[TXplt]

Other than the 'hard kill' stuff (glue boards, D-con, mousetraps), what are some methods y'all use to keep mice and rodents from reeking havoc on storage areas that you are away from for extended periods of time ?

I'm specifically looking at something like a vehicle or travel trailer somewheres and ways to keep mice out--if that vehicle might sit for a couple of months.

I've not had much problems at occupied spaces; places where there are constantly people to drive the rodents out. But I have noticed at the cabin a plethora of dead mice (usually on glue boards) every time we go up there (it's been sealed as best we can). Just wondering if folks have some better ideas I've overlooked.

 

[K75RT]

My Daughter had a travel trailer and they stored it under an out building on their old stables and they used to hang dryer sheets from the bottom as well as placing dryer sheets near/at all heating inlets and outlets...they did not have any infestation...

 

[ChaZam]

It's amazing the damage that mice and rats can do to vehicles. I remember years ago when I was working for a big dealership up here in Denton. A family at Argyle got a family member to take them to DFW airport when they were ready to fly to Europe for an extended vacation. She took their almost new Cadillac back to their home and closed it up in their garage. Six weeks later she went over there to get it so that she could go to the airport to pick them up. Well the car wouldn't start and run so they had to get a limo service to take the 3 of them and all of their luggage home. Long story short, mice had gotten up under the hood of that car and chewed up all sorts of wiring and vacuum harnesses. the parts and labor to repair all of that almost totaled that car. You certainly do need to take some precautions JJ.
Feral cats, but they are going to hunt other stuff too.

 

[jerry]

Moth balls, dryer sheets


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[455rocket]

I used dryer sheets or mothballs in my 5th wheel camper, when I had it. Steel wool in any opening the size of a dime or bigger to keep them out.

 

[TheWall]

Cats and rat snakes.

 

[TheWall]

My Daughter had a travel trailer and they stored it under an out building on their old stables and they used to hang dryer sheets from the bottom as well as placing dryer sheets near/at all heating inlets and outlets...they did not have any infestation...

I've heard rats will take the dryer sheets and use it for nesting material.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Other than the 'hard kill' stuff (glue boards, D-con, mousetraps), what are some methods y'all use to keep mice and rodents from reeking havoc on storage areas that you are away from for extended periods of time ?

I'm specifically looking at something like a vehicle or travel trailer somewheres and ways to keep mice out--if that vehicle might sit for a couple of months.

I've not had much problems at occupied spaces; places where there are constantly people to drive the rodents out. But I have noticed at the cabin a plethora of dead mice (usually on glue boards) every time we go up there (it's been sealed as best we can). Just wondering if folks have some better ideas I've overlooked.

Defensive perimeter around the outside. Multi catch traps and poison.

 

[Cyrano]

I would suggest storing anything you don't want Mickey Rat to get into, in metal containers. Ammo boxes, the big ones for mortar shells and Navy ammo boxes for the 5 inch shells, steel carpenter's chests, things like that.

 

[Big Dog]

Galvanized steel trashcans are good anti-mouse storeage.
Buggers can chew through the thickest toughest plastic.

 

[Junction15]

I put mouse bait inside of 10 foot PVC laid around the outside foundation perimeter. Mice that are outside find it and die before they get inside the building. Being inside the pipe, household pets can't get to the poison.

I have also caught quite a few mice in a 7 gallon bucket (taller 5 Gal pail). Put a rag on the bottom and put a few pieces of food in there. The mice jump in but can't jump out. The others jump in to "share". The rag is to give them confidence that they can hide. Then there's no food and they kill and eat each other.

 

[TXplt]

I would suggest storing anything you don't want Mickey Rat to get into, in metal containers. Ammo boxes, the big ones for mortar shells and Navy ammo boxes for the 5 inch shells, steel carpenter's chests, things like that.

Yeah....we have storage stuff that's metal at the cabin and fairly mouse-proof. I might try the mothball/softener approach. The problem is I'm considering a travel trailer which could provide some creature comforts (like real showers) at times in the winter and be easier/much more efficient to heat (the boxwood goes through ALOT of wood and even sealed the cabin is pretty leaky) with propane for longer stays. It won't have a food source they can use.

BUT

The major concern is chewing through wiring and lines and possibly the main mattress/bedding. The thing appears to seal up pretty tight (and there won't be any exposed water or drain line holes or plugs that aren't behind a sealing door) but these dang critters can get into some pretty tiny places. I THINK it'll be well sealed but there's no telling if there'll be some small cracks I miss. There will be a couple of mattresses and I don't want them chewing through those either.

We've used the bait, traps, etc. in the cabin and it usually results in lots of dead mice and those D-con pellets all over.

Just wondering to what extent this can be a problem and I really appreciate the great answers.

 

[jerry]

Yeah....we have storage stuff that's metal at the cabin and fairly mouse-proof. I might try the mothball/softener approach. The problem is I'm considering a travel trailer which could provide some creature comforts (like real showers) at times in the winter and be easier/much more efficient to heat (the boxwood goes through ALOT of wood and even sealed the cabin is pretty leaky) with propane for longer stays. It won't have a food source they can use.

