From editor Chuck Woodbury
We received this letter the other day and figured it was a good launching point for a discussion about how to keep mice (and other rodents) out of your RV. This becomes important this time of year when many of us are putting our RVs into storage for the season.
Here is the letter, from reader Al Hubbard. He wrote:
I am looking to put away the camper for the season and the subject of mice comes up. Is it possible, using aluminum tape and canned foam, like Great Stuff, to seal the underside of a camper to the point where mice aren’t an issue? Further, is there a reason to not do that, assuming it is possible? I suppose efforts to make repairs might be inconvenienced, but that’s all I can think of. Will the foam keep them out, or just slow their entry a bit?
We purchased some ultrasonic gadgets that are supposed to repel everything but Covid-19. Anyone know anything about them? There was no documentation with them, and no obvious way, other than a blue light, to tell if they are even alive, much less producing a signal. Made in China specials.
Do you have advice for Al? Can you recommend a technique that worked for you? And if you think that putting Bounce dryer sheets, moth balls or Irish Spring soap in the RV to repel the rodents is the way to go, you might want to watch three short hidden camera videos where the truth is revealed. Just click the links in this paragraph to view each one.
But for now, please leave a comment below about techniques that have worked for you. Have you tried Lion Pee? We’ll report back next week with your recommendations.
##RVT972
We have tried dryer sheets and Fresh Cab but that didn’t stop the mice from entering the trailer. We pulled down the basement cover and looked for spots they can enter and plugged with foam and or steel wool. We tried the ultrasonic this summer, didn’t work. We have been using plastic traps with a ramp, a ‘bucket’ filled with water in summer and RV antifreeze through the winter, and peanut butter on the stopper. Since we can’t keep them out, we trap them in the two traps in the camper. That has worked to catch them and we have had no damage in or under the camper.
For some people, trapping is not a good option if they don’t have access to the RV to remove dead mice. Our daughter uses peppermint oil soaked into cotton ball spread around the RV. We did that this year, as this is the first year we are not going to Florida due to the border being closed. Our daughter has never had a mouse in the RV. You should remove all food items and also wooden spoons as mice will chew them.
We had a mouse get in when TT was in for warranty work. They had bottom off the RV. We purchased the electronic devices and put Fresh Cab packages throughout TT. No more mice. I have 4 of the devices in RV.
I’ve tried traps, poison bait, Great Stuff (mice can get through holes the size smaller than a dime). So… I bought an ultrasonic device that seems to help. It also is supposed to help keep out insects and spiders, an added bonus. So far, so good 🙂
I’m not sure there is a perfect solution. The best advise seems to be blocking all the entry points if you can find them. If you wanted to get serious about this, find a shop that has a Sealtech machine and use it to find all the openings and seal them up.
We’ve just been using Fresh Cab and adding new Fresh Cab every month while in storage. Sometimes Fresh Cab is not available and we use cotton balls in a small bowl soaked with essence of peppermint oil. But the peppermint doesn’t seem to last as long as Fresh Cab.
In eight years we haven’t had mice problems in storage. But, we still get mice sometimes while we are living in our RV. We follow the advice we received from seasoned RVers and immediately put out old fashioned spring traps baited with peanut butter. The mice are gone within a few days or maybe one week.
There is a repellent product named Fresh Cab.
We place the little packets everywhere in the motor home, cars, and house. Does a fabulous job.
All it did for me was add another mouse nest resource. They made a nest in it.
This looks promising: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNaNGH_hnEE
The same website (YouTube channel) you mention in the article also has a video demonstrating that Peppermint oil works. There are many different products for repelling rodents with peppermint oil on Amazon.
Take EVERYTHING food related out of the RV. Remove any paper products (nesting material). Pack cloth/fabric items (linens, towels, blankets, bedspreads, etc) in totes with very tight lids. Leave mouse poison (D-Con, Tomcat) bait traps in corners and areas along walls.
I also remove any silicone items like basting brushes and spatulas as they have been damaged in the past.
When I took the new unit in for a list of warranty repairs, I asked them to inspect not only the roof, but the underside, and seal any openings, and there were two right at the base of the stairs. Also there was some space around where the furnace intake met the wall of the coach, they sealed that. And put a ‘wasp screen’ over the furnace exhaust.
