Help Mice!

[asirimarco]

We have just spent a week cleaning out our Alfa - It was just parked here by the house for the winter and a whole colony of mice moved in and made a mess. Any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening again. Didn't have this problem on the west coast so it came as quite a surprise when we found the 10 rolls of toilet paper they had torn up to make nests EVERY WHERE!

[Bethers]

I've never had a problem, but it's my understanding that you want to fill any possible places they could be entering with steel wool (get the kind made of whatever that doesn't rust, or you could end up with more problems LOL). Good luck, as you know they are just looking for someplace warm - and it seems they found it.

You'll laugh, but if you can catch some of them and put them outside where you watch them - you'll be able to watch where they are coming in - so you can find the openings to take care of. We had to do that with a business. There we were able to use real sealer, but on the rv, you might not be able to, therefore steel wool or similar.

[avalen]

mouse traps, the old fashion kind (Victors) bait them with fresh chewed
bubble gum or peanut butter, both of those items they can't resist. Keep
resetting them until you don't get any more, and like Bethers said ya
gotta close off any little entrances with steel wool. I know you don't want
to hear this part, but you have to wash all your dishs and silverware now
cause they crawl all over that stuff and poop and pee on it. I used to fight
the mice every winter back in Colorado.

[AlmostThere]

I'm going through the same thing in my house. In the Summer time!! I thought mice were a cold weather problem. I took the garbage can out from under the sink and behind it were droppings. Lots of droppings. I washed out the area and put out my trap and within 24 hrs. caught 3! So far no more for the past 2 days so I hope I got them stopped. I did put out some Decon around the edge of my house foundation.

[JanJer]

Back when I had a 5er that was stored for the winter I got one of those pest chaser things that plug in the wall and give off a noise not audible to humans and left it in the 5er, I also laid out dryer sheets on everything... also near where you put the steel wool. I never had a mouse in there and I lived in the country where there are lots of mice

Lenora... I wouldn't use decon anyplace where the dog could get it, it IS poison.

Jan

[retiredhappy]

Had a problem with mice in Las Cruces NM last fall. Check under your sinks where your water lines run - plug with steel wool. I put those Decon baits in my outside compartments, under the sink, on the battery under my entry step. Need to check any wiring cause they like to chew the wires. I also put dryer sheets in all my outside compartments AND pieces of flea collar. Haven't had any problems since but it might also be just luck.

[rvgrammy1953]

When we winterize the Mallard for storage here in the fall and our shed....steel wool goes into all holes that the little critters can get into....Then off to the Dollar General or Family General or Walmart for 2 boxes of Moth Balls which we pour on furniture, beds, in closets, drawers, and here and there on the floor....in the shed moth balls go into totes, tents,folding chairs, golf clubs (when we don't take them...lol), and the grandkids' toy box.....sure it's a little more work in the spring when we come back from traveling in the 5er, but well worth not having all the mice and the mess....we learned to do this from the "old timers" here at the the campground who have been doing this for years......

Lori

[asirimarco]

The motorhome is cleaner now then it has ever been. Everything inside has been taken out and washed. What couldn't be taken out was vacuumed and washed. We've now put in sound things, moth balls and poison bait. Will add dryer sheets next time I go out there. Don't know if its possible to seal it completely up but plan on buying lots of steel wool next time we go shopping. Many thanks to all of you.

[Bethers]

All that stuff is good for other reasons, too. I use the dryer sheets in all my outside compartments and around places because ants don't like them. And down here in TX, they hang moth balls in pantyhose feet tied up under the rigs - as supposedly it keeps the snakes away. And neither of those are bad for the animals

Lori - you seem to have all the bases covered with what you do - sounds very smart.

[AlmostThere]

Jan,
thanks for reminding about keeping Decon away from pets. I don't use it around the foundation in the back where my dog is loose so he should be ok.

[Barbzeee]

yep.. I do the steel wool thing too.. boy it sure saves you headaches.. and I sprinkle the moth ball flakes around easy for me to vacuum up.. but any opening you have to plug up. them little cute suckers are just anxious to jump on board... now in the winter months in Florida when I park my rig.. I've got to worry about them Palmetto..(Cocker Roach to me ) bugs.. yikes those things are ugly... and them babies are looking for a home.. I make sure I do a number in the rig... eeeeeew.. I'm not good on these little things.. no way...I whacked one down there and heard that baby crunch.. hahaha.. but he was no more .. that's for sure !!! Anyway..it's always an on going issue..when you leave your rig in storage to be prepared for all surprises... See it's never dull being an RVer

The gals are on the job.. they sure don't miss a trick.. and always willing to help

God Bless..

[khenrie]

Gosh you guys got all these nifty little tricks. All I did was get a cat!

[Getupngo]

Sorry that you have those furry little visitors. I had mice (YEEEK!) in my rig last summer when I was workkamping at a state park. I found where they were getting in and stuffed it full of steel wool. I used traps (the "humane" traps didn't work, so I broke down and used the nasty ones.) to catch those that were in the rig, then I bought one of those electronic mouse repellent devices, and haven't had a rodent since. It takes 2-3 weeks for them to really work.

Good luck!! janice

[SeeyaGal]

I have 3 cats and the brats would not go under in the basement compartments to chase out that dang giant packrat out we picked up last October!!! I had to duct tape a large rat trap put peanut butter on it....which it licked off without setting off the trap!!! Stuck cheese on it and finally got it...it was HUGE!!! Found a nest on the engine under the bed!!! Knocked that off but learned they can go between the 2 basement compartments!!! Sure hopw we do not find one this time.

Do the ones you plug in really work? I'd rather have that than traps or poison.

[Gentleladybear]

You fight mice, I fight squirrels eating my engine wires. Very distructie little critters. I am told to put moth balls in old knee hi's and hang them around the engine. It might be a good way to keep mice out to put bags of moth balls around inside the coach. Might have to air it out from the aroma when you want to use it, but sure beats the distruction.

Nan