Mice in the RV !!!

[LRutigliano]

Brought the RV home from storage last night (stored indoors in a huge warehouse). I haven't been in it since SEP or OCT when I winterized it.



No food at all in the RV. Just some cans of green beans, chili, etc.



Went out there this morning to de-winterize to get ready for our Memorial Day trip and noticed some small mice turds on our bed and book rack at the head of the bed. Thought to myself, no way, these are not mice droppings...



Saw some more in the bathroom sink and kitchen sink and on the girls beds in the bunkhouse...



Started to panic... removed the panel to turn the valve on the water heater and found a jackpot of droppings...



Go to the store, buy "old school" traps, new style adhesive traps and D-Con. Bought a can of spray foam to seal all all of the drain and water openings in the floor...



Set all the traps tonight with chocolate peanut butter (nutella), but didn't do the D-Con yet.



Removed all the silverware, pots/pans and kitchen utensils to wash in the dishwasher. Will remove all of the bedding later this weekend if I catch some of the suckers.



Will get to the spray foam tomorrow.



I am so upset... I know its not the storage facilities fault, but they should have traps in the building. I may talk to them later. Maybe some of the people that store their units there left food in their RVs. I have never had this problem before and its very annoying...



If anyone has any suggestions to rid the place of mice and also what can be done to prevent them when in storage, please let me know.



Thanks,

Louis

 

[duckcarvr]

i got mice in my rig once so i know the feeling. any time i leave it unoccupied i put decon in about four places a long the walls. i have seen indications that they have ate some of the decon but have not had dropins nor have i found a dead mouse. decon makes them want water, since there is no source in the rig they go out side to find some and die. robert

 

[HBarlow]

Check your plumbing and wiring. A fellow TDR member told a story a year or two ago about his late model Holiday Rambler fifth wheel that was mice infested. His insurance company declared it a total loss. The plumbing and wiring was destroyed.

I don't see how you could expect your storage facility owner/manager to be responsible and unless he is stupid, his contracts probably make it clear that he is not.

 

[TRLRTRSH]

If you own an RV it's only a matter of time before you get mice... . period. (Unless you only camp at Wally World) Use traps and Decon, sounds like you're doing the right things for counter-measures. Clean everything, inspect the wiring as HBarlow noted and go have fun

 

[LRutigliano]

Check your plumbing and wiring. A fellow TDR member told a story a year or two ago about his late model Holiday Rambler fifth wheel that was mice infested. His insurance company declared it a total loss. The plumbing and wiring was destroyed.



I don't see how you could expect your storage facility owner/manager to be responsible and unless he is stupid, his contracts probably make it clear that he is not. [/QUOTE]



Boy oh boy are we quick on the "take responsibility" bandwagon in our society...



I am not blaming the RV Storage facility or asking them to take responsibility, but its in my best interest and everyone else's at the storage facility to let him know he has a problem. He can decide to do something or not, but if he doesn't even know about, he can't put down traps or D-Con.



The manager is a super nice guy and I just want him to know about the problem because I would want to know if I owned the place.

 

[LRutigliano]

Went into the RV this morning and didn't find any dead mice... GOOD !



I checked all of the wiring and plumbing yesterday, no issues. They didn't even disturb the toilet paper or napkins.



I didn't know that D-Con makes them thirsty... very good to know. Thanks!



All of the eating utensils are in the dishwasher now and the bedding will get washed soon after I find no evidence of the critters being there...

 

[B.G. Smith]

I got a couple of voles in a trailer I had at the deer lease a few years back. Tried the small traps and the stickum stuff , cought one in the stickum but the traps wouldn't hold em. Had to get a rat trap. I know peanut butter is supposed to be good but I have never had any luck with it, I use white litebread. Also had a few of the big roaches one time and they left droppings that looked very much like mice droppings. bg

 

[bheiting]

Somebody at work suggested spreading those scented dryer conditioner sheets
around in the RV. Evidently the mice can't stand the smell. Either they work
or I've been lucky, no sign of rodents so far. Any one else try this?

 

[MFranz]

After an episode of the pesky Varmints we tried using the sticky traps which worked good. Caught a few mice and we were lucky enough to not have damage. We put two plug in Electronic units that are supposed to repel mice,

So far no more mice. We also don't put our rear jacks down when were not using the unit. Thought thats how they gained entry.