I’m still concerned about the critters coming in thru the cab/motor but I knew the RV folks would consider that the automaker’s problem.
After our cat alerted us and assisted in catching two mice over three nights, we began mouse proofing. We used spray foam around furnace ducts where we could get to them, and any other openings.
Glue traps (we are fulltime and present).
Fresh Cab in engine and all compartments. The listed ingredient on Fresh Cab is Balsam Fir. Bought some oil and use it to refresh the packets every couple of months.
I tried everything. Nothing worked. There are videos showing tests with fresh cab,dryer sheets etc. After fighting with the problem for years. The only way is to keep them out,not just repel them. After probably 3years of looking I found that the tubes holding my slide were hollow and mice were somehow crawling,probably upside down into the tube. Into the covered underneath.When I covered the ends of the tube,no more mice. ever. I also had sticky traps around the wheels. Just in case.
I have a 22 ft motorhome. Thankfully I have never had mice in the “home” part of my rig, but I have had several mouse “condo’s” built on top of the manifold of the chassis. I use TomCat Mouse Killer bait boxes which I leave on a flat area under the hood of my rig. They eat away at it, and I haven’t had any problems since then. https://www.tomcatbrand.com/en-us/products/mouse-baits
I also put Peppermint Oil (an essential oil, not flavoring) on little round cotton pads that are dispersed throughout the “home” part of my rig, and as I said, I have never seen any evidence of mice in my rig.
Don’t waste your time with Irish Spring soap – my mice loved its taste! 🙂
I use flashing white LED’s for rodents. I mount them under the RV and under the hood of the truck and car.
Haven’t had any chipmunk or mice problems since installing them. Very little current draw so no problem with running them all the time.
I don’t even try to keep them out. I have a couple spring traps baited with peanut butter that will catch them once inside.
Yes, our exterminator placed the traps. Caught two huge rats immediately in the RV, then placed peppermint oil on cotton balls. Haven’t seen another one since. Field rats have got into our vehicles chewed wires and costly repairs have happened. Ongoing problem in our rural area.
I prefer to fill holes with those brass or stainless steel pot scrubbers. You can follow up with foam. I also take a metal cookie tin, drill some 3/4″ holes in the sides then put mouse poison blocks in it. Put lid on tight, secure with screws or duct tape and place this beneath the RV.
A good friend advised me yesterday to use a DAP product: Touch’n Foam Mouse Shield. It seals up openings and has a poison to kill the critters when they chew into it seeking a path into your RV. According to my friend it is available at Home Depot.
For the past 3 years I have used oil of peppermint-soaked cotton balls. I make little aluminum foil trays and soak three cotton balls for each tray with oil of peppermint I get from Walmart or the drug store (in the essential oils section). I renew it once in the middle of the storage period. I have had not one single instance so far of any rodent hanging out in the RV. It smells pretty intense, but nice, when you first open it up in the spring; but it dissipates quickly.
Been doing the same thing for 10+ years after finding rats in the basement of our Mountain Aire. After cleanup I started using pure peppermint oil on cotton balls like you say and have not had any problems since. Am currently using the same thing in our Leisure Travel.
I travel with two cats. Never had a mouse problem.
I went straight to poison and sealed the “entrance” locations the vermin use to enter. The use of steel wool will be necessary to further isolate the vermin that have made it inside with the use of poison. Outside of the rig aluminum tape is a good product to use as long as the area around the hole is flat and clean and the vermin can’t stand and chew through, as in the hole is high enough to jump through but to high to stand and chew. Steel wool can be used in half inch or smaller gaps with black Gorilla tape to cover the material. And lastly, I’ve used RV roof repair tape for the holes where the slide rails enter the underside of the coach or trailer. Just cut the tape in short pieces and place all the way around the hole for the guide rails, right up against the rails. It won’t hurt the rails and the tape glue is so strong that once a mouse sinks its dirty little fangs into it, it will never attempt it again. Be creative. And, like us, be mouse free.
I found a shot gun works wonders at killing them when you see them. The downside is all the holes left from blasting the little buggers.🤷♂️
In other words nope.
But thanks to the comments going to try the pepermint thing.
