Rodent Proofing ? Best Methods, What works, what Doesn't

[stugotz61]

Only had my Coach stored for 6 weeks, took her out for a quick weekend and found rodent droppings in the house. We do not store any food on board while in storage. It is stored outside in a rural area - on gravel.

What are any preventive measures I can take to keep them out ?

Thanks

[MargaretRehkop]

Dealing with a rat infestation can be extremely difficult if you are not equipped with the correct information and experience. When my uncle faced the rodent infestation he used live traps, as he was against of causing any harm to them. But when the infestation spread on a large scale he called the http://www.eg-exterminatorsnj.com/Rats-and-Mice-Extermination.html professionals to help him control the situation. They helped him a lot and also told the ways to avoid this problem in the future.

[wvabeer]

Poison and seal it up so they cannot get in.

[johnhicks]

I used fox urine pellets back in Texas to keep the critters away. A bit stinky but worked.

[rgatijnet1]

What I have used for years is Coyote urine. It can be purchased online and using a spray bottle I spray it on the tire base, the levelers, and the power cord. This keeps squirrels, rats, mice and other small rodents away from the coach. Depending on the weather/rain, a spray usually lasts about a month.
I don't worry about things on the inside since I stop the pests on the outside.
And no, it is not an offensive odor to humans and my big dog just took one smell and basically ignored it from then on. Of course she is much bigger than any coyote. :B

[Romer1]

janstey58 wrote:
PURE Peppermint oil from GNC soaked into cotton balls has worked flawlessly in my rural RV barn stored DP for many years. Some dispute it, but I can tell you it works for me. And in the Spring, the RV smells very nice!

x2.

But don't get carried away with it, and you do have to leave the windows open for a day in the spring.

[mat60]

rockhillmanor wrote:
I seriously would not use mothballs in an RV.

Moth balls are toxic to humans and 'especially' if you have children. Add them to the small confines of an RV and they are even more harmful to you and your family's health.

snip it:
mothballs contains 396 grams of naphthalene, which is sufficient to raise the average residential indoor air concentration to approximately 200 micrograms per cubic meter over a period of 1 year, though in small homes or apartments this would be expected to be much higher. Exposures of this magnitude are commensurate with industrial exposures to ... jet fuels.” (rv's are 1/4 that sq footage)

Babies are especially vulnerable because their bodies are less able to clear naphthalene byproducts formed in blood.

they’re a health hazard for kids for several reasons. Naphthalene exposure can cause red blood cells to break apart, a condition known as hemolytic anemia. Just the slight smell of a moth ball cuts my airways off and puts me in the hospital.

Mouse and bug control in an RV.
At night turn your inside RV lights on and crawl underneath your RV.

You will be shocked how much light will be shining thru all the holes left behind by the manufacturer. You need to fill all these holes with Great Stuff or whatever. That is what will stop the mice from coming in.

In a MH be sure to have ALL your heating/ac turned off so the vents are closed before you shut off the motor.

.....No wonder I feel like **** after I put moth balls in my TT tonight... I hate the smell but I didn't get a new camper to have mice make a mess out of it this winter.

[rockhillmanor]

I seriously would not use mothballs in an RV.

Moth balls are toxic to humans and 'especially' if you have children. Add them to the small confines of an RV and they are even more harmful to you and your family's health.

snip it:
mothballs contains 396 grams of naphthalene, which is sufficient to raise the average residential indoor air concentration to approximately 200 micrograms per cubic meter over a period of 1 year, though in small homes or apartments this would be expected to be much higher. Exposures of this magnitude are commensurate with industrial exposures to ... jet fuels.” (rv's are 1/4 that sq footage)

Babies are especially vulnerable because their bodies are less able to clear naphthalene byproducts formed in blood.

they’re a health hazard for kids for several reasons. Naphthalene exposure can cause red blood cells to break apart, a condition known as hemolytic anemia. Just the slight smell of a moth ball cuts my airways off and puts me in the hospital.

Mouse and bug control in an RV.
At night turn your inside RV lights on and crawl underneath your RV.

You will be shocked how much light will be shining thru all the holes left behind by the manufacturer. You need to fill all these holes with Great Stuff or whatever. That is what will stop the mice from coming in.

In a MH be sure to have ALL your heating/ac turned off so the vents are closed before you shut off the motor.

[wildmanbaker]

georgelesley wrote:
If it is a motorhome and since you call it a coach I assume it is, the best defense is to make it impossible for them to get into the coach. The only points of entry where they can climb in are points that touch the ground. Tires, cords, hoses, etc. since they cannot jump any distance, if those areas are protected, they cannot get into the suspension, motor, etc, etc.

When ours is not in use but plugged in, I hang the cord up off the pad. You can also get cones to put on the cord similiar to what ships use. To protect the tires I park on aluminum flashing coated with car wax. It is too slippery for them to climb on the tires and gain access. Just cut the flashing a few inches bigger than the tire footprint.

