Mice block for power cord door?

[Wrace]

We were getting mice in the TT, they were entering through the slot in the power cord door. The TT stays plugged in at our seasonal spot. I put some steel wool in to close up the small gap that exists in the slot when the cord is running through it. This took care of the mice problem but the steel wool of course rusts and discolors the white plastic door. I’m wondering if there is another material that will fill that slot and repel the mice?

Long term I will remove the permanently attached OEM cord and put in one of those outlets in the side of the TT and use a detachable cord as this would be much more convenient for our set-up, but until then I need to keep the mice from coming through that slot.

Bonus question. When I went to remove the plastic cover over the propane tanks at the end of last season there was a mouse standing on one of the tanks frozen in fear that I had just exposed his little world. On the other tank was a nest. What can I put on top of the tanks to repel the mice from building a nest here?

Thanks

[RoyB]

I sometimes see what looks like a six-lane highway of ants coming up my shore power cable...

I too block the cord hole with a rubber product...

I had a chuckle reading about the mouse camping out around the propane tanks. Have seen the very same thing here at times. I also see the LADY BUGS and STINK BUGS like to camp out under the propane cover as well...

I read on-line about a mouse trap using peanut butter on the inside of a toilet paper round holder. Place this on the edge of the cabinet top and when the mouse goes for the peanut butter the whole thing will drop into a large trash can. I actually tried that out and it worked haha... The beauty of this is the mouse gets a good meal before being tossed out into the woods again.


I think I have too much time on my hands here...

Roy Ken

[westend]

I've had good luck using castor oil in water, spraying the ground where I don't want any rodentia. The rate is 1 oz. castor oil in one gallon of water. I use a garden sprayer to apply it and sometimes I add a tablespoon of soap along with the oil. That's to mix better and afford some surfactant to the turf.

[RickSuddes]

popeyemth wrote:
"CAB FRESH" sold at farm supply stores to keep them out of farm trucks/equipment used seasonally .

spray rataway fragrance to solve your mice problems!

[Wrace]

Go Dogs wrote:

I've also made one of those moving, predator silhouettes, like they have at the campgrounds to scare geese. It's a waterproof piece of corrugated cardboard. Cut two pieces in the basic shape of big slinking cat, paint it and make BIG high-vis eyes. Glue an upside down jar between the pieces, and fasten them together, put the jar on a stake in the ground. The wind makes it move. It doesn't have to look all that realistic. The movement and the eyes are what scares the critters.

Now that's some creative thinking, I see a project in my future.

[Go_Dogs]

In addition to plugging all openings, removing all food, soap, candles, firewood and a thorough cleaning. I put rubber snakes under the TT.
I've also made one of those moving, predator silhouettes, like they have at the campgrounds to scare geese. It's a waterproof piece of corrugated cardboard. Cut two pieces in the basic shape of big slinking cat, paint it and make BIG high-vis eyes. Glue an upside down jar between the pieces, and fasten them together, put the jar on a stake in the ground. The wind makes it move. It doesn't have to look all that realistic. The movement and the eyes are what scares the critters.

[budwich]

On the cord cover idea, get a piece of hard vinyl / plastic. Cut it circular with the diameter to fit the "port hole" in the trailer wall (ie. slightly smaller than the existing cover) along with cutting the slot that is the same as the existing door. Use a stainless steel screw and attach the "new cover" to the back of the existing cover in the "exact center" of the existing cover ensuring that the existing cover still closes properly. Then, when you want to close the "opening slot", just spin the inside "cover" so that the two slots don't align. Reverse, to allow use of the cord in the future. A dremel or equivalent with bit can readily cut a plastic material disc.

[Wrace]

Received the rubber power cord/door thingy and it fits well. As long as they don't chew through the rubber it should keep them out, at least from that entrance. Once we discovered the initial problem and put steel wool in the power cord door we did not have further mice problems, so I hope this addresses the issue.

The trailer is located on our farm acreage and because we don't live there yet having a cat isn't going to work.

I rolled around under the tt looking for possible entry points but it looks pretty tight under there. There is some sort of fabric underbelly covering the bottom but of course there are some penetrations such as the propane pipe, a couple of water drains, and a couple of electrical cables. (the tanks are below the floor/fabric)

I'm a bit baffled on the mice getting up on top of the propane tanks under the hard plastic cover. I assume that once they get to the propane tank platform they are using the rubber hose to get to the top of the tanks, or maybe the threaded hold down rod?

If the mice can get into the frame rail (c-channel) they could run front to back but at the front there is the end cross rail and the tongue A frame is welded to that. (propane tanks are on the tongue) It seems it would take some serious gymnastics to get into the A frame channel from main channels but I guess one should never underestimate these rodents.

The tongue is 20" off the ground and I hook the safety chains back to the equalizer brackets on each side of the tongue. The chain droops down to 14" off the ground.

Think it's possible they are jumping 20" up to the tongue or maybe getting on the safety chain, or possibly somehow scaling the actual tongue jack up to the propane tank platform?

[RickSuddes]

Get # 84 ss pot scrubbers made by 3m and spray with Rataway Fragrance and place
in voids in the motor home. It works very well.

[RickSuddes]

Gonzo42 wrote:
You could stuff the area with Camphor (the active ingredient in moth balls). I hear that repels rodents. If that doesn't do it, you may have to use a ball bearing mouse trap.

[thib2722]

cat? The hardware stores used to sell rodent proofing mesh. It was basically really pliable steel fence.

[dieselenthusias]

Subscribing for good ideas. So far I haven't had a mouse problem.

[Gonzo42]

IMHO, Aluminum Foil would be about as effective as tissue paper. Rats routinely chew through galvanized iron sheet, and a plethora of other substances.



Sponges grow in the ocean. Do you realize how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn’t happen?

[Hitch_Pin]

Here is what I did.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14260

[rbpru]

A friend of mine uses dryer sheets. I use moth balls but my DW does not like the smell.