Mice

[BrewskiRanch]

Ok for the past week I have been getting one mouse a day. I have checked everywhere, everything looks sealed but behind the toilet. Anyone have ideas where they are coming in?
Coach is inside my garage, but we do have mice, as we live in the county.

[ChrisDParise]

I had a mouse problem, infestation I would say, discovered and fixed this year.

My motorhome has a shore power cord opening that is difficult to seal from the outside world. Once they gain access through it, they can find their way to basement and up into the coach under the rear bedroom cabinet drawers.

I found mouse droppings in the bedroom cabinet drawers and a strong urine odor. Pulled out every cabinet drawer and at the floor level a mouse came out to see what was going on. Disgusting. I could see there was an area behind the lower bedroom cabinet drawers that was a possible nesting area, but it seemed inaccessible.

I talked to my service manager and he thought the outside storage area bottom could be removed to provide access. Sure enough, 6 screws held down the floor and I found the nesting area there. Cleaned it out, quite disgusting. Over the next 2 weeks I trapped a total of 5 mice.

Once mice get in they find all the plumbing, electrical raceways and they can travel throughout without being seen or heard. I caught them under the bathroom sink and kitchen sink.

I portioned off the basement storage area so in case they gain access through the shore power cord hole they can get no further.

Sprayed the heck out of the entire rv with Lysol spray several times and then vacuumed many times.

I used Natures Miracle Urine solution, soaking the carpeted area and wood where they were nesting. Took a few weeks, but the odor is gone.

First 2 pics are the outside storage that I took the floor out of followed by the inside of the coach bedroom drawers they were living behind

Also, I spray foamed the edges of the storage partion I made against mice or insects

.

[DeetsMaggie]

Brewski,

On our 36vsb the entry point is the annular space where the washing machine drain pipe exits the underside of the floor and enters the top of the waste tank compartment. To see this annular space, not sealed by Renegade, you need a bore scope to look between the bottom of the floor and top (ceiling) of the metal bay that holds the waste tank. Although you can see mouse access opening with a flexible bore scope, it's almost impossible to do anything about it. With long implements you can eventually stuff steel wool in the gap but it is very difficult. Once into the insulation in the floor "sandwich" they can move along side of the ~3 -4" furnace vent tubing, eat into the furnace vent tubing and enter the coach interior. As the washer drain is just adjacent to the furnace, they also gain entry into the compartment underneath the clothes washed and then enter the coach. Put a trap just outside the furnace air intake vent below thee washer. By now they have nested in the rock wool insulation in the floor deck. Nice and cozy place designed and provided by Renegade manufacturing.

We know all this by actual experience. A headache to deal with.

Cheap motorhome construction expected in any of the worst manufactured RV's out there. Makes an owner completely disgusted with Renegade.

Renegade's response to this mess....."Well we can't be responsible if you park your coach in a place that has mice".

You have my heartfelt sympathy.

[scbwr]

I've battled mice when my Bay Star is in storage. One possible entry point may be the opening for the power cord. I don't know anything about Renegade units, but on the Bay Star, the power compartment door frame has a u-shaped notch which is where you route the power cord when in use. When the cord is stored, it creates an opening the could possibly allow a mouse to enter. I ordered some mesh from Amazon and use a wad of it to fill the opening when the MH is stored.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Other than that, starting in the fall, I set mouse traps in some of the basement compartments as well as the interior. I check my rig at least once a month and take care of any mice that have been trapped. This fall will be the first test of using the mesh, so I will find out if the mice are getting in somewhere else.

[BrewskiRanch]

Thanks guys, you have given me some places to look and seal openings. I know it is not the shore power cord as I have a 2" foam grommet that fits the cord and opening tight.

[RaceRenegade]

Originally Posted by BrewskiRanch

Thanks guys, you have given me some places to look and seal openings. I know it is not the shore power cord as I have a 2" foam grommet that fits the cord and opening tight.

