Forum Discussion

ipeltier's avatar
ipeltier
Explorer
Oct 16, 2019

Rodent???

We recently put our 5th wheel in storage on a farm field in southern British Columbia. The owner warned us that mice were a problem, so we set out four trays of blue poison mouse pellets. A week later, we returned to find two of the trays completely empty, and a stash of the pellets in a corner of a pantry basket, and a dozen pellets in the underbelly underneath the upstairs bedroom. We inspected the trailer thoroughly, found a dozen mouse turds, and a small hole on the kitchen slide which we plugged with steel wool. We're now living in the trailer, and haven't found any dead rodents, so I assume it (they) escaped through the slide hole before we plugged. Would this have been a mouse? A rat? Do mice transport food to a hiding spot?
  • I asked about mice control products on another forum and "Mouse Free" was suggested. Prior to that, we store ours inside at a place that has corn/soybeans inside as well (but they are now strong it outside in high bins) and in the 16 years of being there, problems only had 2-3 times mice got in. Seal up all holes in frame and underbelly. I thought I did, but guess I missed a couple. Inside is a **** shoot on what to use. Because I cannot get to coach while in storage, cannot set out traps to check. So I used a combo of things such as: drier sheets, moth cakes and rodent free smelly things. Like what's been said too, remove all food and hopefully wipe down storage areas of it. If mice do get in, it's a PITA having to wipe everything down w/ a germ killing product.
  • I use what tvov shows on his post. My 5er is in storage for the winter. For the last two or three years I have used that and I check the trailer every so often. I put two of them behind the rear wheels and the wheel covers hide them. After the first year of mice eating the blocks, I have found that there isn't mouse activity around the trailer. Knock on my head. I did find one mouse in the toilet. I think he was trying to drink the anti-freeze or wanted to take a swim in the pink stuff. I have no idea how it got into the toilet tho'.
  • Tvov—I found the product locally and will set it out tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.
  • Glue traps and/or snap traps and plug everything that even could be an entry point. The blue pellets are just nasty poison and don't work as well.
  • Take some time and look for any opening, large or small and fill it with this



    Also build one or two buckets of death and place them outside the RV. You want to make rodents want to go where they smell food (peanut butter) instead of going into your unit.



    The ones I built have tight snap on lids because I pour windshield washer fluid into the bottom (poisonous to wife's dogs) instead of plain water. That way it stays liquid all winter long.

    Last winter I bagged more than 2 dozen mice. RIP varmints.
  • There were some naysayers about Tomcat bait. Not sure of their experience, but I use it with success to get rid of the roof rats we have around our house due to all the citrus trees around. I did have some mice in the house a few years ago, and used bait, traps and glue boards. Got only 1 in a trap and found 2-3 dead ones under the stove, near the bait. Glue boards didn't work, though I'd used them successfully about 30 years ago in my old house.

    Lyle
  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    laknox wrote:
    There were some naysayers about Tomcat bait. Not sure of their experience, but I use it with success to get rid of the roof rats we have around our house due to all the citrus trees around. I did have some mice in the house a few years ago, and used bait, traps and glue boards. Got only 1 in a trap and found 2-3 dead ones under the stove, near the bait. Glue boards didn't work, though I'd used them successfully about 30 years ago in my old house.

    Lyle


    Tomcat and Dcon baits can and do work, but other baits are much more effective in my experience.
  • I use traps, pail with water and peanut butter spread down from top edge about 2 inches. Set this up just inside the door.
    Cut two pails down some and set landing gear in the pail and then add antifreeze or oil etc.