Good News Bad News: First Winter Blast

[TNTBaker]

So we got an abrupt test of our heating system yesterday and overnight. That's the GOOD news. Temps went down into the high 20's last night with VERY high wind (gusts in the 50's). Here's the funny thing: Coach stayed toasty all night, and the furnace NEVER came on! I don't know how but the heat pumps kept up. Now, I DID have the FP on, so maybe that is why. But the FP was NOT on when we got home around 9 PM and it was 30 degrees outside. Toasty warm inside. Additionally, I put a remote temp in the basement and it never dipped under 42 degrees. Pretty nice, I am very happy.

The warm coach is a great place to live. That's the BAD news. We had our first MOUSE right on cue... Being rural people we are well acquainted with vermin and the damage they cause and how HARD it is to keep them OUT.

My question: Anyone know of an OBVIOUS place they can get in? I know it's like trying to plug holes in a sieve, but we want to at least try. Must be the axles. Meanwhile, we brought our two big "mouse hotels" from our house. We caught one mouse overnight in the KITCHEN (horrors). Where there's one, there's 50, so needless to say, I am upset.

 

[johnboytoo]

Ouch ---- yech ---- but will still trade you - look what we found in our s&b bedroom !

I texted our pest control guy @ 10 at night !!!

re the mice have heard some DIY preventatives like comet spread around the tires, etc... but does anything really work ?

 

[TNTBaker]

AAAAAAAAAAAaaack! That would make me scream and run in my jammies through the woods where we live. Im a-scared of snakes!! My weakest link, for sure. There must be lots of "remedies" to repel mice. I am hoping somebody knows some. I am researching today... will share if I find anything useful that actually works.

 

[Radio_Flyer]

We had a mouse last winter. It appears that it came up the water hose and then entered through the basement hole. Direct shot up through the kitchen island where the drain pipe is. The area around the pipe is wide open. I've run steel wool around all the entrances I could find and used some grey foam sealant with steel wool in it. I have added those electronic pest devices as well. We will see. Wife would not deal with the snake at all.

 

[TNTBaker]

I didn't even think of the generator pipe! I'll be checking around today when it warms up a little. Still haven't found too much on the net bout repelling the buggers that is universally agreed on... Most of it sounds like voo doo. I think plugging holes and setting traps is probably most reliable at this point.

 

[Char & Steve]

We tried everything in our class A to keep them out, he foamed everything and they still got in. All the traps electronic devices you could think of and nothing. Then a friend told us to keep a radio on and it worked., maybe it will work for you.

 

[TNTBaker]

Seriously?? A RADIO? Now that one I have never heard! I wonder if it works along the same lines as the electronic pest repellers which I have not tried yet either. I have bunch of those, might as well plug them in.

 

[hoosierguy]

Seriously?? A RADIO? Now that one I have never heard! I wonder if it works along the same lines as the electronic pest repellers which I have not tried yet either. I have bunch of those, might as well plug them in.

Yep..........they don't work if you don't plug them in!!!

 

[Char & Steve]

Yes Seriously, we thought it odd also but hey we were willing to try anything the damns things made a mess. One time they chewed up the complete bathroom rug
we found it in our shed as a nest. Try it....can't hurt and it's cheap

 

[TNTBaker]

Thank you! I SURELY WILL try it. I hate these buggers, they are like Houdinis.

 

[Char & Steve]

We've only had our rig for a few weeks we were hoping this unit would be less mouse friendly harder to get in etc... but I don't trust them so radio will be going on shortly also. I so hope it works for you.

 

[TNTBaker]

I don't think there is a rig made that is mouse proof. That goes for houses too. They are amazingly adept at getting in. That's why I keep everything I can in plastic totes. In our truck camper I even keep the silverwear in a locked plastic tote so I don't have to wash it all the time. The idea of those nasty critters getting all over stuff... ICK!!!

 

[Ian Smith]

We had success??? with peppermint oil extract. Put it on Cotten balls around inside the RV. The oil will stain so put it on a dish or piece of tin foil. We had mice a couple of times and this did seem to help.

 

[TNTBaker]

Thanks Ian and Helen; Peppermint Oil is one that I see more frequently than most so there must be something to it. I am going to pick some up. Certainly can't hurt.

 

[Ian Smith]

If nothing else the RW will smell pretty.....Ian

 

[Radio_Flyer]

Plastic totes aren't mouse proof either, unfortunately. Last spring I opened up the plastic bin that I keep cords and gas canisters in. At the bottom was a nest, mouse pellets and acorns. This bin was the bottom bin with another on top. It was not chewed through or could I see where it got in. These little nasty things can get in to anything. I've tried peppermint oil and moth balls with no luck. What does work are these green pellets I get from the local co-op. Sprinkle all around the rig. Mice eat them and it causes de-hydration. They then need a source of water and since there isn't any in the rig, they search it out. Did find one in the toilet, long dead.

 

[dave and ginny]

We had success??? with peppermint oil extract. Put it on Cotten balls around inside the RV. The oil will stain so put it on a dish or piece of tin foil. We had mice a couple of times and this did seem to help.

I use an electronic "mouser" but I have heard of the peppermint working. If you're using your trailer ....the sewer and water lines are little sidewalks for the critters

 

[TNTBaker]

I have this thing about poisons. I am not AGAINST them, but I have seen first hand how deadly they are to pets and also the unintended consequences. I make sure and put the poison IN a trap so the mouse can't get out after eating it. The mouse eats the poison and then is often in a poisoned state for a time, and is very easy to catch by a cat or other predator. When the cat (beloved pet) eats the mouse, the cat dies a painful death (ugly memory here). ALSO, one time we saw rats so we poisoned them, and they died alright, in our walls and under our floors. I can't even describe the horror of cleaning that up... just in case any body else is about to make the same mistake we did. The smell was... well you can imagine.

 

[johnboytoo]

buddies tried the sticky pads in their nice phaeton dp....

only problem they are rural and this guy must not have been a mouse...

it dragged the pad up under the dash... they cancelled TWO week long trips cuz they couldn't get in there from the odor !

so if you use them make sure they are tied down !!!

 

[TNTBaker]

Yes. As I said, if you see 1 then there are many more, they don't live alone! Sorry if you have a weak stomach... Todd brought a GARBAGE BAG full out from under the house many years ago when this happened. It was like a horror movie. You could not go in the house it smelled so bad. We will never, ever forget it. They are very hard to find when the crawl up and die, but you can sure SMELL them.