I have also put a ring of traps around each tire which again denies access. Both methods work as we have not had any mice in several years since adopting these methods. If one you are so inclined, doing a combination of both methods would be double protection. I wipe the flashing off with a damp cloth before each parking to keep it slick.

We did also note that fewer mice got in when we installed the tire covers. I assume the vinyl cover blocked some, but not all. A few smart ones still climbed up the inside facing tire area.

We did try all the moth balls, dryer sheets, etc. all seemed to work some, but areas like the engine compartment, generator, etc are hard to protect that way and may require frequent changing to be effective. Not allowing them to get in seems to be the easiest.

You can also try urine from predatorpee.com sprinkle some around the tires and that will also help, but does require reapplication every few months or so. I use it to keep them off the deck at home around the BBQ area.

WOW! Really? I guest the rodents West of the Mississippi are in better shape than yours are. I have had them jump a good 3 feet, 2 feet vertically before, and it really surprized me. I was disposing of 3 mouse carcauses near evening, into a dumpster, and they proceeded to jump out, and all over me. Granted they did not stay long, but I was not expecting this to happen. I guess what ever works for a person....

[georgelesley]

If it is a motorhome and since you call it a coach I assume it is, the best defense is to make it impossible for them to get into the coach. The only points of entry where they can climb in are points that touch the ground. Tires, cords, hoses, etc. since they cannot jump any distance, if those areas are protected, they cannot get into the suspension, motor, etc, etc.

When ours is not in use but plugged in, I hang the cord up off the pad. You can also get cones to put on the cord similiar to what ships use. To protect the tires I park on aluminum flashing coated with car wax. It is too slippery for them to climb on the tires and gain access. Just cut the flashing a few inches bigger than the tire footprint.

I have also put a ring of traps around each tire which again denies access. Both methods work as we have not had any mice in several years since adopting these methods. If one you are so inclined, doing a combination of both methods would be double protection. I wipe the flashing off with a damp cloth before each parking to keep it slick.

We did also note that fewer mice got in when we installed the tire covers. I assume the vinyl cover blocked some, but not all. A few smart ones still climbed up the inside facing tire area.

We did try all the moth balls, dryer sheets, etc. all seemed to work some, but areas like the engine compartment, generator, etc are hard to protect that way and may require frequent changing to be effective. Not allowing them to get in seems to be the easiest.

You can also try urine from predatorpee.com sprinkle some around the tires and that will also help, but does require reapplication every few months or so. I use it to keep them off the deck at home around the BBQ area.

[wildmanbaker]

Well, this is a good question with no pat answer. Mothballs do work, but are toxic, and it is hard to great rid of the odor they leave behind. I had put them everywhere inside and in the basement areas after we got mice on a winter camping trip. No single thing seems to work. Traps, sticky boards, sound generators. Fresh Cab seems to work, and no, we have not had the rodents eat them. Cats seem to help, as they seem to encourage the mice to leave after they have entered. We have had them in the ceiling chewing the foam and other areas. The seem to gain access to the basement, travel through the heating duct into the upstairs, or up the back of the refrigerator, into the ceiling. Most Class A MHs have a basement so finding the access points using light is a pretty much a loosing exercise. Using screen to plug holes sounds good, has anyone ever had wiring damage from rodents?

[NMDriver]

Snap traps-rat traps for pack rats and mouse traps for mice. Use them under the hood for any vehicle you are not driving daily. If you put traps on the ground you will get rabbits, snakes, birds, etc. Use the mothballs, peppermint, etc. outside and the traps inside.

[wa8yxm]

Since I live full time in my RV I use the Alex method. He invitex the mice to come in and play and stick around for (er. As) Dinner but alas, they don't want to play with Alex the cat.

Essense of cat. You can buy it in some specialty natural remedy places Might work.

[Chum_lee]

stugotz61 wrote:
What are the most likely spots where they penetrate the Interior ? How do they get In? I am trying to find the entry points - any recommendations ? Thanks for all the responses - Very Helpful!

Exterior refrigerator vents. (wall and rooftop) Chassis air conditioner fresh air vents. Exterior water heater and furnace vents. Black/grey waste water discharge vents. For some reason, a previous owner cut an access hole in the floor underneath a cabinet in the stateroom of my Class A. Somehow mice got into the rooftop AC vents and made tunnels in the foam sandwich in the ceiling. I could hear them crawling around up there at night. Foam pellets would drop out of the rooftop AC vents on occasion. The pellets would also show up in the roof mounted 12 volt light fixtures.

Snap traps always eventually got them for me, usually at night. A Jack Russell Terrier will locate them (the mice) for you.

Chum lee

[10forty2]

stugotz61 wrote:
What are the most likely spots where they penetrate the Interior ? How do they get In? I am trying to find the entry points - any recommendations ? Thanks for all the responses - Very Helpful!

Electrical cord entry. Water/drain pipes. Slide seals. Engine firewall. When it's dark outside, turn on the interior lights and get on a creeper underneath the rig to look for light. Then open the bins and look for the light to bleed through. What might seem like a "too small" entry might just be the spot where they get in. "Great Stuff" expansion foam works pretty well to seal holes too!