Am I causing my mouse problem?

[garysol]

When we took our 5th wheel out of indoor storage this spring I found some mouse droppings. Not many but some. I baited a few mouse traps with peanut butter and pretty quickly caught 2 little grey mice re-baiting the traps after each catch. 2 weeks go by and nothing. No dropping and no mice caught in the traps. Today I check and I have a mouse in the trap. Now I am in a quandary. Was this third mouse always in my camper and just now found the traps OR is the peanut butter bated traps enticing the mice to come into our camper from outside because now they smell the peanut butter? I feel sort damned if I do and damned if I don't. Thoughts???????

[Gonzo42]

One thing i forgot to mention when doing the bleach cleaning. Don't forget all the insides of cabinets where food can drop inside (usually to the floor).

[westend]

Hey, hey, hey ..... don't be hating on my chipmunks. For the last three years we've had a couple around the house that are getting pretty tame. The ringleader, Chippy, will climb up on a shop bench, beg for food, and can be hand-fed.

I realized they're almost a perfect pet. They don't require vet bills, they eat nearly nothing, they do their business outside, and for half the year, they go and sleep underground. They're also cute as heck!

[garysol]

Vulcaneer wrote:
Keep trapping. You'll get them all, eventually. Then you can worry about chipmunks, squirrels. That only means the traps get bigger. Oh...and you'll need to change to "chunky".

As it is my daughter empties the traps. I wont go near the damn mice. Chipmunks......forgetaboutit!!!!!

[Vulcaneer]

Keep trapping. You'll get them all, eventually. Then you can worry about chipmunks, squirrels. That only means the traps get bigger. Oh...and you'll need to change to "chunky".

[motorhomi]

Mothballs have worked for us for 15 years. I fill 6 small plastic glasses with mothballs (usually 1 box will do) I place a glass in the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom, under the kitchen sink, under the bed storage area and behind the couchs. I also set a few around on the floor. Yes it smells like grandmas attic but the mice hate it. Before we begin our season I throw them away, open the windows and in a day the smell is gone. Only problem is being able to find old fashioned mothballs. Smaller hardware stores usually carry them.

[garysol]

M GO BLUE wrote:
At night turn on all the lights in the RV then go outside and crawl underneath the RV and see if any lights are shining though...if so block those holes up

Great idea!!!!!!

[M_GO_BLUE1]

At night turn on all the lights in the RV then go outside and crawl underneath the RV and see if any lights are shining though...if so block those holes up

[garysol]

Today I got a couple cans of foam sealant and sealed every possible entrance I could find. I think I did find where they have been entering from. Underneath the camper directly below where the stove is there is a wire loom that enters through a plastic sheeting that had a bunch of insulation pulled through. i sealed that area especially good from below as well from as from above. The under stove area is also where we have caught all of the mice and its the only area that had shown any droppings at all. Fingers crossed.

[Gonzo42]

One thing you could do, and yes, a lot of work: make a weak water/bleach solution and clean every surface in your rig, in particular anywhere food touches. That means inside all the cabinets and drawers, the stove and microwave, reefer, etc.

Not only will this remove all the food odors that attract rodentia, but keeps out insects and basically sterilizes the place.

They can find a way in using the smallest hole. Find every tiny hole and seal it up.

[Mmaxed]

If they are still finding a way in, you still have a problem. Keep trapping until the entrance is blocked.

[westend]

Making a bucket mouse trap

Put it outside your rig. This time of year is when mice are moving about and looking for food and making new nests.

[Jagtech]

I stopped putting baited traps inside the RV, and instead now place the traps beside each wheel on the Quonset floor. Catches many mice, but never had any evidence of them getting inside since using this method.

[Gonzo42]

Get a ball bearing mouse trap.

[Mr__Dan]

... and me!