Unwelcome visit by mice (1 Viewer)

[retep]

Our 'Van is stored at a farm nearby and has not been in use since October other than a fortnightly run out to charge the batteries. At the end of last week we had a good look round because my wife noticed a funny smell. We had left a carton of UHT milk and some fruit juices in the van and the mice had chewed in to them, the died up milk spillage being the cause of the smell. After a massive clean up, the only other damage was they had chewed half of the foam insulating cladding on the Truma boiler unit.

Has any one else had this problem? and any advice on deterrents would be welcome.

Peter

 

[Jim]

Its difficult to keep them out. Some have said that mothballs hung underneath when storing do the trick but I'm not sure. They won't stay if there is nothing to eat, problem is, there might be plenty to eat on the farm and they are using your van as a nice warm base.

Trapping them is the only way, buy half a dozen of those plactic traps, bait them with chocolate spread or peanut butter, don't hang around though, they can do a lot of damage and 2 become 10 become 100 very quickly

 

[DandG5515]

You've scared me now, never thought that mice might get into MH :Sad:

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[ips]

Father in law owns / runs a storage facility and this has happened a few times to vans and Mh over the years. Also knew of it happening on boats in the past even in the water

 

[SteveandSue]

Mice

We once had mice in our car when it was parked up at Newcastle Airport while we were on holiday. The reason we knew was I had left a bottle of water in the front of the car and the top was shredded.
We set traps and caught one the following week under the back seats. Luckily they did no further damage.
I also have never given it another thought, and our van is stored on a farm. Maybe we should set a couple of traps.

 

[Jim]

We once had mice in our car when it was parked up at Newcastle Airport while we were on holiday. The reason we knew was I had left a bottle of water in the front of the car and the top was shredded.
We set traps and caught one the following week under the back seats. Luckily they did no further damage.
I also have never given it another thought, and our van is stored on a farm. Maybe we should set a couple of traps.

People who have purchased the Motorhome Checklists always know if they have had unwelcome visitors

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Fine gauge wire wool in any air vent or gap would help.
We used to get field mice at a cottage we used to have every year. They can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps , and air bricks
You pull apart the fine wire wool, several times, and stuff it in any hole .
It wont stop air getting in or out, but the mice hate it.
It hurts there feet n noses and pokes them in the eyes.
We were advised to do it by the pest control.
Make sure there all out first thoughoh: Don't be trapping them in to do there worst.
Bev

 

[artona]

B&Q sell rat and mouse poison, works welll. Check with the storage owner but a good place to put it is around your wheels which is the way the vermin get in

stew

 

[Douglas]

We once had mice in our van and to this day I don't know how it/they managed to get into the glove locker to eat a packet of biscuits with the locker door shut.

Doug...

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

B&Q sell rat and mouse poison, works welll. Check with the storage owner but a good place to put it is around your wheels which is the way the vermin get in

stew

Thats a very good idea, but we couldn't do it .

Our storage place has CCTV , manned 24/7, barriers, key card AND an Alsatian and Rottwieler roaming free at night
I don't think the owner would like it if he were to find his guard dogs stiff by the MH in the morning
Bev

 

[Jim]

I would only use poison as a last resort and then only outside the motorhome. I don't fancy the thought of tracking down a dozen or more smelly rotting carcasses hiding somewhere in the van

 

[Ant&Debs]

You have to watch em, the little buggers. We used to leave our Sleeper Coaches parked at a Farm at the end of the touring season. When we came back, one of coach wiring looms had been eaten through and cost a grand to be rewired. they will eat anything. They also shredded a complete pack of toilet rolls and made their nest under the kitchen unit.

After that we put moth balls all over, seemed to do the trick

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Don't the moth balls make your own clothes smell though?
I always remember my great Gran used to smell of them, she had them in all the pockets of her clothes in the wardrobe, Bless.
Do they still have the distinct strong odour.
Bev

 

[superk]

BOUNCE Laundry Sheets inside the van, near vents, or anywhere mice might get in and on wheel arches outside if you can get them to stay in position. Might be worth stuffing them into any suspect entry holes for cables, pipes etc.


Keith

 

[VMax666]

BOUNCE Laundry Sheets inside the van, near vents, or anywhere mice might get in and on wheel arches outside if you can get them to stay in position. Might be worth stuffing them into any suspect entry holes for cables, pipes etc.


Keith

I was just going to say that Lots of posts on Google on Bounce/mice.
Link Removed
Couple of spring traps as a backup baited with a peanut just in case you get one with no sense of smell. Vmax

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[pappajohn]

People who have purchased the Motorhome Checklists always know if they have had unwelcome visitors

well Jim, that really takes the biscuit giving advise like that.

 

[Hayleylulu]

well the answer is put a cat in van no Moore mice just a lot of cat sh--it to clean up

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

I was just going to say that Lots of posts on Google on Bounce/mice.
Link Removed
Couple of spring traps as a backup baited with a peanut just in case you get one with no sense of smell. Vmax

BOUNCE Laundry Sheets inside the van, near vents, or anywhere mice might get in and on wheel arches outside if you can get them to stay in position. Might be worth stuffing them into any suspect entry holes for cables, pipes etc.


Keith

I like the idea of Bounce, it would keep the MHsmelling fresh and clean too.
But why would that stop mice?
Bev

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[PamandKeith]

A few years ago, we had mice in our van. Made a right mess. We kept the van on a storage site near fields. We put traps and poison down and caught a few of them. Then during summer we found that they had built a nest under the wheel arches, so probably that was where they were coming in.

Not any more though.

Pam

 

[davejen]

We once had the little buggers in- just after having the van reupholstered, we put traps down and caught 13 in a week!, after that we stapled fine wire mesh round any openings underneath and never had any more trouble. The van was parked on a farm storage site for 3 days only after a trip. You are NOT INSURED for virmin damage- check your policy, so can be very expensive. Worth checking your van every week if you can.
Hope this helps,
Cheers, Dave:thumb:

 

[muz]

little buggers

hi,we had the little buggers in late last year,made a nest in one of the draws,dont know how they got in,bought a sonic mouse repelant machine off ebay £12,looks like a smoke alarm,just one 9 volt battery and i havent seen the little buggers since.thank god.got a 30ft rv and it covers the hole area.hope this helps.MUZ

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[6pm Cowboy]

I didn't know that mice didn't like moth balls but I will try anything once.... If I can get some.

Can anyone tell me how you tell the sexes apart ?

 

[Reallyretired]

We have had mice in our van and they do a lot of damage including chewing through wires. I now always set traps when I leave the van in case any come in to explore in a cold snap. Last weekend there was one in a trap but no sign of any others. The best thing is to trap them straight away before they invite their friends!

The traps I use are quite 'humane' as they break their necks instantly in most cases. I use Nutella as bait as they like chocolate and nuts, I have to buy it specially as I don't eat chocolate and Shirley is allergic to nuts..

I would not advise poison as you then have the possibility of dead mice decomposing in inaccessible areas of your van.