A mouse in the house

pittsf · 03-11-2007, 08:57 PM

We left our '65 Safari on the farm for about a month, and when we came to get it, there was mouse evidence scattered about.

We got the mouse (its tail got caught in one of the traps), but figured that it had been coming and going as there was no water in there. It had eaten paper things, dried oatmeal, and Ivory soap bars!

We got it during a mostly sleepless night with the bathroom light on, and have since mouse-proofed the Safari (we hope!). All easily edible food now left in the Fridge.

Our question is, how did it get in in the first place? We have our theories, but wonder if anyone else has encountered this, and what might have been found out.

Would appreciate any ideas or suggestions.

wacnstac · 03-11-2007, 09:48 PM

Check the tongue going into your trailer. Most have hollow frame rails that are a mouse highway right into the trailer. Some have them plugged, but mine weren't and that's were my mice where getting in.

C Johnson · 03-12-2007, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wacnstac

Check the tongue going into your trailer. Most have hollow frame rails that are a mouse highway right into the trailer. Some have them plugged, but mine weren't and that's were my mice where getting in.

ah haa !! One place I didn't think of sealing. Good one.

**wahoonc** · 03-12-2007, 05:08 AM

Depending on the size of the mouse...any hole larger around than a pencil is suspect!

Anywhere a power cord, LP line, water line, or frame section intersects the shell is a possible entry point. I am not familiar with the construction of the 60's vintage but on the 70's they can get in thru the bottom vent on the fridge, there are at least 3 LP penetrations that I can recall and the search goes on...

Aaron

Lumatic · 03-12-2007, 08:09 AM

I've heard the sonic mouse repellers really do work

pittsf · 03-13-2007, 06:03 PM

Thanks for the responses, especially to wacnstac.

We had sealed every crevice underneath with either duct tape or pressed in steel wool. My wife even insisted on taping the door at the bottom edge!

When checking all around, I spotted the rails from the tongue, and they were wide open, and so stuffed them with steel wool!

Thanks to wacnstac for confirming that that's where they were likely getting in (two more instances not reported in the original posting).

Hopefully, when we get back to it later this month, we will be the only occupants.

Blu_Hwy_Lady · 03-13-2007, 06:06 PM

Marshall: mouse repellers work for a while. See the thread @#!mice where I sang the praises of the Sharper Image Mouse Mover. Until....I found a mouse nest in the drawer under the mover about 2 months after I started using them.

lewster · 03-13-2007, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pittsf

Thanks for the responses, especially to wacnstac.

We had sealed every crevice underneath with either duct tape or pressed in steel wool. My wife even insisted on taping the door at the bottom edge!

When checking all around, I spotted the rails from the tongue, and they were wide open, and so stuffed them with steel wool!

Thanks to wacnstac for confirming that that's where they were likely getting in (two more instances not reported in the original posting).

Hopefully, when we get back to it later this month, we will be the only occupants.

Try BRONZE wool. Will not rust like steel wool. Available at most hardware stores.

wacnstac · 03-14-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pittsf

Thanks for the responses, especially to wacnstac.

We had sealed every crevice underneath with either duct tape or pressed in steel wool. My wife even insisted on taping the door at the bottom edge!

When checking all around, I spotted the rails from the tongue, and they were wide open, and so stuffed them with steel wool!

Thanks to wacnstac for confirming that that's where they were likely getting in (two more instances not reported in the original posting).

Hopefully, when we get back to it later this month, we will be the only occupants.

You are very welcome. I wish someone would have pointed this out to me more clearly when I was having problems. The mice really got into my trailer hot and heavy through the tongue and were partying it up before I spoiled it with some expanding foam. There are some other references on these forums to this being an entrance for mice but for me this was the mouse superhighway. After I finally figured it out (my trailer is used as a park model by the way), the first night I spent on the gaucho after patching the hole I could hear those buggers out there all night trying to get back in but they couldn't anymore. They even went so far as to climb up on the screen on the outside of the front window trying to get back in that night.

campadk · 08-21-2007, 12:19 PM

This will come in handy! Will have to check out our tongue next time we have the trailer out.

My wife woke up last week, and was sure something was into food in the cupboard. Next morning we confirmed it. Happened another night as well. I figured that a mouse got in since I left the boot hatch open one night (never again). But we 'think' it was gone... or leaves for the day and somehow returns. It ate a small hole in a nut can, then decided the nuts were to sugary or something. Needless to say we through out a lot of stuff, along with mouse droppings.

We left the trailer at storage with 2 mouse traps set. Hopefully if they catch something... we won't return in 2 weeks to a god aweful stink!

KIMILI · 08-21-2007, 02:35 PM

we went under our AS and stuffed every tiny hole with copper wool (it does not rust) and filled over it with that yellow expandable foam, stuff it from home depot.

The trailer satys in storage all winter (4 years now), and all our neighbours have had mice surprises but not us

...then again we sealed it so good we get mold...figures it's an Airstream you solve one trouble and out comes another one...work never stops

thecatsandi · 08-21-2007, 03:19 PM

You will also needed to keep your chains and umbilical cord off the ground. Anything they can climb will give them access to the trailer.

I would be curious to know if the got into the main frame rails where they can get into the trailer.

Minnie's Mate · 08-21-2007, 03:28 PM

Oh darned, I thought this was a thread about Disney World!

As I read the thread I thought about the "Good Stuff" expanding foam, too. The commercial claims it will keep mice out. I have warned my wife about anything that a mouse could eat but I don't think she takes the issue too seriously. She keeps things in airtight plastic containers, but some times I find they haven't been burped.