Mice in the 5th wheel

[edandjudyz]

We have a 2006 Montana 5th wheel model 2955RL. During a recent 24 hour period we caught 4 mice inside. Slides were in and all doors and exterior cabinets were locked. Anyone have any idea of how they may be getting inside?????

[pineranch]

Not sure how, but try waterboarding them, I hear it works to get the bad guys to talk.
Try fresh cab.
Mike

[Ozz]

They climb up the wheels/tires, get under the under-cover and come up through the openings around the sink drains, heat ducting areas. Trap with peanut butter, they love that. Probably a nest there somewhere.
Sorry that is happening..

[drsmart]

Lots of openings in the underbelly and around the hydraulic shafts that move the slides. I used Gorilla tape to close anything I could find. Once in the belly, they have access where Ozz mentioned as well as the return air panels for the furnace, located at the steps leading up to the bedroom. I installed a screen behind these.
We've had none yet in our Mony but used peanut butter in traps when they got into our previous SOB. They do love it.

Dave

[Allen in MT]

I got into and under every cabinet that I could find and foamed and stuffed steel wool into every hole that had a pipe comming up thru the floor, even in the storage area behind wall where all the wiring and hoses are. that bottom wooden grate on the step leading to the bedroom I took it off and stapeled some mesh wire to the back side to beep them from getting in, tooks some sticky traps and put one inside and under the bottom drawer and also under shelf where the water heater bypass is. Had one for a week that was crawling up the wall where all the light switcher were and then across the ceiling over the bedroom. Every night about a little after 9 he would start making his trips, got a trap right under the switch pannel on the floor and got him. Yes it is frustrating and we are big fans of sticky traps.
good luck

[Rondo]

You didn't say whether you Monte is in storage of if you are long/fulltiming. In either case Mike has the idea. I first came up with the Fresh Cab about four years ago and the Monte at that time was wintered next to a tall grass pasture and parked on boards on a crushed rock drive. I put dryer sheets(new or used) around the inside along with the Fresh Cab and sprinkled mothballs or mothball crystals around the wheels and the front landing gear. Mice don't like mothballs! If you use steelwool DO NOT USE the fine grade stuff! This is a very dangerous item and can spontaneously ignite if there is any friction on it at all! If you stuff the holes with steelwool use the really course stuff! I keep sticky traps in the holes between the front storage compartment/s and the main body also. If the little critters want to come in that way they going to have to jump over it and I have one just inside the opening also. We had one of the little guys two summers ago while at the Central Plains Regional Rally and put out two traps with peanut butter on them and got him that night! I use it at both of the stick and bricks and also in the Monte if I have any problems! Keep us informed on your big game hunt!

[DQDick]

We used mothballs to keep the pack rats out of our car and truck. Just put them in panty hose and hang them where you need them. For the rig we use two bait traps I got at a farm supply store and bait from them. We put the bait stations between our tires with the openings on the inside. Worked really well.

[racerjoe]

we also have been using fresh cab for a few years now,and still use downy scented dryer sheets all over the inside. works pretty well. we still might see one or two while stored,but looks good. We tried pure peppermint on cotton balls which is supposed to work also. But I can tell you the mice we have in western NY apparently LIKE the smell of peppermint. When I opened up the basement doors the cotton balls were missing !!! they probably used it as an air freshener in their houses...

[Pokernose]

Hi Ed & Judy:

I think those little critters like our Montanna's! Anyhow, we got one in the ceiling just above our vanity in the bedroom (3150 model). He/she drove me crazy for two nights when I decided it wasn't a bird or a chippy. My husband was not one bit concerned, figures! I went out and bought 4 mouse traps, set them with peanut butter and got the little madam first night. She looked pretty round......! We got another just before we left for our winter campground. Bounce sheets work really well too. Now to get the old guy under the RV to fill in those gaps........one day soon! Wishing you good luck.

[sreigle]

Anywhere there's an opening they can get in. We even had a squirrel get in ours by climbing up through the opening around a rear atabilizer and again by a slide bar opening. She then went through the belly and through that hole in our 2003 Montana where the wires go from belly into the front locker. She then made a next and gave birth in the front locker. Me being unaware of her presence, was shocked when I opened the front locker. Here's what I saw shortly after that..

[DQDick]

I've even heard of a couple who lost a vent cover and thought it was no big deal. A squirrel fell in somehow and then the body managed to exit black tank (lucky) but managed to ball up and clog the stinky slinky. Not something you want to deal with. From my days as a Mayor I was familiar with this happening in stick houses (usually doesn't bother the home owner, but by the time they get to the sewer plant they get strained out and have lost all their fur during the trip. Not a fun sight). This was my first hearing about it in an RV, however.

[49merc]

So what is fresh cab?

[pineranch]

Bob,
Sent you a PM.
Mike

[fauch]

http://www.farmandfleet.com/products...g#.UM5gjDl0r0s

[racerjoe]

Go to amazon for fresh cab. found some cheaper there then from the company. It will give you all the info on the site.

[Rondo]

Bob-- Most any farm supply store handles Fresh Cab and I've even seen it at Wally World and some of the hardware stores such as ACE, Menards, Home Depot, Lowes and others. If you can't get it let me know and I'll be happy to pick some up for you and send it to you. I use it in the Monte year round and even around the house both in Omaha and at the farm.

[49merc]

Thank you all. Sounds like something worth trying. Decon works but dangerous to other animals so I will have to try it.

[Wild Horse]

our rig was stored for over a year. a month ago I opened it up to do the mods and get it ready. It was chilly out so i fired up the furnace. started smelling a bit, almost smoky...so, I shut the furnace down and started pulling it apart. Well, my little buddies decided to store 12 walnuts right on top of the burner plates !!!! took 4 glue boards and 3 days, but took all 5 of them little buggers.

[Rondo]

Bob-- The problem with Decon is that the little guy/gals eat the poison and head for other places in your unit. They then die and guess what-- they start to decay wherever they are and the smell is not pleasant at all. You can ask several of the members here about how dead animals smell when they give up the ghost within. There have been mice and squirrels all give up their lives within and it is not a pleasant thing to experience.

[RJI47]

I tried those electronic pulsators from HD or Lowes. $19 for 3 of them, but u do need to be plugged in to shore power for them to work. (or a gen) I've had them now for 2 years, and no signs of mice since. I bought 6 so I could spread them around, and even put one down in the basement. They seem to work really well.