A bit of Mouse Proofing (physical barrier)

[jbeletti]

While the RV sat out on my RV pad for a month or so, we got mice. Seems they were curious and we had mistakenly left a number of coffee creamer cups and ketchup packets. Who knew mice like ketchup?!

Anyway, we set out some sticky traps with a lure on them and caught nothing in a week's time, so we figure they had vacated as all their food was gone and no water was available.

We emptied EVERYTHING out of the RV and cleaned it top to bottom, then moved stuff back in. This time, a LOT less stuff as we're no longer full-timing in this tiny trailer

So I started to think/remember all of the penetrations into the living space that I already knew of, some of which I created. On some of the smaller holes with wiring penetrations, I used some construction adhesive (not the super strong stuff). Ordinarily, I'd used silicone rubber from a caulking tube but I had a number of tubes of construction adhesive leftover from a project. This took care of 4 holes.

Then I moved onto spaces where heat ducts penetrated the floor. In one location where I had large gaps around the duct/plumbing, I used 1/4" hardware cloth, screwed to the floor, then filled the cavity with expanding foam sealant. My hope is any mice that claw through the foam, won't get past the 1/4" hardware cloth. Though they could claw through the duct

Later this fall, I will try to mouse-proof or at least better seal up the underbelly. The fight continues

 

[donr827]

They may not be gone yet. You might put out a couple of old fashion traps to make sure. Nothing like a mouse running across your toes in the middle of the night.

 

[JohnDar]

Professional Mouse Eradicator

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[jbeletti]

Professional Mouse Eradicator

That Maine Coon is a picture of success if it's a mouse hunter

 

[jbeletti]

They may not be gone yet. You might put out a couple of old fashion traps to make sure. Nothing like a mouse running across your toes in the middle of the night.

No - don't say that!

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Best solution I've found is to get out a creeper...lay on your back and inspect the bottom of the RV for entry points. I was amazed at all the little openings I found. A can of spray/expanding foam and about 1 hour did the job.

Perfect solution...Nope. Better than it was...Heck Yea!

 

[TravelTiger]

Eeek! Oh the joy of country living!! A mouse moved in our place as well when we got that cold snap a few weeks ago. Discovered paper towels in basement were shredded.

Caught a large one on a sticky trap, have 4 others set up and some other traps as well but nothing yet. Seems like once a year when it gets cold they find a way in.

We’ve always caught more than 1 when we set traps, so I expect others.


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[BarbandFrank]

We are full-timers currently in northern Illinois surrounded by cornfields and lots of mice. When the temperature started dropping we discovered a mouse in our RV. It chewed its way into our bedroom through the bed slide where an electrical wire comes out of the wall. While my wife was sleeping, the mouse ran across the bed, over her head, and into the hole at the opposite end of the bed slide. Needless to say, she was not happy and we started an extermination campaign!

We set out lots of glue traps and regular traps baited with peanut butter - which were useless. What did work was Fresh Cab. We bought lots and lots of the 4-pack boxes. We put a pack in every drawer, cabinet, and air conditioning duct/return in the RV. We also put about six packs in the basement - and we no longer have a mouse. After 30 days, we added more packs because the temps are really starting to drop and others in our campground are now having problems with mice.

We have used Fresh Cab for several years, but this year we weren’t diligent with replacing it regularly and we paid the price. In the meantime, I sealed up all the holes I could find both inside and out. So far, after about 5 weeks, we are mouse-free!

 

[ParkIt]

Later this fall, I will try to mouse-proof or at least better seal up the underbelly. The fight continues

View attachment 64740

The struggle is real.
It would take a mouse time to get through that but you'd hear it before they could make their way through it...if you're staying inside.

Professional Mouse Eradicator

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That sent me into giggle mode...especially since it's a Professional.

 

[JohnDar]

That Maine Coon is a picture of success if it's a mouse hunter

That is my favorite photo of the late, great Max. We lost him to renal failure almost 3 years ago at the age of 15 + years. But he went after anything that moved in his domain and at 23 lbs. and tall, he gave heart failure to more than one mouse.


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[ParkIt]

Don't remember where I picked this trick up though have used it for decades (probably my Grandma) and it works.
Aside from sealing up any holes they can slip through which is anything the size of a dime or less...fabric softener sheets. I know you may have heard this before though my rig was on a storage lot for almost 2 years, the mice skipped over my rig and got everyone else. Zero droppings or evidence of chewing.
I now use the basic Costco ones (because you get 2 big boxes for cheap), putting them everywhere in all the outside bins/storage and behind the trim on all slide outs. The trick is to get them on the floors and stuffed into any spot they might try to chew their way in, I pull all drawers and throw them down on the floor so they aren't on my clothes/dishes/food pantry/storage items. The most odd place I found holes was in the bedroom closet where there were angled & carpeted pieces in the corners. When I took those off, there were holes that were being covered!

