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rk911's avatar
rk911
Explorer
Oct 09, 2019

Do Flea Collars Really Repel Pests?

saw a tip in MotorHome magazine a few days ago about using a flea collar in the water heater bay to repel pests. has anyone tried this? does it work? what sort of pests...spiders, bugs, wasps, bees, mice???

found evidence of mice in our MH today (first time in 33-yrs fir us) and in the process of cleaning up and disinfecting. not much damage...nest was very small. gonna place a few traps and d-conn bait boxes but going forward would like to repel them.

27 Replies

  • I have used a product called "cab fresh" that has been very effective in keeping the mice away.

    I worry about using bait. It's wonderful when the mice get hold of it. Not so much when a child or dog gets hold of it.

    I have used traps and don't really care for dealing with dead mice with spring traps so I tried the "live catch" traps and that wasn't much fun either.
  • Bait only as a absolute last resort, trapping would be better, this way you KNOW where they are, baits, not so much.. Baits, they take the bait with them and tend to die in places which you will never be able to get to them..

    Have my doubts, folks have tried drier sheets, mice love to use them to make nests for some folks.

    Folks have used moth balls, pew, terrible odor to clear in the spring but yet mice still take residence for some folks, folks have tried ultrasonic devices, essential oils, smelly soap and on and on but yet mice still leave little presents for some folks..

    Yet there are folks who swear by all of these remedies because they have never seen evidence otherwise and others have still had issues with mice despite using all of these remedies..

    BEST way is to PREVENT them from finding a way in.

    This does require a lot of detective work on your part, typically they will come in where ever there is any opening from the outside to the inside that they can squeeze through.

    It is shocking just how small of an opening they can get through.. I have seen claims from a dime size down to the diameter of a pencil..

    So, find the holes where wiring, plumbing and heater ductwork go through the floor to the outside or basement and seal the gaps with something they can't chew through (eliminates GreatStuff spray can foam alone, they can and will chew through it so you were warned!).

    They CAN and will chew through wood, plastics and soft thin metals like aluminum, copper. Steel will stop them but that is not friendly with electrical wiring or plumbing without lining it with some plastic grommet around the wiring or plumbing.
  • no cat. looking for point of entry, too. two different issues, though. the mice and whether a flea collar can really repel other pests as the tip stated. apologies for my poorly worded post.

    i doubt the mice found their way in via the water heater...evidence was in a closet drawer and under kitchen sink...mostly in the closet drawer.
  • D Con will draw them as it is food to them. It will kill them seeking water or drinking it.If there is water nearby that may be where you find them dead.
    Looking at your coach in your profile, I can't tell but your water heater is up on the side of the coach, isn't it. If they are getting to it there you have a hole on the bottom somewhere Really strong lights in the closet and elsewhere with you on the other side may help you find that hole and others. The expanding foam, in there flavors, large expansion small expansion etc squired into that or those holes and they won't come back in that way. They'll chew new ones if they can.
    Copper Sulfate, if you can find it will stop rot, bugs and just about anything else. it smells like army tents or supply rooms used to. It is green an can be painted on. Maybe it can be sprayed on too. Might take some effort to get it everywhere.
    Maybe start feeding your cat a bit less and under the MH if it is a mouser.