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Old 05-03-2017, 01:38 AM   #1
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Mice problem

I am a new member so please forgive me if this topic has been discussed previously. We have a 289RKS Denali RV. It is parked permanently on our rec property.
Each winter we battle mice. We have tried to plug as many entry holes that we can find. Foam spray, caulking, steel wool etc. Each time we search, we find yet another hole that we think they may be getting in. I can't understand why Coachman would not make these trailers mouse proof while being built. Why do they need a two inch hole to put one two wire thru. Why would they not spend the extra 20 bucks and plug these holes in the underbelly.
I have a mobile RV tech coming out this weekend to cut open the underbelly cover and plug up all entry points from the bottom.
They come in under the carpet when the big slide is open because there is a gaping hole.
We put poison outside, traps outside, dryer sheets inside, poison inside.
The mice still come in. Heard one in the drain pipe in the kitchen sink. Guess he crawled down to each the junk in the pea trap and was still eating when we arrived.
Getting to the point where we will sell the trailer and build a mouse proof cabin.
Any pointers or advise? Thank you
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Old 05-03-2017, 01:01 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Kettle River View Post
I am a new member so please forgive me if this topic has been discussed previously. We have a 289RKS Denali RV. It is parked permanently on our rec property.
Each winter we battle mice. We have tried to plug as many entry holes that we can find. Foam spray, caulking, steel wool etc. Each time we search, we find yet another hole that we think they may be getting in. I can't understand why Coachman would not make these trailers mouse proof while being built. Why do they need a two inch hole to put one two wire thru. Why would they not spend the extra 20 bucks and plug these holes in the underbelly.
I have a mobile RV tech coming out this weekend to cut open the underbelly cover and plug up all entry points from the bottom.
They come in under the carpet when the big slide is open because there is a gaping hole.
We put poison outside, traps outside, dryer sheets inside, poison inside.
The mice still come in. Heard one in the drain pipe in the kitchen sink. Guess he crawled down to each the junk in the pea trap and was still eating when we arrived.
Getting to the point where we will sell the trailer and build a mouse proof cabin.
Any pointers or advise? Thank you
The mice can slip through some mighty small spaces. Something ugly is finding a stone dead one laying in the anti-freeze in the toilet. Or, the one you poisoned decided to die inside the innards of the RV. It's nose candy for a few months until total dehydration happens.
I gave up trying to keep them out. I just have the snap traps that I check once in awhile.

As a side note and mice. Town is a 60 mph 20 mile ride away. I'm coming back from town in my PT Crusier (another home for mice and squirrels), when I keep seeing this 'thing' pop up in front of the windshield. I think it's just another tree leave or branch that had fallen between the glass and hood.
I was wrong, it was a little bastard mouse poking its head up with a look of wonderment on its face. Poor little guy going 60 mph in a hot car with all that road noise and all. I hope it died of fright or committed suicide when it decided to jump for it.
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Old 05-03-2017, 02:38 PM   #3
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The field mice down here are tiny, you'll never completely mouse proof a camper or a cabin. An example of how the can get in almost anywhere.

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Old 05-03-2017, 04:04 PM   #4
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We have lots of mice around here.. I was worried about them getting into out TT so I looked for any openings and made sure they were closed. The other thing I found quite by accident is that my smoke detector gave off a loud sharp beep about every minute or so when the battery got low. It annoyed me and I guess the mice too.. left it that way for the last 6 months. While I cant swear that it works, I figured it couldn't hurt. I haven't seen evidence of one of those little scamps. Guess I'll have to replace the battery when we go out next week.
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Old 05-04-2017, 04:15 AM   #5
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We have lots of mice around here.. I was worried about them getting into out TT so I looked for any openings and made sure they were closed. The other thing I found quite by accident is that my smoke detector gave off a loud sharp beep about every minute or so when the battery got low. It annoyed me and I guess the mice too.. left it that way for the last 6 months. While I cant swear that it works, I figured it couldn't hurt. I haven't seen evidence of one of those little scamps. Guess I'll have to replace the battery when we go out next week.
Save the old battery for when you put it up for winter storage again, see what happens.
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Old 05-04-2017, 09:54 AM   #6
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I have some friends that keep a trailer on a permanent seasonal lot in the the NJ mountains. They have gone through and plugged every hole they could find, then set snap traps and checked them periodically through the off season. This is the first year they have not had any mice. I have another set of friends that have a seasonal trailer in the western MA, they have done the mouse proofing and then used some sort of electronic repeller, they have not had mice in several years.

I suspect it is a multi-pronged approach; get anything and everything out that the critters might be interested in, then make it as difficult as possible for them to get in, then do something to make them unwelcome.

I have field mice and rats on my property, as long as they stay out of the campers, houses and workshop they can do anything they want. I have noticed a decrease in the numbers in the past couple of years, that may be due to the coyotes that also live our here.

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Old 05-04-2017, 12:56 PM   #7
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Maybe MartyG could throw a 555 and some caps and resistors together with a nasty sounding Piezo buzzer and build a mouse deterrent for stored RVs.

Solar power would be an option for it.
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Old 05-04-2017, 01:48 PM   #8
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Same here Aaron,,
My neighbor had a couple of cats that did a great job keeping the mouse and chipmunk population in check.. But she moved away about 2 years ago.. A couple of Coyotes passed thru here a couple of years ago.. They decimated the ground hog population but didn't do anything to the mouse population..
Guess I'll have to save that old battery for those times when my TT sits unused.
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Old 05-05-2017, 09:57 PM   #9
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I think that's a great idea.. It could be used to repel all kinds of unwanted guests!!
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Old 05-06-2017, 10:57 AM   #10
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I can't understand why Coachman would not make these trailers mouse proof while being built
I think you would suffocate when you camped out in it. Not only mouse can get in a tiny tiny hole... but I have read NOTHING can keep a determined rat out, not even concrete or steel.
I will never use poison. They die in a place you'll never find them a wreak to high heaven. I have tried dryer sheets, snap traps, steel wool... but the last two winters I bought an 8 pack of "Irish Spring" bar soap, unwrapped and placed them strategically inside the camper.
When we unpacked ours to sell this spring it was mouse free AGAIN. Some say it doesn't work but I for one am a believer and will be doing it again this fall to our new-2-us Dutchmen.
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