Using Ultrasonic Rodent Protection While In Storage

[demijac]

Does anybody with solar have experience with our proposed use case for electronic rodent control while AS is in storage?

As background, we are planning to store our Airstream outdoors for 3 1/2 months and are looking for a rodent repellent solution that would last that long. The non-electronic solutions we've investigated are only good for 30 or 60 days which is shorter than what we need with peppermint drops lasting the longest at 60 days. For that reason, we are looking at a 110V device called 'T3-R Triple High Impact Mice, Rat, Rodent Repeller' that uses ultrasonic sound to repel rodents. It would run continuously while the trailer is in storage without shore power and we are hoping that our solar panels would be enough (with everything else turned off) to keep it powered up while we are away.

Questions:
1) Does anybody have experience with this product ?
2) Has anybody with solar used this device while the trailer was in storage?

[A W Warn]

I don't know about the solar aspect of powering them.

I've been using three Victor M753 Mini PestChaser Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent for about 4 years in my Safari at home in NC. It is parked outside right beside a wooded area 100% of the time. No mice in the trailer in four years.
I also have the same in my Excella. It is parked 100% of the time outdoors in Florida, near a creek and woods. No mice in the trailer in two camping seasons, but we do have an occasion gecko.

[Landrum]

FWIW......I was wondering about these devices myself recently. I did a little searching online and found a few sources that said they didn't work. If I remember correctly the article stated they only effected mice if the mice were in line of sight of the device and mice could get acclimated to the devices.


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[Rjpuckett]

Is it April 1st?

[AWCHIEF]

I always thought they were just another "available only on TV" scam.

[Morgan guy]

I tried one of the ultrasonic devices in about 1999. I had a 1996 21' Sovereign and kept having evidence of their presence (they left presents). One day I opened the door to the trailer and there was a mouse sitting right in front of the ultrasonic device. Needless to say I was not impressed with it's effectiveness. I spent a lot of time after that tracking down all the places they could get in and finally stopped the varmints.

[idroba]

I believe Consumers Reports did a test of them and found them of no value.

Running them from a stock Airstream inverter and solar panels is questionable. Most inverters built into Airstreams take in the range of 1.7 to 1.9 amps just being on, sitting there doing nothing at all. That is about 20 amp hours a day and to reliably have that much power you need a reasonably large solar system (with any reserve for cloudy days). The Airstream supplied one is probably not going to do it. Of course it could be upgraded, but if the mice protection system is not viable, why bother?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I use ultra sonic for insects and dryer sheets, but this is mostly for while we are on the road. I had one mouse one time. Since then, I tried to find and block entrances for the mice.

Seal the front frame rails and remove all food items.

[B00merang]

Just picked up my '05 Yukon after it sat in northcentral Florida over the winter...had used two packages of dryer sheets throughout the interior and motor bay to keep out rodents. $550 worth of chewed wire repair and $120 for interior shampooing to get rid of all the poop/pee showed me to not waste money on dryer sheets again. THEY DON"T WORK. jon

[ronpovey]

Never had any success,place mothballs under unit on the ground.

[pappy19]

Rubber snakes in selected spots will keep the mice away and every year in the spring, I buy 2-3 large dog flea collars and cut them up into 3-4" pieces and place them in all of the louvered openings; under the bed, fridge, hot water heater, etc., and also in the propane tank. No more wasps, bees, or ants. Haven't seen any spiders either.

[KJRitchie]

I have sonic devices in my house and I still keep getting mice in my house. My conclusion, they don't work.

[jakeandkate]

Used in our house....didn't work got 2 cats and haven't had any problems since

[Pams72]

this may sound odd but a gallon milk jug filled with used vegetable fryer oil works great for catching mice. We found this out by accident. I had a gallon of used fryer oil in the garage waiting to be recycled. For what ever reason there was no lid on the jug. In the spring there was five mice sunk in the bottom of the jug! At first wondered what was in the oil? We emptied the oil into another container and discovered it was mice. So I would think a gallon jug under the trailer with used veggie oil should work.

[X New Yorker]

I'm using Fresh Cab. So far the Interstate was OK (stored since late November outside). Fingers crossed on the Hot Rod (the real test), I have not taken that on out yet (stored since Fall in a garage). It is also full of dryer sheets, just in case those could help....

[cwf]

Interesting! Flavored(used) cooking oil... Excellent!!!

[lstepp2]

Two ingredients words, Peanut Butter & Decon Rat Poison. Mix the Decon and the peanut butter half/half. Place in secure locations e.i. Beneath the couch drawer. It kills them dead. Also check for floor board and other holes. The stove pipe in the bathroom, around the furnace etc.

[NavyCorpsman]

Originally Posted by Pams72

this may sound odd but a gallon milk jug filled with used vegetable fryer oil works great for catching mice. We found this out by accident. I had a gallon of used fryer oil in the garage waiting to be recycled. For what ever reason there was no lid on the jug. In the spring there was five mice sunk in the bottom of the jug! At first wondered what was in the oil? We emptied the oil into another container and discovered it was mice. So I would think a gallon jug under the trailer with used veggie oil should work.

I will second that. I have a biodiesel rig, and have found mice in the bottom of the feedstock buckets. It works like a flytrap. The cats and my King snake take care of the rest......

[mojo]

I bet the trailer would smell real good after 3 1/2 months with dead mice in peanut butter and old rancid fry oil.

[NavyCorpsman]

Originally Posted by mojo

I bet the trailer would smell real good after 3 1/2 months with dead mice in peanut butter and old rancid fry oil.

The oil seemed to preserve them somewhat, not that I wanted to have him mounted......smelled like a French fry he did....pass the ketchup.
A poisoned rat or mouse is a raucous smell, and can be hard to find.
My wife raises fancy breed chickens and we have a bumper crop of field mice in the coops of which is hours of hunting fun for the cats. They leave them at the door as a gift often enough. The snakes get the rest.