+1 on the foam, although they really have nowhere to go even if they get in that compartment. Where I’ve seen droppings and have since screened off…takes some patience, is the battery compartment.
Lots of access holes and slots for wiring. Take the time and seal that area up….not air tight as to allow the battery heat to escape. Good luck.

[Backdoctor]

When we bought our Valencia 35MB, we toured the factory and were totally impressed by the galvanized layer covering the top of the chassis, before they build the coach frame floor. We have had mice in our previous coach and this was a huge issue for my wife. We were both satisfied this would solve that problem!

NO it didn’t. Because there are several conduits drilled through this surface to communicate between the coach and chassis for the electrical service, the fuel filler pipe, and the black/grey tanks.

Boy was I pissed when we found our first mouse! To be followed shortly by family members. So I tore into the guts of the coach, behind drawers and under the range, around the vanity and toilet. I found the entry points were mainly at the fuel filler tube traversing the area beneath/beside the vanity, the electrical ingress with tv wires under the rear tv/window area, and worst of all the electrical conduit from below the range top where the large 12v cables and a bunch of other wires run. Huge loads of mouse poop here! I found that most of the openings that are easily visible without removing drawers etc. were filled with expanding foam. But not these others that were left infilled. This tells me that they were NOT filled at the underside space between the coach and the storage boxes, and area that is now impossible to get to! I’ve filled with at I can with 2 cans of expanding rodent block foam, and it seems to habpve stopped. We’ll see. It goes to the factory next week, and I’ve spoken to both Merv (production mgr) and Kirk (service mgr) about this issue and they promised to correct the situation and review protocols for foam use with new builds. Let’s hope this has some benefit.

I have attached a photo of the area under the stove top where the electrical conduit it, taken before I sprayfoamed the hell out of it!

[ChrisDParise]

See my post # 2. Still trapping mice in the rv. Trapped 4 or 5 since September. Had one trapped just this week.
I've looked and looked for entry points. I think they may be getting in through the bottom of the living room slideout, it's not a perfect seal, or the doghouse seal
Got 7 traps baited and set all over inside.

I think they set up shop inside somewhere in the wiring or plumbing runs.i eliminated a nest this summer see post #2.

Today, I set a live trap outside the rv near the meadow and tree line alongside the rv. Will have to release them miles away

I may try poison bait next

[astrnmrtom]

Be sure to place your bait outside. Use a bait station. I recommend block bait which gets fixed into the bait station. Pelleted bait works, but often the mouse will "gather" the bait and stash it before consuming, where block bait must be chewed. Block bait also triggers their chewing instinct.

Finding entry points can be really tough but there are a couple clues that can help.

First, clean up the droppings as best you can. Because Deer mice are carriers of Hantavirus, don't sweep or vacuum dry, spray with a disinfectant or mild bleach water, let it dwell for for short time, and wipe it up wet.

Next step is to inspect often with the goal of locating fresh droppings asap. This can often get you in the general area of the the entry point. That's how I found the hidden entry point under my dash where they were through in the center of a wiring bundle that LOOKED properly foamed from the factory. I had my rig all cleaned up and spotted a few new droppings under the driver's footwell. I poked my finger in the center of the bundle and discovered a perfect pathway from outside where the wife bundle came up through the floor. You may not be able to see or reach where they are entering. I found a second spot by feel.

Ok, here's some clues I regularly used as a institutional pest control guy when looking for mouse or rat entry points.

Look for little nooks and crannies that look like places a mouse might explore and pay attention to dirt and dust that naturally accumulates on surfaces. Early on, a mouse passing through will brush off the dirt with their fur so you may see a clean spot where they pass through. Over the long run, this clean spot will start to get an oily film also from the fur. Don't just look, really look. You are a detective looking for subtle clues of a crime.

Use dark and light and a helper. Have them shine a flashlight in suspected areas while you look from either the inside or the outside. This works best at night. When doing regular maintenance like greasing, I use my creeper and a flashlight and do an inspection.