If you still need more evidence on how well they work - my Dad went down to Mexico for 3 months in winter and I stuffed fabric sheets in small spaces they could get into the house, right in front of steel wool with a mouse trap. About a month after he got back I checked the area's where they had been getting in and again, no mice even attempted to make it's way in.

Not sure why it works but it does and I haven't had any mouse surprises in decades.

 

[ParkIt]

That is my favorite photo of the late, great Max. We lost him to renal failure almost 3 years ago at the age of 15 + years. But he went after anything that moved in his domain and at 23 lbs. and tall, he gave heart failure to more than one mouse.

Sorry to hear it John though you have a way of making it funny.
The last of 6 Pro Mouse Trappers passed away this spring - the best was a Chihuahua Rat Terrier though he would dig at the carpet to get to them. That's when I'd put him outside or in whatever storage bin he'd be intent on trying to dig a hole through the floor.
If it wasn't too dark you could see a non-functioning mouse go flying through the air landing a good 20' away.
One RV'er wasn't happy with him pitch hitting dead mice into the side of their rig...no sense of humor.

 

[jbeletti]

We are full-timers currently in northern Illinois surrounded by cornfields and lots of mice. When the temperature started dropping we discovered a mouse in our RV. It chewed its way into our bedroom through the bed slide where an electrical wire comes out of the wall. While my wife was sleeping, the mouse ran across the bed, over her head, and into the hole at the opposite end of the bed slide. Needless to say, she was not happy and we started an extermination campaign!

We set our lots of glue traps and regular traps baited with peanut butter - which were useless. What did work was Fresh Cab. We bought lots and lots of the 4-pack boxes. We put a pack in every drawer, cabinet, and air conditioning duct/return in the RV. We also put about six packs in the basement - and we no longer have a mouse. After 30 days, we added more packs because the temps are really starting to drop and others in our campground are now having problems with mice.

We have used Fresh Cab for several years, but this year we weren’t diligent with replacing it regularly and we paid the price. In the meantime, I sealed up all the holes I could find both inside and out. So far, after about 5 weeks, we are mouse-free!

We have deployed the Fresh Cab as well. Had a few deployed when we got the mouse but they were 5 months old.

 

[Mrsfish]

We also learned from our dry camping days in the mountains that peppermint oil is a great deterrent. We used cotton balls that we dropped some oil on and put it in the corners where there could be an entrance and we went from mice to no mice.

 

[CDN]

We used Mouse Free last fall and had none all winter. This past week in Northern Ontario it was 32 F we found two critters. One in there garage came up from the under belly into the Island, that home around the pipes has 1/4 mesh and spray foam around it now. The second was found inside our toaster eating crumbs in the tray.

https://www.facebook.com/647974063/videos/10158157708574064/[/video]

 

[JohnDar]

Sorry to hear it John though you have a way of making it funny.
The last of 6 Pro Mouse Trappers passed away this spring - the best was a Chihuahua Rat Terrier though he would dig at the carpet to get to them. That's when I'd put him outside or in whatever storage bin he'd be intent on trying to dig a hole through the floor.
If it wasn't too dark you could see a non-functioning mouse go flying through the air landing a good 20' away.
One RV'er wasn't happy with him pitch hitting dead mice into the side of their rig...no sense of humor.

We still have Max's "partner," Ally with us (adopted both at ~6 months). She's now 17+ and a flippin' Diva. We adopted two male kittens from the county shelter a shortly after Max passed, thinking she was lonely. WRONG! She hates them, but they were cage mates and already bonded. One, Merlin, looks like a smaller version of Max. The other was named Mickey, but Mischief Mickey is more appropriate. They're both now 3 years old. A couple of characters, they are.

That's the two Amigo's in the basket. The Diva is in bed with me.

 

[ParkIt]

Is that the Crazy Cat Man starter kit?
You're lucky to have such great fur companions, I still am not ready to adopt or foster critters which is the first time since 1982 though I still have a 'cat rescue' starter kit ready - just in case.

 

[JohnDar]

Is that the Crazy Cat Man starter kit?
You're lucky to have such great fur companions, I still am not ready to adopt or foster critters which is the first time since 1982 though I still have a 'cat rescue' starter kit ready - just in case.

We’ve had a cat or cats since 1974. Started with one, then got him a companion. Then two became three and it’s been two or three since


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[ParkIt]

We’ve had a cat or cats since 1974. Started with one, then got him a companion. Then two became three and it’s been two or three since

Did you train them to go Pro mouse eliminators or they just picked up on it?
For over 10 years there were 5 cats at once, only 3 were intent on mouse catching (kind of creepy looking at your cat who is not moving and staring at a drawer). The other 2 didn't catch on though they were rescued from really bad situations.
The cat family lasted longer than one husband...though I digress...

 

[porthole]

Jim, now that you are in Texas, are the mice at the lower end of the food chain for your other critters? Some with no legs?