BUT

The major concern is chewing through wiring and lines and possibly the main mattress/bedding. The thing appears to seal up pretty tight (and there won't be any exposed water or drain line holes or plugs that aren't behind a sealing door) but these dang critters can get into some pretty tiny places. I THINK it'll be well sealed but there's no telling if there'll be some small cracks I miss. There will be a couple of mattresses and I don't want them chewing through those either.

We've used the bait, traps, etc. in the cabin and it usually results in lots of dead mice and those D-con pellets all over.

Just wondering to what extent this can be a problem and I really appreciate the great answers.

I had an ‘05 Coachmen TT that the mice got into. Had a fabric bottom.

I sold that, bought an ‘87 Marathon that had aluminum roof and enclosed aluminum underside. Had it parked next to a corn / bean filed for many years, never had a mouse in it. I agree with not giving them a way in whatever that may look like.


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[jerry]

The ole Mararhon. The beast


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[Jack Ryan]

Yeah....we have storage stuff that's metal at the cabin and fairly mouse-proof. I might try the mothball/softener approach. The problem is I'm considering a travel trailer which could provide some creature comforts (like real showers) at times in the winter and be easier/much more efficient to heat (the boxwood goes through ALOT of wood and even sealed the cabin is pretty leaky) with propane for longer stays. It won't have a food source they can use.

BUT

The major concern is chewing through wiring and lines and possibly the main mattress/bedding. The thing appears to seal up pretty tight (and there won't be any exposed water or drain line holes or plugs that aren't behind a sealing door) but these dang critters can get into some pretty tiny places. I THINK it'll be well sealed but there's no telling if there'll be some small cracks I miss. There will be a couple of mattresses and I don't want them chewing through those either.

We've used the bait, traps, etc. in the cabin and it usually results in lots of dead mice and those D-con pellets all over.

Just wondering to what extent this can be a problem and I really appreciate the great answers.

Don't use the pellets. Use the cube "Snickers Bars" and put it in a piece of plastic pipe like was mention above. Drill a hole you can put a screw through so the bar will not come out and now other animals can't get it. Plus it makes the mice comfortable to sit there inside and eat it. They can't scatter it around or try to store it up. Plus it keeps the bait from getting wet and mildew.

Put the bait OUT SIDE THE BUILDING and kill them BEFORE they figure out how to get in.

I thought this would supply bait for a year, but that is a mistake. Just ONE gets sick and dies slow, he comes back to urinate on that bait and not another one will touch it. The bait is all wasted. This much pipe is better used to make three or even more bait stations with only one or at most two bars of poison.

Use a bucket trap in combination and when you start catching them in the bucket, you know your poison is all gone. Use RV antifreeze in the bottom for a trap that works all year or put the log roll on top of a metal trash can and move it next to a shelf or something to "can' them all.

 

[MRT NH 72]

We close up the cottage every year for 4-5 months of winter. Sealed all the small openings and gaps around pipes etc. Dryer sheets liberally in the clothes closets and drawers. Mothballs near doorsills. And peppermint oil diluted and sprayed inside the perimeter. More peppermint oil full strength in small dishes here and there. Not one mouse or sign in years. Northern New Hampshire.

 

[ka5siw]

We cut up pieces of IRISH SPRING soap and put it in every drawer, closet, cabinet in our travel trailer. NO MICE! That smells better and lasts longer than mothballs. We adopted some cats for the house, garage and casita. NO MICE

 

[Tigercat200]

My mother in law put some hedge apples in the crawl space of her house in town to keep mice out. She said it worked on the farm, too. She put them in the basement and on the sill plate.

Speaking of chewed up wiring, I had a bad experience with squirrels this past spring. My brother was an adjuster for State Farm and he told me that the wiring has soy based insulation instead of petroleum. It's food for the varmints. Once I got it back from the shop I sprinkled Critter Ridder (pepper granules) all over the engine compartment and had no further problems until I sold the car a month later. It was my work car and I had retired, so didn't need it. Yes, I made a full disclosure to the new owner.

 

[Ron The Legend]

Up here we have a lot of chipmunk and mice issues. To keep them out of the engine compartment install an LED 12 volt strip light under the hood. If being gone a long time, add a trickle charger to the battery. This worked for me. Use wire screen to plug up intake holes for heat/air and air filters. I had to do that on the four wheelers too. A car collector up here uses moth balls. some ranchers and horse people leave lights on in tack rooms to keep critters from chewing up leather. Trust me on this, the sonic devices don't work for me at all. All I can say beyond this is good luck and "I hate those Meese's to pieces."

 

[animalspooker]

How bout this one? I always am fighting mice building nests in my vehicles. Usually in my air filter with the last car. Wife just got a new(er) truck and she claims she heard one under the hood a couple of days ago. How do you fight that?