MICE -- YUCK! - Montana Owners Club

Les and Julie · 11-10-2005, 04:19 AM

We need help getting rid of some unwanted visitors. Mice have been making their presence know in our Monty for the past few months. We have gone underneath and sealed all holes, keep all our food in sealed plastic containers, have used regular mouse traps, sticky mouse traps and the new Decon traps (where the mouse gets trapped inside) and have caught a couple but there are MORE!!!!!!!!We keep finding evidence that they are still here. Now we think we hear them scurrying around in the ceiling --- is this possible or are we getting paranoid???? Have tried searching this forum but cannot seem to find anything. Anyone have any ideas on how we can evict these critters???????

Trailer Trash 2 · 11-10-2005, 04:58 AM

1 st choice: CAT !!! Yummy next is traps, then D-Con
TT2

rickety · 11-10-2005, 07:33 AM

Phyllis and I had the same problem last year right after we got the Monty. We put mouse poison in the living section and also in the basement. We also put it down in the heat vents at living room and bedroom ends. Found the mice were coming from outside, through the basement and into the living area, how I don't know, but I have since sealed everyting that even looked like it could house a mouse and so far we have been lucky, no more meeces!!! Mice will eat the poison and return to their living quarters, hopefully outside somewhere. look in the basement for chewed up paper etc, in the most unlikely places. Furnace housing, under the tub, under sinks, under the bed portion where the slide mchanism is, and so on. Hope this helps

FredG · 11-10-2005, 07:44 AM

We had red squillels get in on our old trailer through the a/c unit on the roof. Chewed through all of the AC vents and made a nest under the kitchen drawers. Luckily, they left in the spring, but we did find the opening they used was around the A/C cowling.
When we saw a squirrel in the Montana this past spring, we just leg the dogs in and scare them out of the RV.

In your situation, I would say D-Con, put some in the basement, under the drawers, under the bed, in the closet and whereven you see their signs.

Fred

OntMont · 11-10-2005, 10:22 AM

Hi Les and Julie,

We had mice in our old Prowler one winter. They did a lot of damage eating wire insulation and upholstery. We are a bit paranoid now. Whenver we leave the trailer unattended, we put out mouse bait. The green waxy stuff seems to work best and be least messy. In the Prowler the main access point seemed to be through the plumbing hole in the floor under the shower. Once inside, they can follow utility lines to get access to almost anywhere in the trailer including the ceiling.

We put bait anywhere there is an opening to the basement, including behind the electrical panel. As well as under drawers, sofa, recliners, etc. We put the blocks on disposable plates to contain any mess and make them easier to find later. Obviously you need to take precautions to protect any children or pets who may enter the trailer. Dead mice in the trailer are not nice, but they are a lot better than living ones.

Good luck!

DHenry · 11-10-2005, 01:08 PM

Another vote for D-Con

Montana Sky · 11-10-2005, 03:21 PM

I had mice get into my coach this summer for the first time. Yes they will get into the ceiling and run the races across it. Heard it two nights in a row, put out decon under the coach along with the little green squares of poision they carry back to the nest. Also used peanut butter on regular mouse traps and caught 4 of them. I found they were coming in between the underbelly and frame along my kitchen and tv slides. Had dealership close this area up, seems to have gotten rid of them. I put out decon boxes of poision around the tires in the garage for winter-just in case. Also put bounce in every cabinet, drawer, under sofa, under bed and in closet. Read somewhere online mice hate the smell of bounce. Made the coach smell nice. =)

Just148 · 11-11-2005, 02:17 AM

Use hot sauce mix with water in a spray bottle then spray it around the lower walls in your unit. Mice do not like the smell and would not try to enter the area.

sreigle · 11-11-2005, 05:40 AM

I recently found an opening into the belly that I previously did not know about. And it would be very accessible to mice. In the front locker behind the battery is a hole roughly four or five inches in diameter. The hoses for the slide mechanism go through that opening but don't come close to filling it. I don't know if yours is the same as ours but, if so, it might be worth a try to plug that hole.