Our solution is likely not for everyone, but it has worked. Because of the pandemic, when we returned to our home in May (after a winter in Arizona), I cleaned the entire coach. Everything that was not glued, screwed, or nailed down was taken out and cleaned, then stashed in our guestroom. I removed shelf liners and cleaned the inside of every cabinet; vacuumed the carpet, even under the sofa. Hubby emptied the basements and I cleaned the plastic bins which had been stored there and their contents. After checking in late July, no mice. There were a few miller moths that had expired, but that was it. As the weather got a bit chillier this fall, I checked several times. No mice. This was the first year ever that I did not find small mouse droppings in the coach. Lots of work, but worth it!
We have had a foam insulation specialist spray the underneath of our 5th wheel and now our Class C with foam insulation. The 5th wheel has had it underneath for now over 20 years and no problems. Prior to that we did have mouse problems and were trying all the Bounce dryer sheets, Irish Spring soap, mint spray and the ultrasonic gadget mentioned, but through time, the mice seemed to get used to all of these.
We have also now had it sprayed underneath our Class C. Well worth it.
Interested to hear more about this as I’m really tired of all the mint balls that have to be replaced very frequently. I think our mice are getting used to mint.
Is this a home foam insulation company? One that would also spray under an RV?
Two summers ago we were volunteering at a northern Idaho State park where our coach was located at the edge of the forest. Lots of critters of all types roamed the area. We noticed that most of the other volunteers had strings of LED rope lights on the ground looping completely around their rigs and were told that the mice etc won’t cross the rope light. We bought a 100′ long rope light, looped it around our coach on the ground and plugged it into a dusk to dawn timer. In the 3 months we were there we did not have any intrusions into our coach. A friend has been getting mice into his coach that’s stored next to his house and I told him about the rope light trick. He ran the rope lights on the ground around his coach and has not had a mouse intrusion since.
We have found blue light ropes work best.
We don’t have RV but I noticed rats and mice using the middle and top boards of my backyard fence as a highway, I put a camera to watch their activities after dark and there was a lots of crossing.
I sprayed a mix of peppermint and water in the area they were frequently passing and haven’t seen any activity for weeks.
Tried Irish Spring shavings, cotton balls dipped in essential oils, dryer sheets, and moth balls; none worked. We now have 2 of the ultrasonic things, — one on each side of the RV — strings of LED lights wrapped around the edge of the RV on a timer, and glue boards inside the RV and the storage bays. We also put everything normally in lower cabinets when we travel into storage bins, the upper cabinets, or the shower between trips. This combination of things seems to largely work — little to no mouse pee or poop inside and the odd dead mouse found on a glue board in a storage bay. I also keep the grass surrounding our RV barn closely mowed to discourage field mice from setting up house near the RV.
Used steel wool and foam sealer on every hole we could find. Even cut holes to get under cabinets that did not have access. We have never found any signs of mice in our TT.
What works best for us is peppermint oil, but not essence of peppermint. You can purchase it at GNC or Vitamin World. Place a few drops on a cotton ball, then place the cotton ball in a sandwich baggie so the oil doesn’t stain the surface it is placed on, leaving the baggie open. Place them all around in cabinets, drawers, and don’t forget your basement and engine compartment.
In 12 years of RVing, we only have had a mouse once; we forgot to use the peppermint oil.
We are fortunate to be able to keep our RV in our yard where it is under a carport and plugged into electricity. Since we have monthly pest control, I have the technician spray in and around the RV as well as our house and outbuildings. 10 years ago, we had a TT parked at a farm that we own. Mice were a constant issue and I tried all of the recommended remedies (e.g. mothballs, dryer sheets, Irish Spring soap), to no avail. Finally, I had a pest control expert come out to help. We waited until dark and I got under the TT while he went though it thoroughly with a high beam flashlight. We took the covers off of everything and everywhere I saw light, even a pinprick, we sprayed with the pest resistance Great Stuff foam and pushed steel wool in with pencils and toothpicks. We finished up with clear caulk along all gaps in the cabinets and in the bathroom. The TT stayed there for several more years and we never saw another mouse or any kind of pest. It was an intense intervention.
I have read in a form that to keep mice out of your Rv, any wheels or landing gear that touches the ground, surround the wheels and landing gear with tall sheet metal. Like 8” tall so the mice can’t climb up your tire or landing gear to get up into your trailer. They can’t climb up the sheet metal to get up on the tires. I haven’t used it yet for storage of my Rv, but it sounds like it would keep the mice out.
