Community Forums

jnp_macklin · 07-10-2013, 11:38 AM

So, we are t-minus 5 hours to "wheels rolling" on our second long weekend trip, when my wife calls me......

DW: Yeah, so we have a problem.....
Me: Yes? what's the problem? (Thinking that she forgot to pick up eggs at the store....)
DW: There are mice in the MH.
Me: What?!?

What makes you say that?
DW: The hole for the TV (removed) is covered with pellets, and all along the back of the kitchen counter.
Me: Ok, we'll stop at the store and grab a couple mousetraps and we'll take a jar of peanut butter with us on the trip. Then we'll let Charlie (chihuahua) loose in there for an hour or so on our way to the campsite. He'll get em'. If not, then set the traps up at night and wait for the *>SNAP<*

At our storage lot, there was some tall grass at the tail of the MH so I am assuming that they would have taken the path of least resistance to enter the coach.

So here I go, armed with steel wool, expanding foam, mouse traps and a 15oz jar of crunchy peanut butter...

Any other suggestions?

<Temporarily re-naming the MH to "The House of Mouse".>

Sloopygirl · 07-10-2013, 11:56 AM

I had a mouse on a boat once, tried the traps - he was too smart - stole the food, I could hear it snap and when I went to toss him over - found an empty trap. Darn - multiple times, so frustrating. Finally got little blue pellets in a box - poison. He wouldn't eat out of the box, so I put a few pellets on the floor every nite - they were gone the next day. Soon, no mouse. OK, where did he go. My partner found him shortly thereafter when he climbed into a locker in the cockpit, the thing was staring at him. He got a burial at sea, and it was so calm, we watched him float away while we had happy hour.

Problem is with poison, you have to find them before they start to stink. I didn't have a cat aboard at that time, but the one I have now would have taken care of him. You can always borrow someone's cat......

Good luck!

jnp_macklin · 07-10-2013, 12:08 PM

We have been trying really hard, to make sure that when we store the RV, we don't leave *ANY* food in it.... at all... not even canned spaghetti-O's. We came home from last trip and double checked that all cabinets were empty and no remnants of food remained inside the RV. That was two weeks ago...

I'm avoiding the use of poison at this time, since we are traveling with pets, and I don't want them ingesting the poison pellets by accident. Once it goes back to storage, I will be d-conn-ing the bejeezus out of it..... Oh, and taking my weed whacker with me, to clear all the tall grass from around my storage spot.

The Chihuahua should be on alert once he gets inside the MH later this afternoon. We have cats at home, but they dont come camping with us..... I can't stand their singing with the radio, during the trip.

FRR2EYW · 07-10-2013, 12:41 PM

My experience shows that trimming the grass will have little effect. Mine is stored in my garage and I have to have traps set all the time. 99 percent of the time I can get them before they get into the rig, but once in a blue moon I'll have the last resort trap on the MH floor tripped or tampered with. They climb up the tires and gain access from there. I would suggest a weekly check to reset traps and check for signs.

Craig1965 · 07-10-2013, 12:44 PM

Your situation may me smile - sorry! I once put out bags of poison to get rid of some mice. The 1st day, I put out 4 bags. The contents were gone the next day. I put out 3 bags the next day. Those contents were gone the next day. Figuring I had a big mice problem, I kept putting out bags until I reduce the number done to one and the contents were still there. Believing I had solved my mice problem, I went on my marry way. I was shocked a few months later when I found poison pellets in my shoes, tool box, and garage. It seems that they weren't eating the poison, but moving it and storing it. Good luck in your quest!

Deucenut · 07-10-2013, 01:38 PM

Don't use poison or conventional mouse traps. I had a mouse in a TT once. Here's what I did. Get a 5 gal bucket, fill to 25% with water. Get a coat hangar and poke a home in a soup broth can...drain contents. Put the coat hangar through the can and tie it to the sides of the bucket. Put peanut butter on opposite sides of the can...get a ramp. The mouse will go up the ramp, onto the can for the food, the can will spin and he will fall in the water eventually drowning. When you wake up in the morning, throw the mouse out with the bath water, so to speak. I used this method in my TT and it took one night to get rid of him. Best mouse trap ever!

JRMEDPHYS · 07-10-2013, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deucenut

Don't use poison or conventional mouse traps. I had a mouse in a TT once. Here's what I did. Get a 5 gal bucket, fill to 25% with water. Get a coat hangar and poke a home in a soup broth can...drain contents. Put the coat hangar through the can and tie it to the sides of the bucket. Put peanut butter on opposite sides of the can...get a ramp. The mouse will go up the ramp, onto the can for the food, the can will spin and he will fall in the water eventually drowning. When you wake up in the morning, throw the mouse out with the bath water, so to speak. I used this method in my TT and it took one night to get rid of him. Best mouse trap ever!

X1000...this is THE ticket. Never misses!

Funrover · 07-10-2013, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deucenut

Don't use poison or conventional mouse traps. I had a mouse in a TT once. Here's what I did. Get a 5 gal bucket, fill to 25% with water. Get a coat hangar and poke a home in a soup broth can...drain contents. Put the coat hangar through the can and tie it to the sides of the bucket. Put peanut butter on opposite sides of the can...get a ramp. The mouse will go up the ramp, onto the can for the food, the can will spin and he will fall in the water eventually drowning. When you wake up in the morning, throw the mouse out with the bath water, so to speak. I used this method in my TT and it took one night to get rid of him. Best mouse trap ever!

I may try this one. We have a guy (very clever) in our garage area.

Deucenut · 07-10-2013, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funrover

I may try this one. We have a guy (very clever) in our garage area.

Try it....i guarantee it will work. And the best part of all, it's basically free and you don't have to search for the critter before he starts to smell.

ChasA · 07-10-2013, 07:38 PM

There you have it. Rube Goldberg is still alive. He just changed his name.

Caveman CBB · 07-10-2013, 07:48 PM

Don't use poison. You will get Charlie instead. A hungry cat works for me. But, mouse traps or Deucenut's method sounds good.

Caveman CBB · 07-10-2013, 07:53 PM

I love these traps
Intruder 16000 Better Mouse Trap 2 per Package - Amazon.com

They are easy to set and get the mouse out of. Plus, they have a big paddle for the mouse to put his foot on. If he even gets close to the bait he is caught.

rpk · 07-10-2013, 08:50 PM

Stuffed fabric softener sheets in/under/behind everything. Throw a few mothballs in the basement. No mice, no spiders, no bugs.

RVMeister · 07-10-2013, 09:21 PM

We had the mouse free treatment done. Mouse-freecom. Also I am tenacious to block all cables or hoses coming into the RV with critter guards. The mice will usually walk up the sewer hose or power cords.