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| John Stansbury on flickr.com |
So-called legitimate sources (including RV dealers) suggest a variety of ways to repel rouge rodents. Says one, "Put Bounce dryer sheets in your cabinets and outside compartments." Tell that idea to the RVers who tried it and later found the mice discovered that Bounce dryer sheets can make for an excellent mouse nest in an RV after the little characters shredded the "repelling" dryer sheets.
Another piece of well-meaning--but useless--advice: Install an "ultrasonic pest repeller" in your RV and send the little rats scurrying before they even get inside. Once again, numerous college and university researchers respond: Save your money--ultrasonic repellers just don't work. What's the problem? The issue is that the repelling systems just don't have enough power. The sound level meant to run off rodents is just to small to get around blocking objects (furniture, walls, cabinet doors, and the like). It's kind of like driving down the road an being annoyed by a siren--roll up the window. Rodents just re-route in your RV, using objects to block the obnoxious noise.
The tried-and-true method to keep rodent invaders at bay boils down to blocking their entry. Carefully inspect your RV looking for spaces where critters can come in. Typically spots around where water, sewer, or gas lines pass through walls and floors may provide a little mouse easy access. Stuff any such crack (it doesn't need to be big for a mouse to get through) with steel wool, then cover with sealant.
Thanks for the article. I have given up on trying to find all entry points in my 5th wheel. I did plug the obvious holes, though. Now I just rely on catching them in traps placed on each side between the tires. I have found plastic traps that hide the bait from other animals. Squirrels pretty often trip the trap trying to open it, but they can't get caught because of the trap design.
ReplyDeleteWe put Downy Fabric Softener sheets in every drawer,closet and any otherr place in our camper. It is a lot cheaper.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has always used rat pellets in all areas of our RV. He removes the drawers, adds it to the floor under the drawers, in basement compartments, generator compartment, any place he thinks they might like to come visit. We also store our RV in our in our pole barn and he has the pellets through out the barn. In all our 13 years of owning an RV we have not had a problem with mice.
ReplyDeleteI hope these pesticides are pet-friendly so that you're not poisoning yours or your neighbors beloved pets.
DeletePlease folks, use these products safely and on the assumption that children or pets could get into them and what a horrible event that would be.
We had a rodent problem and got rid of it with cloves, bay leaves and mint oil. Cloves in the bottom of cupboard and under sinks - floor level spaces including basement compartment. Bay leaves in drawers and overhead compartments. Mint oil around any opening into the rig. Sounds crazy but it works and we have not had any mice since doing this.
ReplyDeleteI use pure peppermint oil. Put on cotton balls and into an open baggie placed in various positions throughout the basement area of our MH. Seems rodents and other pests do not like the smell as we have not had ANY pests (ants included) since I started using this. And our coach always smells minty fresh too. It does require reapplication about once a month though. The oil is available at most all health food stores, but if your in Nappanee,In in August you can find it at the mint farms in bulk. Much cheaper that way.
ReplyDeleteWe use the peppermint oil also, we no longer have mouses in the houses. :-)
DeletePoison at the far outside perimeter and traps around the inner circle. Giving them some poison to munch on before they even get close to the rig seems to work and then a trap at every access point especially near the engine compartment. Even put a glue trap inside which works on other little pests also. Sounds like a lot but don't want ever again to turn on the AC and have nesting material blow out!!
ReplyDeleteWe had a problem a couple years ago and a rural friend suggested Fresh Cab. We started using a box at the end of the season then and they have not returned. It also doesn't stink up the unit. In our storage lot last winter, our next door neighbor caught 12 mice on glue traps, but we didn't find any evidence at all. One can't prove a negative, but we will keep using it until proven otherwise.
ReplyDeleteIf you are planning to store your motorhome, camper, boat etc. I have used "Tire Rings". I have stored campers for my neighbors and they are so impressed with these tire rings the some have even prepaid 1 year ahead. Go the "The RV Doctor" under "CRITTERS" and there is an article about the tire rings with pictures. You would need to be storing inside a building and also would need a cement floor in there. So far I am batting 1000, I have never had a mouse get past the rings yet. But I do suggest a second line of defense, put a couple of mouse traps in the doorway. You don't even have to bait them just have them close to the door when you close it just inside. According to Echo Lab (a pest control company), the mice follow the interior wall perimeter and are as blind as we are in the dark so they literally walk right into the trap if there is a problem. Like I said, go to "The RV Doctor" under "CRITTERS".
ReplyDeleteBeen volunteering for four yrs, you put peppermint saturated in bags withgauze pad with hole in plastic zip locks, also buy mouse traps at Walmart and stick peanut butter inside. we sealed off areas but even doing that mice can get in anyways by dislocating themselves by squeezing through cracks. especially with slide outs and heatiing areas tires wheel area crawl through.yeah killed over a dozen volunteering at day use parks ay Ecola State Park.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the so called scientists, I have successfully used ultrasonic units for 4 years with no mice. Before that we had them every time we were in storage. Now we store it for much longer. Maybe the key is that I use 3 units, no objects to bend around. I have a solar panel so they are always active. Just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWe use lavender moth balls for winter storage. Havent opened up in spring and found any mice
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