Mouse proofing an RV.... ideas?

[Tapp8277]

I'm pretty sure I read about this on a past thread, but couldn't seem to find it with a search.  So, this past weekend i figured I'd open up the 'ol tent trailer to see how she wintered....... mouse poop everywhere! I know the little critters can basically get into anything, but is there any deterrents you guys have found effective? Appreciate any advice and/or suggestions.

[Henrydog]

Put the trailer in a shop or garage.  Turn off all the lights, in the building and turn on all the lights in the trailer.

  Get a couple of cans of expanding foam, and a bunch of steel wool, and plug anything that you can see light.  They also like frig vents. put metal screening on any vent(s). 

I did battle for a month with a little hitch hiker for a month this fall, I feel your pain.

[JakeLand]

A open jar of ammonia inside camper
Just pull it out and air out a couple days before using it

[Tapp8277]

I've heard something about them hating steel wool.

Ammonia huh? That's definitely worth a try 

[Buckmark]

After sealing up everything you can put a few bags of Fresh Cab in places...
 https://www.earthkind.com/product/fresh-cab-rodent-repellent/

[vandeman17]

We used dryer sheets in our trailer and it seemed to work pretty well

[Woodchuck]

Irish Spring soap shavings in the nooks and crannies. 

[cbond3318]

Any of the above works, I also had to skirt the tires and jacks with sheetmetal so they couldnt even attempt an entrance. PIA but after waging a war all winter all efforts were needed. Really sucks when you turn on the AC after sitting all winter and it blows out handfull of chewed up insulating foam. 

[Rainier10]

My neighbor has Tomcat bait boxes outside on the ground on all four corners of his trailer.  He says it works.

[Cougartail]

You need a mouse management plan. I had packrats and mice every where but after two years of live traps and poison bait traps/snap traps I rarely now get one. No home should go without those little black containers with poison in them. If everyone would use them, their problem wouldn't become your problem.

As stated above, those Tomcat bait boxes work and are relatively pet safe.

[Tapp8277]

Sooooo...... it looks like all-out war is my approach! Traps, perimeter defense, interior reinforcements, plus with Irish Spring and fabric softeners I should have a very nice smelling rig 

I appreciate the ideas so far!

[Boss .300 winmag]

A bottle of any peppermint essential oil this size in a standard spray bottle filled with water, spray all over area you don’t want mice in.👍

I use it on our cars wheel wells, trunks, engine compartments, smells good and doesn’t hurt anything.

Can be found at rite aid, or stores that sell vitamins, food Co-ops etc.

[Tapp8277]

A bottle of any peppermint essential oil this size in a standard spray bottle filled with water, spray all over area you don’t want mice in.👍

I use it on our cars wheel wells, trunks, engine compartments, smells good and doesn’t hurt anything.

Can be found at rite aid, or stores that sell vitamins, food Co-ops etc.

  ---- Absolutely gonna try this one!

[Woodchuck]

If none of this works, I highly suggest a GAU-8. At least it will be fun to watch. 

[sthd system]

All suggestions work but you must stay on it .
There is always that one rodent that won't play by the rules.
Squirrels and chipmunk they chew up more than mice .

[gramps]

Good suggestions.

Steel wool was mentioned....a good place to use some is where the power cord exits the door that covers the cord when stowed.  Plug the small gap between the cord and the slot in the door with some steel wool when in use.  They will climb the cord and crawl thru' that small opening....don't ask how I know.

Moth balls work around camp and vehicles , but smelly

[CoryTDF]

No clue how they rigged it up but my buddy had galvanized screen fitted into cut PVC that was about 6 inches tall. They hooked it up to an electric fence controller and it made a wall of misery for the mice to have to climb. They had their trailer in a cherry orchard for years with out any troubles. I'm going to give it a shot this year as I found some of the little A-holes in my trailer this winter.


