A mouse again (Not Mickey!)

[Maggie at the Fort]

I am so frustrated. We pulled out our pop up today to do some prep for our trip in three weeks and found more mouse damage. We thought we had sealed up every crack but in the cold weather the glue holding the gasket on gave up and left a new gap.

We have had to patch canvas or screen before every trip lately. For background, we live on 90 acres and normally keep our pop up parked in a large empty barn. We have mouse traps and a farm cat who catches rodents daily but field mice are apparently plentiful.

Going to be sewing one more patch in canvas and one of the screens has a bunch of holes. We might be dealing with that later. Any new tricks to try? We will be leaving the camper in the driveway between now and the trip so that should prevent new problems this month!

Trying to remember that this is a small thing and in 3 weeks, we will be settled in our spot at the Fort, but it has me in such a funk today.

 

[tiggerdad]

A chicken snake...

I'm not kidding...

True story...

Dad had a popup when we were kids and two years in a row we had mouse damage. Third year we pulled it out and let it up and discovered the 5 foot long mousetrap curled up under the table, and ya know what? No mouse damage...

Dad said it had earned its keep and could stay. So instead of killing it he gently got it out and put it in the back of the shed.

 

[chartle]

I've read moth balls.

 

[2goofycampers]

We keep mouse traps set inside our barn and try to catch them before they get in. So far only 1 in 9 years made it through. He loved the toilet paper!

 

[jamescorey]

We keep mouse traps set inside our barn and try to catch them before they get in. So far only 1 in 9 years made it through. He loved the toilet paper!

Take Irish Spring Soap and shave it into small crumbles with a cheese grater. Store it in a container with a breathable top, like a cool whip bowl with slits or holes cut in the lid. They HATE the smell and will stay out. Plus, it makes the camper smell good!

 

[2goofycampers]

Take Irish Spring Soap and shave it into small crumbles with a cheese grater. Store it in a container with a breathable top, like a cool whip bowl with slits or holes cut in the lid. They HATE the smell and will stay out. Plus, it makes the camper smell good!

I'll try that.

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

My friend had mice get in his fifthwheel. He put a bunch of dryer sheets out all over the place. Mice don't like the scent, he claimed it worked.

 

[tina.tina]

Poison may not be the best for the environment but I have a horrible phobia. Get good stuff and they'll die before they do any more damage.

 

[Maggie at the Fort]

A chicken snake...
Third year we pulled it out and let it up and discovered the 5 foot long mousetrap curled up under the table, and ya know what? No mouse damage...

We had a snake and a mouse last year. The snake made a horrid mess on the cushions. Your dad's must have been a potty trained snake!

We keep mouse traps set inside our barn and try to catch them before they get in. So far only 1 in 9 years made it through. He loved the toilet paper!

We have mouse traps. They are much more effective now that we have better bait. Bought some bait at a pest control place and it really works! Doesn't seem to be enough though!

I've read moth balls.

Take Irish Spring Soap and shave it into small crumbles with a cheese grater. Store it in a container with a breathable top, like a cool whip bowl with slits or holes cut in the lid. They HATE the smell and will stay out. Plus, it makes the camper smell good!

My friend had mice get in his fifthwheel. He put a bunch of dryer sheets out all over the place. Mice don't like the scent, he claimed it worked.

Might have to try something stinky (to mice at least)!

Poison may not be the best for the environment but I have a horrible phobia. Get good stuff and they'll die before they do any more damage.

We are hesitant to do poison because we don't want to end up poisoning our cat! He does catch a lot of mice and I am not sure how that stuff transfers,

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. With some clean out and another canvas patch sewn on we are good to go for the Fort in a few weeks. We will be the ones there with the pop up that is starting to look like a patchwork quilt.

 

[PaHunter]

we use pure peppermint oil, not the food grade stuff that is very weak. It is a bit expensive but we soak cotton pads with it and the mice stay away. It burns their nasal passages when they breathe, so they leave but doesn't hurt them. Just a thought on what has worked for us.

 

[jamescorey]

we use pure peppermint oil, not the food grade stuff that is very weak. It is a bit expensive but we soak cotton pads with it and the mice stay away. It burns their nasal passages when they breathe, so they leave but doesn't hurt them. Just a thought on what has worked for us.

I too have tried this in some of my rental properties. I put the essential oil in a spray bottle diluted with water and spray the baseboards, under the sink, and other areas that mice like to frequent. It works well, and opens up the sinuses! I have also poured some in my wife's steam mop when she mops our kitchen. The vaporized peppermint makes the house smell Christmas-y!