Keep Rodents out of RV

[Pvarady@isgsolutions.com]

What is the best way to keep Rodents put of your RV?

[ghnl]

Don't stop driving?

Search for all openings - mice can reportedly get through very small openings. Expanding foam or steel wool to block off these openings.

[Mark54]

Originally Posted by Pvarady@isgsolutions.com

What is the best way to keep Rodents put of your RV?

First, Mice have no collarbones, so they can squeeze thru a 1/4" opening!

Find all holes in the deck, firewall, around floor penetrations (gas, electric, etc) and use stainless scrub pads as ordinary steel wool rusts fast, and/or Tomcat anti-rodent spray foam. Ultrasonic repellers help, but should be outside at suspect access points.

I also keep one rat zapper, and a couple re-useable Tomcat traps inside for the ones that still find that 1/4" hole to go thru...
I have an ultrasonic repeller in my engine bay, aimed at my firewall and no mice since. I have all holes sealed, but think that firewall has one I cannot find easily (Promaster chassis)
Best way to find holes, is to do at night with light inside suspect areas, and look outside for light leaks.
My Tomcat reusable traps have peanut butter, and zapper has a walnut that I re-use after emptying the mouse body- They seem to prefer the walnut... the PB traps remain untripped, and in the zapper, they don't even get a chance to nibble any of the walnut!

[Lt Keefer]

The only way to keep rodents out of your RV is to sell it to someone else. Closing all openings, removing anything chewable, eliminating all nesting materials and spraying your rig with predator urine will slow them down a bit, but one brave little sucker will still give your rig a once over.

[lwmcguire]

I use herbal packs and other such as mouse out from farm supply stores. They are the same ones we used to keep them out of combines and tractors parked through the winter. They work in my compartments that are open such as the hydraulic and front drivers' side as well as the battery bay.

Replace them annually with fresh packs and spray.

[MikeCh]

I think of this as an ongoing war that never ends and I use every tool available. There's outside poison bait stations for mice spread around and outside my coach with numerous electronic mouse blockers with sound and light. I have done my best to seal the compartments using foam and steel wool.

In regards to traps, I learned mice can easily eat the food from the trap without setting them off! I buy cases of mouse traps and have become an expert at setting them at a hair trigger. I've learned the tricks that include wrapping cotton coated in peanut butter around the trigger so the mouse pulls at cotton and sets the trap off. I put multiple traps together so if one doesn't get it, the other will. I glue the traps to pieces of cardboard so I can easily put them in difficult spots in my compartments and inside. This also make it easy to clean up by just grabbing the cardboard!

I am very diligent checking for activity to make sure the traps are always set, going as far using a security a camera for monitoring the traps. I leave my compartments unlocked and look at the traps inside the compartments every time I walk by the coach.

My experience there's no one thing keeps them away but if you stay vigilant you can avoid major issues.

[Roaming John]

I travel with a Maine Coon cat. She has long fur. She stays in the RV so her loose fur gets everywhere! Mice are “wired” to avoid cats, so when they detect the cat fur they LEAVE. All the above are things that will help, but traveling with a long haired cat is the final touch. Her presence is still detected by the mice even when the RV is in storage. It is also a very good reason to not be so meticulous when cleaning the RV as you want to leave some cat fur in all the nooks and crannies to deter future rodents. As a side note I spread her loose fur around the perimeter of my garage to keep rodents away from there too.

[Mark54]

Originally Posted by Roaming John

I travel with a Maine Coon cat. She has long fur. She stays in the RV so her loose fur gets everywhere! Mice are “wired” to avoid cats, so when they detect the cat fur they LEAVE. All the above are things that will help, but traveling with a long haired cat is the final touch. Her presence is still detected by the mice even when the RV is in storage. It is also a very good reason to not be so meticulous when cleaning the RV as you want to leave some cat fur in all the nooks and crannies to deter future rodents. As a side note I spread her loose fur around the perimeter of my garage to keep rodents away from there too.

Wow- I could ask my pet shop to save bags of Maine Coon or any other cat for that matter, fur in a bag, and put in mesh bag in camper!!
I love cats, but also love the house being a lot cleaner too... :-)

Never had a Maine coon, but had Persian-Angora long hair ones.

[rons.place@hotmail.com]

I’ve been using peppermint oil in the engine compartment and storage. Works great for all rodents including chipmunks and squirrels. About 25 drops in a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray liberally throughout. The access holes still need to be plugged.