Need ideas. Looking for best way to keep mice out of my camper

[RogersMN]

Hey, just looking for some ideas on how to keep mice out of my camper. I have an older travel trailer that I just put on my land a couple weeks ago. I was up there this weekend and I could hear mice!!!

The old stand by for me is traps and d-con. Looking for more ideas....

[sparcebag]

Seal ALL the entry places even tiny cracks you dont think are large enough for their entry.

[Johnny_Da_Der]

A cat.

[hoggs222]

Not sure if this would work, but it seems to work with portable fish houses in garages. Fabric softener sheets, irish spring soap, mothballs (All inside the trailer, Not sure if all of the above are necessary)? Or what about mothballs around the outside of the trailer?

Do you have power? My parents used to use these little boxes that plug in and use very little power. They send out a very high pitched noise that they can't stand. Worked for them at the cabin and in the garage at the cabin.

[Wanderer]

Hoggs is right about the fabric softener sheets.

We have a travel trailer parked on our lot - going on the third summer now. We put out dryer sheets all over the place. The cupboards, drawers, beds, out in the open. Just one sheet per location though. Phenomenal results in my opinion!

No sign of mice until last time up. Just break out a fresh box of sheets and freshen em up.

We put the D-con poison in a couple spots like where the cord goes in and they've eaten that too. Really haven't had a problem.

Now the mothball thing? Ish! I did that in my boat for over a winter. It didn't keep the mice out completely and some moisture got in there and melted the balls. I had to smell those toxic things all year after cleaning them out of there.

[hoggs222]

Wanderer, I did the mothball thing in my boat with the cover on. I put them in a disposable tinfoil tray with tinfoil covering 80% of the top. It did stink at first, but I guess I wasn't using it in an enclosed structure.

I think if you threw mothballs down on the outside or under the trailer, it might deter some of the mice from even approaching the trailer.

[Wanderer]

Yeah, I was pretty sure I did it wrong that following spring!

I'll just never forget it.

[croixflats]

A cat.

I was gonna say that but I think I'd prefer the mice.

[only ice]

Take a five gal. plastic bucket,drill two holes one inch down stright across from each other. Now run a piece of wire through one hole,now put the wire through a pop can, try to find the center of the can, then run wire through the other hole in the bucket. The pop can should spin around freeley. Put some Peanut Butter on all four corners of the can. Now put some water with antifreeze in the bottom (about 3inchs). Place a smal pice of a board running up to the top of the bucket. They run up the board, jump to the can, it spins around and they die in the water!!! I uae this in my Cabin all winter and never hav had a problem. I catch about 15 a year. Also have one in my garage because of the dog food and other things mice get into.

[Reef Runner]

Yep this one workes great! Instead of the can I use a pizza cardboard circle.

[paceman]

I have heard of the bucket trick. It sounds like it works pretty good. Just wondering if there is a smell from the dead mice...I hate that smell.

[MIKE IN lINO III]

I've used the bucket trick in the back yard shed. It doesn't smell, just keep cleaning them little critters out of there and replace the water. Use antifreeze during the winter, it wont freeze.

Mike

[only ice]

The antifreeze kills the smell! This is the best long term way to get the little bugers!!

[RogersMN]

this is why i love this message board! great ideas!

I'm going to try the fabric sheets, dcon in some spots, and the bucket on the inside of the camper. I can't tell you how much it irritated to hear mice (they were behind the fridge), i literally could not fall back to sleep after that.

any more ideas would be great...

[only ice]

Glad we can help. Your so right these forms are so helpfull!! Sleep Tight!!

[fishing tech]

Plug any holes with steel wool and spray foam insulation. I also put steel wool around the cord where it goes into the camper.

[UdeLakeTom]

I gave up on the d-con after finding it hidden in lots of places. The even take it to their nests. I use Tom-cat and found a couple of small cracks that I plugged. Two winters in a roll with lots of droppings, then none last winter or this spring.

Tom-cat is blocks, that the nibble off because they cannot carry it away.

[Dellfin]

Not sure if it's a old wife's tale or true, but I've used fabric softener drier sheets spread liberally (lots of them) throughout my boat stored in the shed at the cabin in the winter. Haven't seen a single mouse turd in the 3 years I've been doing it. What I've been told is that the mice can't stand the smell and will nest elsewhere.

Plus, everything smells "springtime fresh" when I'm ready to put it back into service. For $1.50, it's worth a shot.

[UdeLakeTom]

I must have used the wrong dryer sheets, because there were tracks and yellow markings on the dryer sheets that I had to pull out in the spring.

[Tom7227]

A number of years ago I was at a friends cabing and had to listen to his yearly rant about the mice. He couldn't figure out where they were coming in. I suggested that he take a can of baby powder and sprinkle it around the perimeter of the place. The tracks would show where they had been. He did it.

Well, the next spring he and his wife went up to the cabin. They found where the mice had come in, but they also found little white footprints all over the place. The powder had sort of 'set' over the winter and was a bit difficult to clean up. It didn't help that the Mrs. hadn't brought a vacumm along.

I still chuckle when I think of the look on their faces when they opened the door. One of my all time favorite pranks.

[bbqhead]

my 2 cents on this... cant say if dryer sheets work or not,

some people say they work. i might have to agree from what i

have seen in the field. one thing i did learn is dont put d-con

in the trailer unless you already have mice in there. why invite

them in? put around the outside. good discussion though!

randy

[solbes]

We've used dryer sheets for 3 out of the 4 winters in our camper (late Oct - mid April). No mice. But then again when we forgot one year we didn't have mice either. We put maybe 15-20 sheets around the perimeter and in&around bedding. Good luck.

[Walleye Guy]

I put dryer sheets and moth balls in my boat when I store it in my garage at my cabin in Wisconsin. I know I have mice in my garage as I caught over a dozen during the course of the winter in my traps baited with M&M's. (Superglue the M&M to the trap "flapper" it works great) They did not go in the boat however. No droppings, no chew spots etc.

[Valv]

I used my wife's old nylon to make small bags for mothballs and tossed them everywhere in the boat. I cannot stand the smell but it worked. I had drier sheets and Irish Spring soap last winter and they chewed on the soap ??? I think I was actually feeding the mice.

Anyway don't forget the electronics, I am using the ultrasonic repellent and they work the best, but you have to have power to it all winter, a small extension cord will work great.