Winter home decision

Well, that's both the good news and the bad news. Congrats to the DW on the new job, but you just cannot let things like that mess up the camping/boating season. We lived east of Cleveland long enough to find out that "the season" never lasts long enough - get while the gettin's good.

BTW, who are those guys in the Browns uniforms....surely they're NOT the real ones. These guys seem to know how to play the game and we haven't seen that since 1985.

Best to Jacky when you see her again. We finished the winterizing thing yesterday, but have to go back out and get the Scrabble game to hold us over until our season starts. And asking our bug guy about Rocky... never have had problems, but doubt that he'll charge us anything to give him a quick spray. Another of the joys of home storage. Now if the blasted tree guys would actually come and stay long enough to finish getting that tree down before it takes both Rocky and the Rockyport out, we will be really happy.

Jacky supervised the weatherization last Saturday and snuggled in the barn at the fairgrounds last Sunday. She'll be vigilant all winter.

We had a horrible season with the Roo, only Memorial Day weekend, and the boat never got her bottom wet. My wife started a new job the end of June (small college president) that somehow required much more of her attention! ;)

But, like Cleveland sports teams, "there's always next year!" ;)

-- Chuck

Yea!, the return of the Jackalope! I've missed seeing the little critter. So far, so good on the mouse issue here....hope I'm not jinxing it. The pink stuff will be arriving here this afternoon and looks like we're done for the season. Darn!, but we've had some great times.

Two threads with bad information:

If you've never had a mouse problem using dryer sheets you've been lucky.

Reports here and the other forums document mice use dryer sheets to make nice warm beds and as potty pads. The only reason they don't poop on moth balls is they can't get their little bottoms up on top of them so they just poop next to them.

A jackalope however will keep mice out of your camper all year. This one has lived in my campers for 15 years and I've never seen any mice (or their markings) in them. This scientific data is as better than the mothball/dryer sheet science based on the first paragraph evidence. No one with a jackalope has ever had a mouse problem. Here's my Jacky ready to pounce if necessary.



If you're not lucky enough to adopt a jackalope: Get rid of all food. Don't store the camper in mouse infested areas. Fill all under trailer openings with bronze wool (steel wool will be dust by spring, it rusts).

-- Chuck

It really depends on how many mice there are, and how desperate they are. The smelly stuff and the electronic noise makers make a location less pleasant to the mouse, but if it's still the best site available the mouse will still nest there.

If you have a TT, the best thing to do it completely seal all possible openings - usually places where pipes, gas lines, and electrical penetrate the floor (sometimes hidden behind false panels, under the tub, etc....).

If you have a motorized vehicle, it's really not possible to seal it completely. I use the smelly stuff and noise makers in my minivan and they help some, but I still find mouse nests and still have to replace the cabin air filter every spring.

save your bucks, fresh cab and peppermint oil. 5 yrs in a pole bldg by the woods ,two boats two rv,s zero mice. P/S I put the fresh cap with wrapper on, in a plastic butter container,lid off got two in each rig. oil I drop a drop here and there.