Mice!! - Montana Owners Club

pchaas · 11-16-2005, 07:36 AM

I have a question, we are getting ready to park our RV in a new storage site, problem is, it is on grass in the country, ie, field mice. Any suggestions on how to keep them out of the camper.

Parrothead · 11-16-2005, 08:36 AM

Paul and Carol
Do a search on mice - a lot has been posted about how to prevent them and how to get rid of them. Steel wool in all open spaces (around pipes, etc.) does it and there are some new foam in a can that expands that works also. I used in steel wool in a mobile home I had around 30 years ago and it worked.
Happy trails....................

Chuck and Carol · 11-16-2005, 08:49 AM

We had a problem a couple of years ago. Now we use moth balls. Put some in an old knee high and put around the unit. Works great.

Carol

kdeiss · 11-16-2005, 01:57 PM

We left our camper at camp in Erie,Pa. this year for the first time.Ken had read here about moth balls and dryer sheets so we put mothballs all over under the camper(outside) and dryer sheets EVERYWHERE inside. If the mice hate the dryer sheets as bad as our dog did we will be in good shape. I also covered all upholstered furniture with old blankets and quilts so if we do get mice they won't be peeing and pooping on my furniture. I also put alot of decon out.

Montana_35 · 12-02-2005, 02:00 PM

If you use decon make sure there is no water available in the camper as they will die inside and the smell is hard to get out. I use a five gallon bucket trap outside near the wheels and get them before they go inside. They can't resist the peanut butter.

OntMont · 12-03-2005, 02:59 AM

Lots of good advice already given. Keeping them out is certainly the best way to go, but we always assume that they may get in, and leave bait (the green waxy cubes) in various likely places inside. We don't really want dead mice in our trailer, but we know from experience, live ones can be extremley destructive.

By the way, what is Decon?

Montana Sky · 12-03-2005, 09:03 AM

I think I had posted in a previous mice topic to use moth balls "under" the coach and bounce fabric sheets inside. I know I had read somewhere mice dont like the smell of either. I used both of these this summer after I found I had a mouse living in my coach. Took me 4 days to catch him, but he is gone and after dropping moth balls and placing bounce in every cabinet, drawer, under sofa and recliners, and in the closets I have not had any further problems. I also dropped the green bait along the tires and jack stands and sure enough they were gone the next day. The best part about the bounce is if you pick a fabric sheet that has a nice smell to it, your coach will soon have a wonderful smell as well. Just a thought, hope it solves the mice problems for me and the rest of you.

spinky · 12-31-2005, 05:23 AM

I am so upset. After reading about mice on here, we started thinking about where we have our trailer stored. It is at my sons house right next to a field. We went to the store and bought some decon and bounce sheets to put all over in the trailer.
As soon as we went inside I knew we were in trouble. There were mouse droppings everywhere. We put decon and bounce sheets everywhere. Today my husband is going over to move the decon out of the trailer and put it outside or in the basement. He is also going to put moth balls all around in the trailer. Then he is setting alot of traps.
We would move the trailer home but we got a couple inches of snow last night so we need to wait a couple days.

Thanks everyone posting about the mice problem or I might never have even given it much thought. Can't wait to get it home and get it cleaned up.

Les and Julie · 12-31-2005, 05:37 AM

Good luck --- I think we have evicted the mice from our Monty --- they came in even though we are living in the 5'ver full time! Les sealed up all the holes we could find (& there were several) and we continue to use the bounce sheets and decon traps. So far we have not seen any further evidence of mice.

Julie

Montana_1362 · 01-01-2006, 02:29 AM

After our 1st year of storage and catching dozens of mice in our monty, I set out bait traps all summer and fal prior to storage this winter. Our stick house is in the woods so there are lots of critters. I made these traps out of GlaD storage bins with a hole cut in the side for the mice to enter and with the stick type poison and cover on the container they can't haul the bait away and eat it in the container,this keeps out your dog or other critters and so far this winter no mice in monty!

kdeiss · 01-03-2006, 03:11 PM

Ken said that just posting a NO MICE ALLOWED sign would do the trick. HA!! That's what I get for marring a city boy.