smc · 11-11-2005, 11:11 AM

Peanut butter in traps works well. If you have the island type counter, take the drawers out and check underneath. We found a 3" hole, looked like they had drilled a plumbing hole in the wrong place. Also, take off the air intake for the furnace, and check around the pipes that go to the basement. We put duct tape around all of them. Our kitchen slide had a space we could put a hand through, so we tinned that and anywhere else we could see light. Since we did this we haven't had any of the critters, and we were parked in pretty close to a field for 2 monthes. Good luck, they are destructive little darlings.

Les and Julie · 11-11-2005, 03:38 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions - we are going to try them all!!! Have to be careful with the Decon as we do have Alex (our Border Collie/Lab) to think about but we will use it carefully in spaces where he cannot possibly get too. Will keep you posted on our "hunt". I am determined to get these critters. Julie

BigBlue · 11-11-2005, 06:05 PM

We had mice awhile back and tried all the various remidies. Bounce sheets, sticky traps, moth balls, ultrasonic tranmitter, and traps. Caught three of them with traps baited with cheese. We found on a website the suggestion to use Peppermint oil. Seems the mice don't like the smell. We saturated cotton balls and placed them in the cabinets under the drawers and near any openings through the floor. We haven't seen any mice since.

drhowell · 11-12-2005, 03:51 AM

Once upon a time, many years ago. I had a 1974 Class A that didn't get used a lot. Usually found some mice tracks when getting it ready to go so I would do the De con thing and scrub and clean it extra thoroughly before heading out. So the first night and the wife and I are sound asleep. Actually I don't sleep that sound and I had this feeling that something had just ran across my legs. I laid there a few minutes wide awake looking around in the moonlight and caught a flash of something small running along under the window sill. Then across the blankets up from my feet toward my chest. I made a big swiping motion threw the covers,woke the wife and when she asked what was wrong. My reply was, Oh nothing just a bad dream, go back to sleep. I spent the next two hours with my flashlight on mouse watch as she slept. Never did see that little critter again. Pretty sure I sent him the length of the motorhome with my swipe. I did spend quite a bit of time the next few days checking out phantom problems (mouse hunting). Never did tell her about our early morning visitor. She would never have slept in any RV again.

Sweetfire · 11-21-2005, 07:55 PM

Les,
Be careful with the Decon if you have a pet. I think one of the characteristics of Decon is it makes the rodent seek water after ingesting the poison. The mice can eat the poison leave the trailer and die out where your pet may find it. There are other quick acting poisons you can use, they can be placed in a net bag, or directly inserted into a short length of PVC pipe and held in place with one or two nails slipped thru holes drilled in the pipe. Rodent eats bait, dies quick in pipe, pets can't get to dead critter or poison, dump rodent out of pipe into trash, or plastic bag first, no need to touch ickie critter. Check with your local county/province ag agent they can be a big help.

Wrenchtraveller · 11-22-2005, 02:00 AM

What about those little electronic gizmos that give off a sound that rodents hate. Do they work?

Thunderman · 11-22-2005, 04:08 AM

We did the following:
1. Put wire mesh around the rear stabilizers
2. Used spray foam to seal all area around the belly. Pay attention to the area where spring brackets are attached to frame.
3. Put wire mesh/steel wool inside the propane area (both sides)to prevent entry in to front storage area.
4. Put steel wool in storage area where the hydraulic lines enter the coach.
5. Put steel wool/wire mesh in the basement area where the plumbing
lines enter the coach.
6. Put steel wool under cabinet where the water lines enter and connect to water pump.
7. Used trusty old fashioned mouse trap with peanut butter prior to the above.

So far this year we have not had a problem...but then we have only had cold weather, 32 or so a couple of times.
Keeping our fingers crossed!

Weldon

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