This may be a dumb mouse question

[DoC808]

Ok. I just caught 3 Little Gray mice and my coach on sticky trace. So now I'm a little paranoid. Would anybody recommend using those green bait poisons outside of the coach by the tires whenever I park? Maybe put them in PVC pipes or something to keep animals away.

[Lt Dan]

So what happens if the mouse eats the poison then crawls into the motor home to meet its maker? Not too bad if it's easily found but could be a problem if it's in an inaccessible spot.

[theroc]

We've actually used the bait stations outside with pretty good success. If you are proactive and catch them before they make a nest inside the walls of your RV, the bait stations help prevent them from coming into your RV to explore for food or to establish a nest. That's what we've found through the years as we've never had mice die inside the walls or anywhere else in the RV.

We put them out immediately after arriving at a new location. The bait seems to satisfy them before they try finding ways inside or to settle down to make a nest and they go away and die somewhere else or where they've already established a nest. Again, that's what we've found but just like anything else, others I'm sure will have other experiences or disagree.

We use bait stations and not just loose bait. Bait stations are designed to have the mice enter the station and nibble. If you just put a block of the green bait loose on the ground or even inside a PVC pipe, what we've found can happen is that other scoundrels will make off with the entire block ...squirrels, raccoons, etc., or even pets wandering around. Usually, it's not deadly for bigger animals but it's not the intention for using mouse bait.

In fact, I think I remember reading somewhere that it's required that you use mouse bait in a station and not leave the green bait just lying around on the ground or somewhere that's not designed for bait placement. That's why I'd recommend just buying a refillable bait station.

We've had good luck with the Tomcat stations and they are available everywhere ...Walmart, Home Depot, etc.

They come in either refillable or disposal models. We have quite a few of the refillable ones. We usually put them underneath the RV near or against the backside wheels. We used to put four out but I think two are adequate. They have a little clear window so you can see if the bait has been nibbled. I make sure they are pretty secure or, again, a larger animal can just make off with the entire station ...I've see that happen so it helps to weigh them down with a rock and use use rocks or other objects to help make them a bit more difficult to move easily.

Tomcat bait station at Walmart -- refillable $5.29

Tomcat bait station at Walmart -- disposable $6.29

Larger Tomcat bait station for rats and mice at Home Depot -- refillable (these are great as we used them underneath the crawlspace at a cabin we had and the bait disappeared on a regular basis and we never had mice or rats inside.


Again, this is just our experience. Others may have completely different experiences and results with these things.

[Bigd9]

Living in the country, we have an abundance of field mice always trying to get into areas where I don't want them.

I tried bait traps using the generic green pellets. I figured they were working because I had to refill the bait traps at least once a week. Then one day I was pressure washing the undercarriage on my tractor and tumbling along in the stream of dirty water were 1000's of green pellets! I found a nest high up in the frame filled with green pellets. Apparently the mice were saving them for a later meal!

Now I just use traps baited with peanut butter.

[DoC808]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Living in the country, we have an abundance of field mice always trying to get into areas where I don't want them.

I tried bait traps using the generic green pellets. I figured they were working because I had to refill the bait traps at least once a week. Then one day I was pressure washing the undercarriage on my tractor and tumbling along in the stream of dirty water were 1000's of green pellets! I found a nest high up in the frame filled with green pellets. Apparently the mice were saving them for a later meal!

Now I just use traps baited with peanut butter.

I was considering the old fashioned mouse traps but I do not have access to my coach for months at a time to reset them

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by DoC808

I was considering the old fashioned mouse traps but I do not have access to my coach for months at a time to reset them

Do not use traps in that case : But then, after several months they won't stink anymore!

That reminds me, I had better go check mine...Thanks

[TonyMac]

DO NOT use mouse poison, PLEASE. Your stupid almost dead mouse might crawl into my rig and die and stank up my place. A cat might get ahold of the dying mouse, now we got a dying cat. Stick to the glue traps.

[grindstone01]

Originally Posted by DoC808

I was considering the old fashioned mouse traps but I do not have access to my coach for months at a time to reset them

How about a mouse trap pail? You can use antifreeze or even used oil in the pail and it will work for years if you apply new peanut butter every 3-6 months. Search the web for mouse trap pails or on U tube.
https://pestkill.org/mice/bucket-trap/

[Ernie.]

I use a product called fresh cab, marketed as a repellant. I put a packet in each bay when storing. No issues so far. sold on amazon

[TXTiger]

Last year I was up in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho for 3 months. Had a field mice problem. I put out the old fashioned mouse traps baited with peanut butter. Caught about 6 mice over a 10 day period. This year I am trying an old fashioned wives tale of an LED rope light around the entire exterior of my RV. Been 2 months now and haven’t had a single mouse that I know off. Not sure if the rope lights are working. I am in a different location this year in an RV Park and not in the mountains but there is a wheat field next door that was just cut last week and still no sign of mice.

[grindstone01]

Originally Posted by Ernie.

I use a product called fresh cab, marketed as a repellant. I put a packet in each bay when storing. No issues so far. sold on amazon

I also have used the Fresh Cab along side a trap in the engine compartment. The engine compartment did smell strong of Fresh Cab, but the trap still caught a mouse.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by DoC808

Ok. I just caught 3 Little Gray mice and my coach on sticky trace. So now I'm a little paranoid. Would anybody recommend using those green bait poisons outside of the coach by the tires whenever I park? Maybe put them in PVC pipes or something to keep animals away.

Actually one of our members designed a mouse bait station made with 1.5" PVC pipe, 1' lengths.
His design is inverted T shaped, the vertical leg is capped (not glued so bait may be added), the cap has a length of 1/4" all-thread secured with a nut of each side of the cap. The 2 horizontal legs(glued in tee) are the mouse runs to the bait suspended about 1" from the bottom with a washer and nut on that all-thread.

[arcaguy]

I too live in the country and a few mice have found their way into my house over the years. I have also experienced the stash of D-con pellets. I have since gone to the Tomcat brand of refillable bait stations and had pretty good luck with them. The bait disappears, the wife doesn't hear mice any more and I find oen occasionally toes up in the basement. That said, I also have an issue with putting poisoned prey into the environment. I realize the larger animals need a larger dose of poison but it still gets into the environment. It seems most of the mice I kill stay in the basement, although I have thrown them out of the house before if I caught them live. I haven't seen any return after I gave them a good scolding and a short flight through the air.

[TonyDi]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

How about a mouse trap pail? You can use antifreeze or even used oil in the pail and it will work for years if you apply new peanut butter every 3-6 months. Search the web for mouse trap pails or on U tube.
https://pestkill.org/mice/bucket-trap/

We used to use a similar trap in our ski cabin. It worked. Did not have to be reset. We put anti-freeze on it and it was good to go.