I live in a Northern Lite 2-piece fiberglass truck camper. No unwinged pests so far. Is this the norm for TCs?
I have placed a battery-powered P3 P7930 Vibratech Mole & Gopher Chaser in my MH with good success. This model has a motor in it that creates high frequency thumps for 10 -15 seconds every 90 to 180 seconds. The frequency and the randomness is something the rodents don’t like and cannot get accustomed to. The sound also grates on me, so I only use Vibratech when the MH is in storage. I put it in a place where the sound can resonate through frame and/or the internal structure or both. Depending on the size and noise isolation, you may need more than one Vibratech.
I told a friend of mine who was having mice problems in their MH and they tried it with great success.
Also, you need the PS that has the motor not the ultrasonic model. The Ultrasonic doesn’t travel though the frame and framing as well as the thumping.
Peppermint oil has kept the mice away in our MH. I took a small round “cleaned” butter cup container and cut them down to 1” deep. They each hold two cotton balls that are placed under kitchen (2) and (1) bath sinks. One each under driver & passenger foot rest area & a couple in living areas. The least costly way to buy the oil is a 3 oz $25 bottle from Amazon. They have to be refreshed once a month. Line them up on the kitchen counter, hold each ball to the top of bottle & turn upside down 2X. The cups store in a round plastic container along with the oil bottle for travel. Bottle of oil last me 2 years. Coach smells wonderful every time I check it.
We had a mouse one time early in our full timing. I learned to keep a cotton ball wet with essential peppermint oil on it in each bay. Refresh the cotton ball every 3 – 4 weeks. We also put a few cotton balls with the oil inside the coach as the smell is wonderful. Six years later NO more rodents. Also, the oil keeps out all bugs. Give this a try. Our coach is 42 feet long and NEVER again have we had a problem. I ordered my 16 oz bottle from Amazon. Best price. Enjoy!!
First keep them out. Don’t reach for the steel wool, it rusts creating another problem. Try copper mesh, Amazon has it. Mice can get thru the smallest openings or create their own.
We get Fresh Cab from tractor supply. We read where a lot of farmers use this in their barns. I assume it works because we had no rodent problems in places we previously did.
Prevention is hit or miss, and we’ve tried everything. We focus our efforts on catching them once they’ve breached the camper.
A 5 gallon bucket style trap with peanut butter bait and RV antifreeze typically yields excellent results. Google “bucket mouse trap” for ideas and options.
We store our RV beside our house. We also supply food and water for all the neighborhood stray cats. Maybe a coincidence but have not had a mouse problem in 15 years.
The place where I store my camper has stray cats and one day when I went to pick up my camper, there was a dead, half eaten rat underneath! Yay, cats!
I have tried different methods, they actually ate the Irish Spring soap so I tried a new approach: “Eliminate” attracting odors. We use non-scent laundry soap so I get a bucket of hot water and wipe down cabinets, counters and anywhere else I can. I also clean the floors and toilet with the non-scent soap mixture. I take out all storage items, clean and use a mild bleach solution on sewer parts and non-scent soap mix on fresh water items. I clean all storage areas with a non-scent mixture. Of course I made sure I sealed all bottom cracks as well as possible.
I believe eliminating attractants has been our best solution. So far so good.
I had an aweful problem with mice in my house in Atlanta! After trying everything including the nasty traps, I consulted a bug company. They wanted to do the same thing I did and set traps! Finally, I got packages of Decon 4 gon and placed them everywhere I found the mice! Then I made sure there was NO water inside for them to get at night, including the dog bowls. I prestigiously placed a bowl of water outside away from the house! Within a few weeks, the mice were gone! It worked!!! I was told the mice could die in the walls if you put out decon, but they were already dying in the walls, the basement etc. Decon was the only thing that got rid of them for good!
Best thing I have found is a dusk to dawn LED Spotlight under the trailer or Motor home. I have one under my Truck and car also . Mice and Rats are nocturnal creatures and they will avoid light like the plague. We live in the country and mice and rats were always a problem. I have been using this method for about 5 years with great success . It is all I use . Tried everything else.