Go to the hardware store and pick up a package of sticky boards. Place them in areas you suspect and check regularly. Make sure they are placed along walls. Mice prefer use touch to navigate their regular paths and as such prefer to run along next to a vertical surface. Where you catch the first mouse can also be a clue as to the area they are entering.

Don't know if it'll help you feel better but even with all my experience, I got fooled more than once sealing up my rig. Twice I was sure I gotten it all sealed up, but some time later I'd either catch or hear a mouse in the rig.

If you think they are coming in past the slide seal inspect it with a strong light and look for those clues I mentioned, as well as chew marks. Don't be fooled into thinking a mouse couldn't jump that high, or climb up that surface. You'd be surprised what they are capable of.

Good luck.

[ChrisDParise]

Originally Posted by astrnmrtom

Be sure to place your bait outside. Use a bait station. I recommend block bait which gets fixed into the bait station. Pelleted bait works, but often the mouse will "gather" the bait and stash it before consuming, where block bait must be chewed. Block bait also triggers their chewing instinct.

Finding entry points can be really tough but there are a couple clues that can help.

First, clean up the droppings as best you can. Because Deer mice are carriers of Hantavirus, don't sweep or vacuum dry, spray with a disinfectant or mild bleach water, let it dwell for for short time, and wipe it up wet.

Next step is to inspect often with the goal of locating fresh droppings asap. This can often get you in the general area of the the entry point. That's how I found the hidden entry point under my dash where they were through in the center of a wiring bundle that LOOKED properly foamed from the factory. I had my rig all cleaned up and spotted a few new droppings under the driver's footwell. I poked my finger in the center of the bundle and discovered a perfect pathway from outside where the wife bundle came up through the floor. You may not be able to see or reach where they are entering. I found a second spot by feel.

Ok, here's some clues I regularly used as a institutional pest control guy when looking for mouse or rat entry points.

Look for little nooks and crannies that look like places a mouse might explore and pay attention to dirt and dust that naturally accumulates on surfaces. Early on, a mouse passing through will brush off the dirt with their fur so you may see a clean spot where they pass through. Over the long run, this clean spot will start to get an oily film also from the fur. Don't just look, really look. You are a detective looking for subtle clues of a crime.

Use dark and light and a helper. Have them shine a flashlight in suspected areas while you look from either the inside or the outside. This works best at night. When doing regular maintenance like greasing, I use my creeper and a flashlight and do an inspection.

Go to the hardware store and pick up a package of sticky boards. Place them in areas you suspect and check regularly. Make sure they are placed along walls. Mice prefer use touch to navigate their regular paths and as such prefer to run along next to a vertical surface. Where you catch the first mouse can also be a clue as to the area they are entering.

Don't know if it'll help you feel better but even with all my experience, I got fooled more than once sealing up my rig. Twice I was sure I gotten it all sealed up, but some time later I'd either catch or hear a mouse in the rig.

If you think they are coming in past the slide seal inspect it with a strong light and look for those clues I mentioned, as well as chew marks. Don't be fooled into thinking a mouse couldn't jump that high, or climb up that surface. You'd be surprised what they are capable of.

Good luck.

Great ideas thanks for sharing.

Got to do even more - trapped another one in the last week in the same trap location as the last - behind the drivers seat next to the closed living room slideout

Frustrating, had this E-450 since 2007 and have had them occasionally but now wondering if they're living in there somewhere.

See my post above, where I located a nest behind the rear bedroom clothes drawers- had to take the floor out of the outside storage area to clean it out. To the best of my knowledge they're not there at least not since I put the cover on the rv in early December.

All drawers are out stored in the house so all places behind bath vanity and kitchen sink etc are open for inspection and I see no signs.

I like your shining the light idea and will probe some of those potential openings including the slideout seams and firewall.

Cold here in Wisconsin and not ideal for laying on the pavement looking for openings but I fear they have a nest inside and aren't traveling in and out.

Buying more traps tomorrow. Got 7 set and will add even more.

