Editor's note: Chris Dougherty is a certified RV technician in
western Massachusetts. Here is a letter he received from a reader while
he was serving as RVtravel.com's technical editor.
Dear Chris,
I have a problem
with mice in my unit. I suspect they are gaining entry at my indoor
storage facility. The landlord denies that anyone else has reported this
problem. What do you recommend for sealing these rodents out? There are
so many products on the market I do not know who to believe or what to
buy. Price is no object. What can you recommend? —Joe
Dear Joe,
There are a number of things you can do to keep mice out. First and
foremost is to try and prevent their entry be sealing up any holes they
can get in to. This is easier in some RVs than it is in others. Spray foam insulation works pretty well and is the first line of defense.
Second is to limit their entry into the coach from the ground.
Anything that is low to or touches the ground is a potential spot for
them to climb up. One trick I learned from an antique vehicle friend is
to completely surround the ground around the tires with large glue
traps. Spraying Mouse Free on the ground in an indoor area may work as
well, but is still temporary.
Speaking of Mouse Free, this may also be a good option to try. While
the company doesn’t have a guarantee for RVs that already have an
infestation, the product will help keep them at bay as long as it is
thoroughly applied. Remember mice leave a feces/urine trail wherever
they go which is how they and their kin find their way around. Once the
trail is there its almost impossible to completely remove. Mouse Free
covers it up with a peppermint scented lubricant that they can’t stand,
according to the company. More information on it can be found at
mouse-free.com.
If you have an infestation already I would recommend placing traps
inside the coach anywhere you know the mice run. I don’t like poison for
a number of reasons, but it does cause them to die in the coach which
creates a messy hazard to deal with, not to mention the danger of having
the poison out with pets and children.
Moth balls also seem to deter them pretty well, although many people don’t like the smell.
Regardless of how to eliminate them, reducing their attraction to
your RV is imperative. Make sure foods and nesting materials are removed
from the coach. Any spills need to be thoroughly cleaned up when they
happen. Make sure the area under and within cabinets and compartments
remains clean. Clean your appliances thoroughly, and make sure the coach
is aired out to get rid of food odors before storage. Since you store
inside, leaving your roof vents open is probably a good idea.
I hope this helps!
A friend told us that a small radio works to detour mice, because if they can't hear predators approaching they won't hang around.. Haven't had to test the theory yet.
ReplyDeleteFill a 5-gallon bucket half-full, spread some peanut butter around inside lip, and find a place to dump the drowned rodents.
ReplyDeleteThe new plastic mouse traps available at all hardware stores work real well with the bait attractant that says on the directions that it works better than peanut butter or cheese. These traps are very easy to set with one hand and have no-touch disposal of the dead rodent.
ReplyDeleteInstead of cheese or peanut butter, bait your trap with a small piece of Tootsie Roll. The best bait I have found.
ReplyDeletePlease, lets not use glue traps. Incredibly cruel.
ReplyDeleteWe put an Airwick dispenser with cinnamon scent in our RV. Similar to the peppermint scent only much more pleasant to us humans.
ReplyDeleteMice got in our car and travel trailer. Once removed, an arduous task in and of itself, we found most spray deterrents don't last. Then we tried this: cottons balls with two or three drops of catnip strategically placed in both the car and camper. No more mice.
ReplyDeleteFor several years I have had great luck by placing fabric softeners around my RV.
ReplyDelete