Found a mouse nest! GRRR!

[rbrumm]

Just brought the trailer home from storage and opened the door. right in front of me were the rugs we left in the camper over the winter with a nest and a bunch of droppings. Have been storing my campers in the same place for 7 years and this is the first time we've had mice. Always thought the dryer sheets were the ticket too. Didn't find any other damage to the camper and can't find where they got in. Have a trap set to maybe catch the SOB!

[atreis]

IMO, seal the trailer to keep them out in the first place. I went all over our trailer and sealed every spot where a pipe or wire went through the floor. Some of these can be hard to get at - requiring removing false panels, and crawling around underneath it, and my trailer had one underneath the tub that proved tricky. I did that four years ago and haven't had a single mouse in the trailer since. (They still nest in the wheels, spare tire, and bumper. That last one proved interesting one year when I went to use the sewer hose...)

I used expanding foam (Great Stuff) and it's worked great.

[Rumtan]

I was trying to be sensitive to anyone who hates the thought of killing an animal/rodent. Gloves will take a mouse off a sticky trap.

[Tvov]

Rumtan wrote:
The key to sticky traps is to put one bit of dog food in the center of the trap, but you have to check the trap so the mouse can be either dispatched or released (your choice) without suffering.

I am not aware of any "sticky trap" that you can release a mouse from. The ones I know of are a shallow, rectangular tray filled with goo that is incredibly sticky - once a mouse gets caught in that, no way can it be released. The recommended "dispatch" method is drowning the mouse, tray and all, in a 5 gallon bucket full of water.

I prefer the traditional snap traps. I use your basic American cheese - break off a small square and squish it onto the trigger. After a short while it will harden (you may want to actually let it harden before setting out the trap) and when the mice have to chew on it the trigger gets tripped.

As to baiting, I found the "Ramik" and "One Bite" bait bars to be much more effective than "De-Con". As another poster mentioned, but the bait outside of the camper if possible. If there is a concern about other animals (especially pets) getting to the bait, you can buy bait containers that will prevent anything larger than a mouse or rat from accessing the bait.

I use Irish Spring soap and Bounce original scent sheets in our trailer... I don't know if they are keeping the mice out, but the trailer smells great in the Spring!

[jimw606]

For Mice,We have had good luck with Irish Spring soap. I read about it on the fiver forum. Open box and placed around any where they might enter. Under the sinks, water line entry's etc. It has worked for us any way.

[Beer_Belly]

Wear a mask when messing with those droppings

[rbrumm]

I could see on this trailer all sorts of openings they could get in. I was able to see all the lines that run under the floor are not sealed, water, drain, gas. Big holes with no foam sealing. I looked down through the floor where the Aux gas line comes in and could see light. I saw a place where the bottom trim of the trailer would allow a rodent could get under the trailer to the drain lines and into the camper. I feel that at least they didn't have to chew their way in, they had an "open door". Also nothing seems to be damaged other than the rugs. I have set a trap an haven't caught anything...yet. Glad the sofa and beds are untouched!

[brirene]

Peg Leg wrote:
I wonder if a half a dozen traps laying around all winter, each with a deceased relative would be a deterrent for the rest of the family.

Might have the opposite effect. I think rodents are pretty opportunistic. I had 2 gerbils in college. One died and the other...well...I think you probably get the picture. Sorry.

[neilnbe]

I've found that decon UNDER the RV works best. Keep it in a ”mouse accessible” container and they dine there and don't even bother coming in...been working so far. Get them before they even get in.

[Caveman_Charlie]

With that amount of droppings you are going to need more then one trap. Better look for the nest and check all your systems before you head out. A friend of mine just found a big mouse nest in his furnace this year.

[Peg_Leg]

I just went through my spring ritual. Every year they fill the cooling fins on the Kohler powered mower that I keep in a shed at the MIL's. Full of soybean husk. At least this year he didn't eat the insulation on the spark plug wire. Now if someone finds something that does keep them away, I'll be making a trip to the store after verification.

Path1, I like your thinking, super glued peanuts. I may have just found a new use for Gorilla Glue. I wonder if a half a dozen traps laying around all winter, each with a deceased relative would be a deterrent for the rest of the family.

[NJRedneck1986]

When i bought my trailer it had mice in them after cleaning the mess when i stored it for winter i put 3 butter containers full of lemon pinesole one in the kitchen sink one in the shower and one in the rear bedroom and when i went in after un covering it no mice bugs well dead bugs like spiders and flys dead on the ground. the lemon pinesole kept the mice away cuz the mice was in my garage instead so it does keep them out and itll make your camper smell like lemon 🙂

[Rumtan]

The key to sticky traps is to put one bit of dog food in the center of the trap, but you have to check the trap so the mouse can be either dispatched or released (your choice) without suffering.

[DukeAJuke]

My old trailer was a mouse hotel so I feel your pain. I took care to seal every open space and hole I could find with my new one. It's my first season with it so I hope not to repeat!

[Caboose66]

I know a lot of folks have luck with peanut butter but I never did... they just seem to pick it off without tripping the trap.
The best bait I have found is chocolate chips. Put a few in the microwave to get them soft then take a knife and get a glob onto the trigger... making sure not to "glue" the trigger to any other parts of the trap. Once the chocolate chip cools it is difficult to get off the trigger. When the mouse starts working on it - nibbling, pulling, etc. - SNAPPO!! Better luck with this method than anything I've ever tried.

Good luck. I haven't had any with my new trailer but had them in my old trailer. Never kept any food in there but I guess it was just a nice place for them to sleep and raise a family. Opening up the drawers with the dish towels and finding a mouse hotel always was a treat.

By the way, I agree about not using the glue traps. Look, I hate mice as much as the next guy but I never checked my trailer every day. When I used glue traps and would go in and find a mouse that was near death, having struggled for who knows how long, it really bothered me. I'm all for killing them, but want it to be over reasonably quickly and painlessly. Call me a bleeding heart, but the glue traps just cross the line for me.