Good Luck

Mike

 

[Grizzly]

Louis, I would carefully gather samples of the droppings and have them analyzed for possible airborne disease. Wear a mask, long sleaves and gloves when gathering samples. Discard the mask and gloves when done and wash all your clothing. I don't mean to panic you, but I feel it's best to be cautious when you have your family in the trailer.

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Very good point Grizzly. I think you may be refering to the Hantavirus found in deer mice. I seem to remember if possible one should vaccum the droppings?

Louis, do you have deer mice in your area?, or confirmed cases of hantavirus sickness?

That alone it would seem to me, make the owner of the storage facility a little more receptive to rodent control in his facility. Heck for his own safety if anything else

 

[Grizzly]

Very good point Grizzly. I think you may be refering to the Hantavirus found in deer mice. I seem to remember if possible one should vaccum the droppings?

Louis, do you have deer mice in your area?, or confirmed cases of hantavirus sickness?

That alone it would seem to me, make the owner of the storage facility a little more receptive to rodent control in his facility. Heck for his own safety if anything else

That's exactly what I was thinking, but I didn't want to say the word, Huntavirus, for fear of starting a panic situation. Most likely it's not that, but just as a precautionary measure it's worth checking. I'm not sure of any problems in Oregon, but New Mexico had a bad problem with the virus in about 1993.

 

[Jumbo Jet]

I use D-con outside the RV - placed where only mice can get to it - and also a sonic pest device that is suppose to keep them away. So far, the D-con has not been disturbed and have not found any evidence of mice.

 

[CNolen]

DO NOT USE A VACCUM for cleanup. Just use a bleach solution in a spray bottle, spray the area and leave it for 20 min or so and come back spray again and wipe it up. I do not think there is any issues there that you need to worry about. If you are concerned about it that is a pretty sure fire way not to get the Huntavirus. The real concern is in the urine of the mice.

 

[surfbeetle]

I used the dryer sheets and also went and got the ultrasonic plug-ins that are supposed to keep the rodents out, I have three of them in the rig, one in each room. I do keep the trailer plugged in. Don't know if its the dryer sheets or the electric gizmos, but I haven't seen them yet this year.

 

[TRLRTRSH]

CNolen, You are correct, I should have done some quick searches before posting the vaccuming statement but I did use a ? None-the-less:





"If you live in an area where deer mice have been seen or could be present, it may be prudent and desirable to hire an experienced professional to control the mice. Proper precautions should be taken to minimize any possible health risk. Remember, the risk of actually encountering hantavirus-infected deer mice is very remote, but taking the following steps can minimize any potential risk:



Never sweep or vacuum mouse droppings and dust or debris in mouse activity areas. Wear a respirator equipped with a High Efficiency Purifying Air (HEPA) filter as well as unvented protective goggles, and impermeable latex or rubber gloves.

Soak mouse droppings and dusty areas with an EPA-registered disinfectant then wipe up with paper towels. Place the soiled towels in a sealed plastic bag and dispose in an outdoor trash receptacle.

Clean protective equipment with the EPA-registered disinfectant, then again with soap and water, and allow to air dry before the next use.

Spray dead deer mice with EPA-registered disinfectant before disposal. Handle traps wearing protective latex or rubber gloves and a HEPA-equipped respirator. Try to avoid touching or handling the carcass. Dispose of the carcass in a sealed plastic bag in an outdoor trash receptacle. "

 

[jeepit]

I use dyer sheets and also shaved bars of Irish Spring on the barn floor and it appears to have worked for me the past few years.

 

[McCRam]

When you are plugging holes in your rv. Stuff steel wool in there before you spray in the foam. Mice will go through foam pretty quick. The steel wool will stop them.

 

[Grizzly]

What I don't understand is how rodents ever get into an RV in the first place. All the RV's I've had were sealed very well and I've never had signs of any such activity. We do have rodents around the property since we live away from the city where there are horses and other farm animals.



I've used the steel wool trick successfully around my house and barn as McCRam mentioned. Best solution is d-Con bait pellets.