped, I might be able to hear it.
Late one night, I heard it trip, but decided to wait until morning to dispose of the critter. Went out the next morning and opened to basement door to find both mouse and trap gone. I unloaded just about everything from the basement, only to find no sign of the mouse or trap. Since I had left the sliding door to the underbelly open to allow them easy access to the trap, I figure the unlucky mouse wasn't killed, but dragged the trap back somewhere in the underbelly.
Still haven't found said mouse or trap.
Terry
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Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 2008 Ford F450 2019 Ford Expedition Max as Tag-along or Scout
We have 30 acres in the woods where we keep our trailer surrounded by corn fields. To say the least we have mice, also snakes. where mice can get in so can snakes. What we use pretty successfully we stuff any possibility with steel wool then spray foam insulation into it. I'm still amazed the builders don't seal the trailers.