Help there is a mouse (or two) in the house

[Mr. O]

Hey, we've been mostly full timing in our AS for the summer while working on the cabin remodel...no rodent issue till last night. I realize its turning cool here in the North Woods of Wisconsin and the critters are searching for winter quarters. I carefully looked under the trailer for anything obvious....nothing apparent. I then examined the hatches and storage areas...alas....a pile of pink fiberglass insulation sitting on top of spare hoses. This area, which was closed and locked, is way below kitchen sink with free access to almost everywhere..... under cabinets, microwave, etc. First question....does AS use pink fiberglass anywhere? Secondly, does anyone have an idea of potential entry points? It sure looked tight to me. Thanks.

[Minno]

Mice can fit through a 1/4 inch opening, and there are probably plenty in your belly pan. Once in there, they can squeeze through openings into the trailer. Airstream is full of pink fiberglass in the walls. Based on what we found in our '72 when we took the inner skins off, it was a super highway and storage area for mice over the years. Nip it in the bud! Many people find that stuffing areas with Bounce style dryer sheets repels mice. Others have sworn by Irish Spring soap. Sealing as many cracks in the belly pan and inside the trailer floor with caulk/Vulkem helps. Mice also like to climb up tires and electrical connectors to the trailer, so if you can isolate those, it helps.
Good luck!

Kay

[KJRitchie]

Steel wool stuffed into openings around pipes etc helped us get rid of mice in our house. We also laid bait in enclosed containers along the base boards. Mice eat it and supposedly go outside to die according to the exterminator. We also laid sticky traps down. Caught a couple like that. Put them where pets can't get to them. I would assume these methods would work in RVs too.

Kelvin

[nrgtrakr]

I wouldn't use bait in an RV. They might go to their new home in between skins to die and smell the place up.

[Kevin245]

Check to see if the A-Frame tubes that converge into your tongue coupler are open on the ends as this is a common entry point. I stuffed mine with stainless steel wool and effectively shut down their point of entry.

[Windtroll]

Because they need water when they eat the bait, mice and rats tend to go out looking when they eat it. I picked up both when camping. They took over within a week. I baited and they were gone within 3 days. No dead smell. I used a enclosed bait for the rats and put it in the general area I heard them coming in under the motorhome. You have to be aggressive as they reproduce and invite their friends. It was scary fast how they took over my home.

[Ziggy2]

I found huge success with the Rat Zapper brand rodent killers. It's a small tunnel with and electric floor. It runs off common batteries. You put some nuts in the Rat Zapper at one end. When the mouse steps in at the other end on the metal floor, the mouse is instantly electrocuted. They make one model that will text you when there is a dead mouse if you want to spend to money. Once the rodent is zapped, just pick up the Rat Zapper and dump the mouse into a plastic bag, refill with nuts and hit the reset. DO NOT use poison for the rodents as they will rot and stink for weeks and you will probably not find them.

[sallye]

I once had an exterminator tell me that dog food contains vitamin K, which is a natural antidote for mouse/rat poison. So if you do use poison and have a dog, make sure you don't "free feed" or leave the dog food sitting around.

[pickettmd]

I don't have first hand experience but I'm told "Cabin Fresh" is suppose to work. Farmers use it in their tractors over the winter. I plan to do the same when in storage. Google it or check it out on Amazon.

[nrgtrakr]

Originally Posted by sallye

I once had an exterminator tell me that dog food contains vitamin K, which is a natural antidote for mouse/rat poison. So if you do use poison and have a dog, make sure you don't "free feed" or leave the dog food sitting around.

The PO of ours had 3 dogs and left food out for them. Traps with peanut butter netted 1-3 mice per day for a couple of months ... eeep!

[TheHandyDan]

Having personally "followed my nose" around my attic several time, I echo the suggestion to not put poison down. Mice die where they die and if they're inside you will surely know it. Use traps or deterrents.

[Bhkh226]

Believe it or not. FABRIC SOFTENER SHEETS !!! Put a bunch out, in the drawers, cabinets...... It worked great for me, haven't even seen any droppings!! Plus it smells great after. I did not fall and hit my head, it does work!!

[coastal me]

Lots of posts on mice, that says that they are a major problem for RVers!
Sticky traps -stories of predators and other animals getting stuck on them. If used, make sure and dispose of properly.
I just bought the copper mesh from Amazon. I hope it helps.
This winter, I'm using the peppermint on cotton balls, Cab Fresh, and fabric dryer sheets. Apparently it's any strong smells that mice don't like.
The mice also easily get in the cab of my F250. The climate control vents still have toilet paper in them, even though the toilet paper was only in the truck a short amount of time.
What amazes me is how much territory they can cover in a short amount of time. In the truck and trailer this past winter, it seemed they were on every available surface, going by what was left behind.
I keep everything covered, and even then the mice find something. I had a bag of mixed dry beans, and the mice chewed through the bag and took out the black beans and left the other beans. I would have liked to have seen that.
There is no food and no water available for the mice. Yet they still want in.
I prefer the live traps. I've had mice get partly stuck in a snap trap. The most effective live traps were carried by Walmart, a simple rectangular trap with a swing door. I haven't seen them lately.

[RangerJay]

We had a short but memorable group of mouse guests a few years ago - my wife wouldn't sleep in the trailer till they were evicted and the entranceway found - so the pressure was on .....

Turned out they were getting in where sewer line exited the underbelly - the cut out for the black water pipe was larger than it needed to be and not caulked - was a fairly easy fix - traps did the rest - and my wife was able to rejoin me for the rest of the vacation .....


Jay

[Minno]

Brass wool won't rust like steel wool will. We've used that with good effect too.

Kay

[stormycs]

If your AS has a back bumper where the electrical cord is stored, it is easy for mice to access that area. Once inside, I had one small and one large access hole into the trailer. Insulation was being pulled out of that area. I used foam and a tin can lid to plug the larger hole and a plug for the smaller hole. I also had an issue at the black water plumbing outlet. Also had some rivets come out on the belly near this plumbing. I used snap traps with peanut butter bait on a plastic cover inside the trailer. Check traps daily. Finally got rid of them.

[djarrett]

Camping world sells a rodent repellant that is balsam shavings. If you like the smell of the NC mountains, it is a great way to keep the mice at bay and have your trailer smell like a deep woods experience. It is called Fresh Cab. Here is a link:

Botanical Rodent Repellent, 4-Pack - Earth Kind MFC12P - Insect Control - Camping World

[Bob Riffle]

After tearing one completely apart I would look first where the septic exits the AS. Mine was built very poorly around this area. 1971 Safari.