Similar idea to this I think

https://www.farmshow.com/a_article.php?aid=33015

[Smokeploe]

If you find a hole that you can push a pencil thru a mouse can and will go thru it.
That is the standard test for and food plant in the US. When I was working that was and is how we stopped mice from entering the plant.
Also I use peppermint oil mix spray (1 teaspoon peppermint oil + 1 teaspoon liquid soap in 1 gallon of water shake/mix) for spraying the eves around the house to keep away wasps and hornets from making nests
Smokeploe

[baker5150]

Use brass wool instead of steel wool.  It won't rust and stain if it gets wet. 

[nwwanderer]

Parking on the moon might work if none were in it when parked

[j_h_nimrod]

A bottle of any peppermint essential oil this size in a standard spray bottle filled with water, spray all over area you don’t want mice in.👍

I use it on our cars wheel wells, trunks, engine compartments, smells good and doesn’t hurt anything.

Can be found at rite aid, or stores that sell vitamins, food Co-ops etc.

  ---- Absolutely gonna try this one!

Had good luck with this one over the winter except I saturated cotton balls all over the rv.  Under the tires, on top of the tires, the jack, any voids, in the cabinets n drawers, along the perimeter walls...  so far seems to be working, we will see next week when I fire it up for the first outing.

[Tapp8277]

Parking on the moon might work if none were in it when parked

HaHa!!! And even that's a maybe!

[Widgeondeke]

Open all the cabinets doors, throw in a barn cat 
Problem solved 

[CAMPMEAT]

Put cat in trailer, lock door. Wait until all rodents are deceased, take a tail count...........

[timberghost72]

Well, I got hit this year. First time I've had mice in the RV in 15 years  . I get them in my garage all the time and found a nest in my tool box one year.  I go in this morning to start getting the RV ready for a trip in a few weeks and open the bathroom door. There is a big pile of TP all piled up on the sink counter. I then see it moving. I grab a spray bottle that was nearby and smash the pile. Mom mouse runs out and gets away and I end up getting 3 baby mice. So now I go around looking throughout the entire RV and find another nest in the silverware drawer. Had a bunch of poop and urine  So I pull that out and throw the whole thing away, contents and all. The first nest with the babies seemed new as not much poop and the TP wasn't all wet. The one in the drawer looked older and disgusting. Checking out the rest of the RV I just find a little poop here and there and some on the bed. There goes the mattress 

So now comes the clean up. I clear out the entire RV top to bottom. Bleach and Clorox wipe everything I can and vacuum the carpet. I pulled every cabinet door open to try and vacuum in all the nooks and crannies. Then use 2 cans of Lysol and spray the carpet and cushions. 7 hours later I am dizzy from all the fumes. Good times  .

If that wasn't enough, I hooked up my water to start my flush out and disinfection of the water system and after about five minutes I hear a weird noise. I lift my bed up and water spraying everywhere. Dang water pump cracked. Guess I forgot to blow out the lines last winter  Of course the geniuses at Coachmen thought it would be a great idea to put the water pump and tank under the bed with all of the electrical, inverter etc. So I unplug and disconnect the battery and begin my dryout. Most of the water drained out so I am just going to leave the heater on until it's all dry. I think it's minimal, fingers crossed.

My wife was a trooper as she helped me a bunch with cleaning everything. Of course she brings up how mice carry the hantavirus  so now I'm thinking the worst  . Pretty sure they were just house mice and not deer mice but now I'm becoming a mouse expert on Google. Hope I got it all cleaned up ok. Don't want to put my family in harms way. 

Dang mice!!!

[konradcountry]

Best tip I learned when dealing with mice was to create a home for garter snakes. Put out a pile of 6" drain rocks in a sunny area. The more the better. If you have a water source in the summer then even better.

The garters will move in and raid nearby mouse nests.

Be extra cautious about snakes when mowing the lawn. Walk it first and then mow starting from the house.

Trap the adult mice outside and watch the population drop as the garters won't let them breed. Much easier than trying to plug every single hole.

Downside to the poisons is that you can kill a hawk or owl if they eat the poisoned mouse. The mouse actually slows down for a bit and becomes easy prey.