Mouse-proofing a travel trailer

[gorevs9]

We have a travel trailer that is left on camp-site throughout the winter. I've received the usual suggestions for "mouse-proofing"...conventional mouse traps, sticky traps, poison baits. Someone also suggested some pine oil scent on cotton balls.
Anyone out there with a tried and true solution.

 

[dwsupt]

Pine oil I haven't heard of but, it might work. I use peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place them in the hard to get to areas. It will need touched up occasionally. They dislike any strong sent. Of course there is always DeCon....

 

[ladycody]

Couple of tips that I've heard...and know people that it's worked for:

Make sachets of cloves and put them throughout the trailer...they smell better than mothballs and will discourage rodents.

You can also help discourage them by getting bobcat or fox urine from a local hunting outfitter (or online) and treat the area outside the trailer and/or hang strips of cloth soaked in it from the bottom of the trailer. The scent discourages skunks, raccoons, squirrels, mice, etc from getting to close.

 

[dukebigtom]

Peppermint oil is very good. Rodents and ants avoid it.

Never tried the cloves, but I might.

Another thing you can do is put steel wool (copper wool is even better because it doesn't rust, but it is more expensive) in any holes, cracks, etc. where you think they may be entering. Mice like to come through tiny openings. They like the challenge. They will gnaw at the steel wool and not like it and go somewhere else. This is what exterminators use to plog openings. But, it is very hard to find evey nook and cranny.

Good luck!

BigTom

 

[gorevs9]

Pine oil I haven't heard of but, it might work. I use peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place them in the hard to get to areas. It will need touched up occasionally. They dislike any strong sent. Of course there is always DeCon....

I had a brain fart.
You are correct... I did mean pepermint oil.

The one negative I hear about Decon is the possibility of the mice dying inside a nook or cranny and stinking up the place.

 

[rhonda]

What a very cool thread! OP, thanks for starting this!

Now I know I need copper wool for my MoHo's brake peddle (our snap traps have been effective - but I'd far prefer to deter entry!), peppermint oil on cotton balls inside and ... ummm ... interestingly scented rags outside. I'm going to put these into action this coming weekend. THANK YOU all!

 

[dwsupt]

EWW!

Couple of tips that I've heard...and know people that it's worked for:

Make sachets of cloves and put them throughout the trailer...they smell better than mothballs and will discourage rodents.

You can also help discourage them by getting bobcat or fox urine from a local hunting outfitter (or online) and treat the area outside the trailer and/or hang strips of cloth soaked in it from the bottom of the trailer. The scent discourages skunks, raccoons, squirrels, mice, etc from getting to close.

It would discourage me too! Be careful with that stuff.

 

[PigsDad]

The one negative I hear about Decon is the possibility of the mice dying inside a nook or cranny and stinking up the place.

With De-con, the poison is supposed to make them extremely thirsty, so the theory is that they will go outside in search of water and not die in your house / trailer / etc.

In my experience, that usually works well. But I have had one die under a cabinet once, and that was no fun!

Kurt

 

[saf512]

When we purchased our traller, we were told to place several fabric softener sheets throughout the traller to discourage rodents over the winter. We have never had a problem, plus when we open our traller in the summer, it smells great.
Sandra

 

[riverside]

My mother-in-law told us to use Bounce fabric softener sheets. We didn't believe her so she bought us a box. We spread them out in our stored convertible over the winter and no mice! The year before we had just used the poison they made nests and died in there. Talk about an awful smell!