VanMan · 01-04-2006, 07:15 AM

I sealed cracks and crevices on our previous TT with Combat Roach stuff in a tube like caulk. We had no problems with bugs or mice between that and the moth balls and the bounce. Lately we keep a couple of the glue traps in strategic places + bounce.

spinky · 01-04-2006, 07:59 AM

We brought our Monty home. So far we have caught three mice. Two in the trailer and one in the basement. Now comes the job of taking everything out and totally cleaning the inside. We don't think there are any more, but we will continue with the traps and bounce.

Hemlockusa · 01-07-2006, 02:16 PM

Hello all mice and Rat haters.... I think I have found the solution. I own and live on A 40 acre mobile home park. WE are in the country just outside of Topeka, Kansas (Yea the middle of No Where)!!!!) I have my Monty and have not had a problem with it at all, and it's parked right next to a hay field. I went to the hardware store (Lowe's - Home Depot) I purchased several feet of hardware cloth. Very Cheap. I secured it across the top of the tire's on both sides. If you look their are only three places the mice and (heaven forbid) RATs can gain axcess to our beloved Montana's. The front chicken legs. they can't climb metal.... the power cord and the tire's.... The power cord goes directly to the rear and fiberglass no hole there,... Just the wheels. So secure the hardware clothe over the top of the tire's, sheet metal is even better. extend it past the wheels on all sides. NO MICE!!!!!! I was afraid of poison because we have a little Bichon and sometime's she wanders. Check it out fellow Montana Owners... I thought about putting a PATENT on this Idea. But for the life of me, I would not know what to do with all the MONEY. Ha Ha Just watch Camper World will have hard wear cloth Mice Barriers in their next catalog.
Later John H (aka Hemlockusa) Mouse Free and living in Dreaded Kansas

Hemlockusa · 01-07-2006, 03:01 PM

BACK AGAIN - It's really bad how old minds just forget... I need to tell you to bend the hardware cloth or sheet metal down on the inside between the tire and shocks,and body frame... That way the little critters can't jump from the tire to the fram and get in between the frame and the lower body sheild or cover. Under mine there are gaps between the frame and the under cover. and that is just what the critters are looking for. OR SIT OUTSIDE WITH A BB GUN and a lot of ammunition. ho ho
I hope the additional instruction helps
Later John H (aka Hemlockusa) Condemed to Kansas

VanMan · 01-12-2006, 02:03 AM

Whatever you do, DON'T do this: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=34380

mfoss · 01-12-2006, 02:42 PM

Hemlockusa, I've never heard of hardware cloth--is that exactly what it is called? How is it sold, by the yard?? I would sure like to see a picture of your rig with this on the tires. If we got a mouse in the camper I'm afraid I would have to stay in a motel----------ridiculous but true!

Hemlockusa · 01-14-2006, 11:00 AM

Mfoss - Hardware cloth is actually a light weight wire screen 1/4" square. go to any hardware store and they will show you the stuff. It some's in rolls and is 2 -3 or 4 foot wide sometime's up to 6 feet wide. Very reasonable priced.

Hope this helps. John H (aka Hemlockusa) I would take a picture but don't know hope to put it in message section on this forum. sorry..

kdeiss · 01-24-2006, 02:19 PM

We stopped up at camp last weekend to check on Monty. This is her first winter away from home so we are concerned. We had a mouse nest in one drawer where I keep pot holders.They had torn up the potholders to make the nest. It appears they brought in food from outside.We are camped under alot of Red Oak trees and there were acorns in the drawer. No other signs of them though, so we threw out the nest and put d con instead in that spot. I sure hope it works.

tbhd · 01-25-2006, 08:40 AM

Just another suggestion, we've never tried them-----haven't needed to---- but we've been told that the electronic pest controlers work good also. I know some people who use them and claim they work. Keeps insects out also----so I'm told. They are available in plug in and battery operated.

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