Thanks again

[astrnmrtom]

Rodents need three things to survive: Food, water and shelter. If you have a nest inside the adults will be traveling in and out on a regular basis to forage.

Placing a couple bait station out side under the rig will help reduce the local population which will reduce what's called "Pest pressure."

I've had a couple instances where I found an opening but couldn't reach it to seal it so I had to get creative. Used a small wooden dowel or straightened coat hanger, placed some steel wool on the end, and fed it into the spot where I could push it in the hole. In another case I picked up some tubing and extended the nozzle on a can of expanding foam.

Keep in mind you are looking for an opening the size of your little finger. Mice only need an opening large enough to fit their skull and can dislocate their shoulder and hip joints to wiggle the body through. In one of our recert classes, the speaker showed an x-ray video of a mouse doing just that. It was amazing.

If it's a regular path past a soft barrier it's common for them to chew a larger hole.

Sealing up the access points is always step one, and it's the hardest step to do, which is why people gravitate toward wanting some kind of repellant. I wish there was an easier way, it would have saved me a lot of crawling, climbing and stuffing myself into unpleasant places.

There were a few older buildings where sealing them up was virtually impossible, so maintaining bait stations and traps were the only option. People worry about baiting causing a mouse to crawl inside the rig, die, and rot. Yes, it's terrible, but the alternative is mice/rats setting up house and constantly peeing and pooping all over the inside of your rig - not to mention damage from chewing. They may die inside, but they will poop and pee as long as they are in there.

Good luck.

FYI: I suggest to people that whenever they do regular maintenance on their rig, to do a pest inspection too. Same thing when a rig is in storage. Every month when I visited to exercise the generator, I inspected for mice. Never assume you permanently cured the problem. The enemy never sleeps.

[ChrisDParise]

Originally Posted by astrnmrtom

Rodents need three things to survive: Food, water and shelter. If you have a nest inside the adults will be traveling in and out on a regular basis to forage.

Placing a couple bait station out side under the rig will help reduce the local population which will reduce what's called "Pest pressure."

I've had a couple instances where I found an opening but couldn't reach it to seal it so I had to get creative. Used a small wooden dowel or straightened coat hanger, placed some steel wool on the end, and fed it into the spot where I could push it in the hole. In another case I picked up some tubing and extended the nozzle on a can of expanding foam.

Keep in mind you are looking for an opening the size of your little finger. Mice only need an opening large enough to fit their skull and can dislocate their shoulder and hip joints to wiggle the body through. In one of our recert classes, the speaker showed an x-ray video of a mouse doing just that. It was amazing.

If it's a regular path past a soft barrier it's common for them to chew a larger hole.

Sealing up the access points is always step one, and it's the hardest step to do, which is why people gravitate toward wanting some kind of repellant. I wish there was an easier way, it would have saved me a lot of crawling, climbing and stuffing myself into unpleasant places.

There were a few older buildings where sealing them up was virtually impossible, so maintaining bait stations and traps were the only option. People worry about baiting causing a mouse to crawl inside the rig, die, and rot. Yes, it's terrible, but the alternative is mice/rats setting up house and constantly peeing and pooping all over the inside of your rig - not to mention damage from chewing. They may die inside, but they will poop and pee as long as they are in there.

Good luck.

FYI: I suggest to people that whenever they do regular maintenance on their rig, to do a pest inspection too. Same thing when a rig is in storage. Every month when I visited to exercise the generator, I inspected for mice. Never assume you permanently cured the problem. The enemy never sleeps.

More great info.

I did have 4 baited traps outside underneath but after a couple weeks no action outside but caught one inside so moved them all inside. However, now I have a baited live catch trap outside under the area I am catching them inside. Been there 4 days nothing yet.

I'll have to read up on the usage of a bait station next I guess.

My nest I found this summer caused me hours and hours of cleaning and getting rid of that smell.

Yes, I'd rather have them dead and dried up inside worse case scenario. Am going to look into a camera I can guide into plumbing runs for nests next.

Thanks