Arrrghhh! MICE!

[Nevadastars]

I think we have a mouse trying to nest in our MH. Last weekend I moved it out of its cover and our little Dachshund would not quit sniffing around the right front suspension area. I pretty much ignored it and told him to get away, even though he resisted and kept wanting to go back.

I brought it back out of its cover today to do some things to it, and he was right back to the same spot. I crawled underneath and did not see a thing. So, I popped the hood and was greeted with a bunch of pieces of chicken feathers on the battery from my wife's laying hens. I assume it is from a mouse even though there no droppings to be found anywhere.

Bottom line, what is a sure fire way to mouse proof your MH? Is there such a thing. I have never had to deal with them before except a couple that got in the house years ago.

[motorcycle_jack]

Arrhhh Mice!! ---- Awwww Moth Balls. (place them around, they hate the smell.

[CavemanCharlie]

Hungry Cat is the best. In my house I have mouse traps that are called "The Better Mouse Trap". I like them you can set and release the without ever getting your fingers near the mouse section. You grab and squeeze from the back of the trap to set and release it. They are great. !

[RVcircus]

I use plain old wood traps baited with peanut butter. They're a little finicky to set, but they work great and kill quick.

[Dakota98]

This is probably the best type of mouse trap I've seen yet. It's great for long or short term Rv storage & doesn't require constant monitoring. This video, although in Spanish shows the mechanics of making your own trap & is the best idea I've seen yet. There are many YouTube videos on different construction concepts, but they all work pretty much the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8baebZY18s

3-5 inches of Water or anti-freeze can be used in the bottom of the bucket. But Remember, if you are in a very cold weather environment, & you use water, the little guys will just be ice skating & you'll have to end their existence in some other way yourself.

[wa8yxm]

Outside the motor home .. I can not help you

Inside the motor home I have a couple of Mouse Exterminators who live with me, Amber and Alex,, My Feline Fur Kids.

They keep inviting mice to drop in for lunch,, but for some reason the mice do not wish to join the cats for a meal.. Can't understand way, perhaps the main course (Mouse Tartar) is not to their liking, what do you think?

[Duke-44]

I used to have mice problems big time. One thing that I found was crucial was not to bait them. Do not set out traps with something like peanut butter. They can smell that 100 yds. away and come running to try to get into your rig to get it. They will chew their way in.
The only thing that I have found to work is moth balls. When in storage in an enclosed rental storage shed there was old hay leaves where someone had stored hay in the rental unit. I raked as much of it out before winter storage, then put moth balls on the feet of each jack or around each tire, anything that touched the ground. In the spring, there had been no mice in the rig and I could see mice trails through the dirt and hay under and all around it.
When camping for any more than 4-5 days, I also put the moth balls in the same places. I have had no trouble in 3 yrs. I also keep a box of moth balls in the front storage compartment in a zip lock bag all the time. Every so often, I get only a slight whiff of the moth balls.
I absolutely hate that smell, but it is not bad enough to give up the mouse protection. My wife has never said a word about it. I don't think she even knows that's what I do. She is not scared of mice in any way, except she hates the droppings.

[camperpaul]

My Granddad used a few of these on the farm; they hold a dozen mice.

1. Bait it with peanut butter.
2. Wind the mechanism.
3. Reset the counter to "Zero".
4. Read the counter every morning and if it contains any mice, take it out in the driveway and feed the cats.



I use a few of these, baited with peanut butter, in the TT:



Because it is very fast acting, it is very humane.

I find the 'glue traps' to be very cruel; the trapped mouse suffers greatly while it dies of thirst and/or starvation.

[Nevadastars]

Well, I went to the store to get some traps and wow, what a variety they have now! $25 later I walked out with 3 different types. The plastic clamp type, a couple of Ortho walk-in type that is supposed to bait them inside, then slam then keeping them inside. I also got the sticky type, but a lady that was looking for gopher traps, told be to get the sticky ones for rats, as they are larger and the sticky stuff is deeper.
My wife put the sticky ones in our garage, with no luck over night. I put two of the Ortho ones under the front suspension of the MH, one of the clamp type behind the right rear tire, and one on the battery where they had started a nest. I checked them out this morning and the one by the rear dual had been licked clean, as was one of the Orthos. It went inside to the back of it, licked it clean and walked back out. The other Ortho hadn't been touched.

Then I opened the hood and BINGO, the clamp type on the battery nailed one! I am going to place one of the sticky rat ones under the suspension and see it does any good since we seem to have more activity around the MH than the garage. So far, I am not impressed with the most expensive ones, the Ortho's. The clamp type are super easy to dispose of the mouse without having to touch it.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[georgelesley]

We store our mh in a tight, new garage during non use times and put sticky traps completely around all tires. No mice. Others on this forum use aluminum foil under the tires so the critters cannot get traction for climbing the tires. Sounds reasonable to me and will be our plan when traps are not practical. I think the foil has merit because we used to park our old mh outside and noticed that when parked on plastic pads made for the purpose and put the tire protectors on, few mice made it in, without such, many did.

[Opie431]

While we took our cat with us, we had no mice. I assume that the odor kept them away.
Friends found a mouse nest made of dryer sheets. I assume that means they do not work.

[tenbear]

I have had several encounters with mice. Mice in the engine compartment is no big deal unless they have chewed on the wireing. Just be sure to brush out any nests before starting the MH.

Mice in the MH is a different story. I have filled any spaces in the floor with spray foam. I got under the MH and crawled around looking for places that a mouse could get in and sealed them. Pay attention to where the power cord comes in and close the space around it. I used sheet metal and duct tape.

Mice built a nest in my MH several years ago, they used insulation from the oven and anything else they could find, including dryer sheets. I now keep a loaded mouse trap in the MH and have been mouse free for several years. I think sealing any holes where mice could enter is key.

[youngone]

predatorpee.com Look up Bobcat urine. I hang the 33 day dispencers under my 5th wheel. 3 years and no mice!

[kennethwooster]

Sounds like the mice were using chicken feathers to build a nest. I've had them in grain trucks, and they cause quite a mess. I started using Purina mouse poison and cleaned the barn out. Kept all odor out of the barn as well as the trucks. I don't think they make the product picked up the poison, but not sure who it was. I works better then anything I've ever used. If they are only on the engine, then get something like the sticky pads. Main thing is not having them in the inside where you live.

[denverhank]

Just caught Mickey with the original Victor mouse trap. Unfortunately, Minnie has just shown her face. So hopefully we'll get them all. DW hates mice and will jump a mile if she sees one. We're on a camping trip and this is ruining it a bit.