How To Keep Mice Out Of Camper In Five Simple Steps - Get camping wild

Rodent infestation is probably the second most damaging thing that can happen to your camper after a water leak. A highly unpleasant situation is created that can simply ruin your entire trip. Mice can not only chew on any electrical wires causing failures but they leave behind a huge while they’re at it. A whole lot of mess is created which is quite difficult to clean afterwards. Not to mention the frantic behaviour of women after finding mice on site.

Recalling my first summer, I distinctly remember opening my RV up and finding mice droppings everywhere. It took me a lot of time to get the camper cleaned up. That was the first time I wondered about ways in which I could avoid this mice situation in the camper.

Since then I have paid close attention to anyone handles mice issues with their unique solutions. In my opinion, there are a few effective ways but not a singular magical solution for mice. There are certain methods that work really well for one person but not as effectively for another.

You can trial and test these five simple methods to relieve yourself from this issue. Whichever, method works best for your personalized situation; you can stick with that one. Here are five simple tips and tricks that can help you battle these furry camp wreckers for good

The very first step requires you to detect the problem at hand. You need to find the holes first. The sooner you detect the problem; easier it will be for you to solve the issue.

After finding mice in your camper, you need to instantly look for hole in your camper. Don’t just over look things as these holes can be surprisingly small. You will really have to scan through the entire place. Keep in mind that mice have the ability to fit through any dime sized hole that can lead them outside your RV. The best time to check for holes is during the day. Broad daylight will allow you great advantage and it’s unlikely for you to miss out on any.

· Start by opening up the cabinets. Pay special focus on the drawers.

· Look for any light coming from outside.

· It’s highly important for you to check the floor runners along with the dash area as well.

· If you find any light shining through, you will have to secure those areas.

· In the case of larger holes, you can make use of wire mesh (thinly laced) to prevent the mice from entering.

· In the case of smaller holes that a mouse simply cannot fit in, don’t ignore them as these can be made into larger ones. You have to secure these anyway as well. Mice can be quite crafty in creating holes. You can make use of foam or caulk for sealing the hole easily.

During the process of finding holes, the regular openings to going outside should have some temporary blockage as well. This includes your water lines and sewer lines. This will help keep mice along with any other critter from entering through these areas.

2. Peppermint/Mothballs

In a worsened case, where you simply cannot secure the holes, it’s highly important for you to ensure a horrible environment for the little invaders after they enter inside. Using peppermint oil along with mothballs are conventional methods used by campers to keep mice out. You can try both out to determine which works best for you.

In my opinion, mothballs are fairly effective. I had relatively fewer mice compared to what I’d normally have to face. However, I noticed a few mice had found their way into the camper.

On the other hand, peppermint oil appears to be the best yet in terms of keeping most rodents out. Peppermint oil is known for scaring these rodents away. However, most people confuse peppermint oil with peppermint extract. Peppermint extract is only used for cooking patties and ice cream while peppermint oil can be found at food stores in the section for essential oils.

Making sure you have the type of peppermint is critical for keeping mice out of the camper.

3. Use a Trap Outside

Many people living in motor-homes appear to use a five gallon bucket trap for mice outside their campers. The basic function of the five gallon bucket is to attract the rodents prior to getting inside the camper.

You can set up a bucket trap of 5-gallon. You are needed to drill holes at both sides of 5-gallon bucket. Make sure the hoes are big enough for placing a PVC pipe straight through. Moreover, the holes should have enough space for the pipe to rotate. At the bottom, you can place the bait for the mice. For the bait, you can make use of something cheap such as peanut butter.

Make sure to frequently check on the bucket for mice. If you find many mice in one trap then you can start using more traps outside the camper.

4. Keep Food Out

Having food inside your camper is an open invitation for mice. You need to make sure that there is no food stored in any of the cabinets before securing the camper for winter.

The next thing you are required to do is to clean all the areas of your camper. You need to look for any crack or crevice to ensure that there is no food debris left behind. This is critical in the case of small children on board. Kids are likely to hide their food in odd places.

5. Place Traps Inside

Human Mouse Trap Via /www.amazon.com

Placing the traps inside the camper is probably the last step for you to do. People generally dislike doing this as you have to clean the traps up afterward

If you’re looking to avoid cleaning dead mice up then you can make use of live traps. In the case of live traps, you will have to frequently check up on the traps so that you can avoid killing the mice.

These live traps are also referred to as “humane” mousetraps. These are effective as they allow mice to enter but don’t have any room for them to leave. The only problem you might face is finding something to do with the live mice as there is a huge chance of them coming back in once you let them outside.

6.Other possible options

Via www.amazon.com

Other possible options include using D-con (chemical poison for rodents) or ultrasonic repellent made specifically for rodents. Personally, these are not the best options out there and appear to have little impact on the rodents but you can give them a try.

These methods are trial and tested for keeping mice out of the camper. Finding the holes and covering them up initially has been my personal favourite.

Have you tried any of these? Which one has worked most effectively, in your opinion? Do you have any new ways to keeping mice out of the camper? Don’t hesitate to share. Happy Camping!