Help! Rodents in the motorhome... (1 Viewer)

Marcus Greycloak

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Visited the van at the storage site and found rodent poo... We went away in the vehicle returned to site, recently called to check it out and they're back... I have removed all food sources, they had been chomping on some mints I'd left behind...
 

Jim

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They will not stay where there is no food, but the food could be outside so ensure nothing is there too. You need to buy a couple of traps and bait them with peanut butter or chocolate spread, you'll catch them.

If there is quite a few rodents around consider getting one of those sonic repellant things[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003BQ7O9K/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwmotorhomef-21&link_code=as3&camp=2506&creative=9298&creativeASIN=B003BQ7O9K"]onic repellants[/ame], personally I have no experience with them, but people say they do work.

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bobandjanie

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If there is quite a few rodents around consider getting one of those sonic repellant thingsonic repellants, personally I have no experience with them, but people say they do work.

Good morning :Smile: They had Sonic Rodent Repellers at a weekend cottage I used to visit. At this time of year, as I opened the door, a hush would descend. Then a scampering and pattering would indicate the retreat of the Rodent Revellers :ROFLMAO: There was no food for them but they adored the newspapers and Sunday supplements :winky: that were left for lighting the woodburner.
The rat that decided to make it's home in the bathroom was even less welcome :Eeek: They eat soap!
So not too sure about those sonic gizmos :RollEyes: Jane :Smile:
 

icantremember

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......and if all else fails!

Rat & Mice Recipes

[SIZE=+1]Rat And Mouse Recipe[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Mice aren't that bad. Especially not with chiles and tortillas! It's all how you look at them. When the big crash0 hits, you're going to drool for any extra mice running around your house.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]RECIPE FOR "Enchiladas El Mouse-o EN EL HOUSE-O"[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]6 corn tortillas 6 mice parboiled, stripped, boned, chopped, seasoned. 2-3 large red dried chiles soaked in water 5 min. l choped green onion, cilantro for decorating. oil/onions. salt pepper to taste,[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Make regular enchilada sauce by grinding the soaked chiles in the pot liquor, and straining well to separate the chile skin from the chile's red meat. Then, fry onions, throw sauce in for l minute. Set aside.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Heat tortillas on a greased skillet, drop into sauce until covered, pull out, then fill the sopping wet tortilla with about 2 tbsps. mouseburger, roll. Set rolls in a dish, line all six up. Pour remaining sauce on top. Decorate with any old cheese, l chopped green onion. Bake l5 min at 350.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]SHEPHERD's PIE[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Not every shepherd can dice a lamb every time his belly rumbles. So many have learned to make do with DICED FIELD MICE.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Take 4 potatoes, boil, mash, season, add cream, mash some more, line 8" pieshell with them.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Boil six medium sized mice. Rats are ok if you know what they've been eating. No Buick upholstery or graveyards.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]If the rodents are the right size, you should have a cup of rat meat (depending if you've cleaned the carcasses well enough.) Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, add l cup blanched, chopped almonds, l cup cracker crumbs, l egg, (reserve l tsp for topping) making a burger. OPTIONAL: bell pepper, onions, cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, l can creamed corn, l can of those crunchy chinese things, water chestnuts, chopped olives, a dash of catsup or tomato sauce.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Fill the pie. Cover with more potatoes. Use egg/cream to wipe down pie so it toasts brownish in oven.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Remember, a rabbit is just a big rodent. The taste of the flesh is identical. Ask any concentration camp visitor.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]TIP: when cooking rodents, pre-soaking up to 5 hours helps take away that pesky rodent flavor. AND the longer you cook it, with the other ingredients, the better the meat tastes.[/SIZE]

Cant be any worse than FB pies

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darklord

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I posted on this a while back. I used traps at first, BUT, an expert told me......rodents will overcome ANYTHING to get food, seeing a mate dead in a trap aint gonna stop them, its an inbuit impulse "food....go get!".
I investigated, and found that they were bothering me, because i parked on a run from their home to where they eat, so i stopped baiting traps, and used a sonic gizmo inside the MH where they could access (the gas let out near the boiler)...I then, put talcum powder down, so i could see if the little fekkers had come back,....so far, no problems:thumb:, but as Jim said.......the key, is to get rid of ANY food source, or nesting material...they can breed faster than you can kill them, especially in a rural enviroment.
 

Wildman

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At this time of the year mice are just looking for a cosy billet, no necessarily food. we have been troubled and then fitted a sonic job, it took a few days to drive them out but they have not been back since. Same thing in our last van.
This alarm is German mad and uns of of your 12V system so no messing about charging pp9 batteries
Link Removed
working well for me and does not seem to bother the dogs.
 
Jul 28, 2010
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Visited the van at the storage site and found rodent poo... We went away in the vehicle returned to site, recently called to check it out and they're back... I have removed all food sources, they had been chomping on some mints I'd left behind...
better check all your wiring the buggers love to eat away at cables
plus all plastic waste pipes
best to get a garge Qty of rat poison and place in out of the way places under bed boxes ect :RollEyes:

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SPUD'N'T

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why don't they make mouse flavoured cat food ?, I know it's got nothing to do with this thread but it just got me wondering
 

Craig Rogers

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Why does it always evolve around killing the critters? Probably get flamed for this, but you park you mh out in the countryside (I assume) and then moan when the countryside wildlife pay a visit to something in their terrain so we immediatly demand that they get killed.

Just another species trying to survive.

Reminds me of an american couple who moaned that there were too many dangerous animals on their vacation and actually lodged a complaint with the tour operator!.............yes, you guessed it, they were on safari in South Africa......?

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Mar 29, 2010
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Don't know about sonic thingys but I don't know of any professionals that use them, poison is fine but you end up with a dead critter somewhere and they stink, traps work and, as Jim says, peanut butter or chocolate spread are the most effective.

Mice and rats are quite clever so don't expect to be successful all the time. I have been told that it is best to bait the trap and not set it to let them get confident, now I know this sounds a bit strange but this is what I have been advised by the professionals, then when they are taking the bait regularly set the trap. :thumb::thumb:

It is important to set the trap very finely so that it goes off at the slightest touch or they will take the bait and not set off the trap. Live trapping is fine but you will only have to catch them again and again. They will also teach their young how and where to go so you need to deal with several generations before you have a chance of keeping them out.

We live in the countryside and have problems at this time of year with mice and rats, they get into the roof and under the floors, in the walls in the drains everywhere. Now I don't mind up to a point but there are limits. We could get a cat but the OH is allergic to cats and so is the dog. I have heard that ferrets do a good job, but they are probably as bad as the rats running about in the loft after midnight having a party.

Sorry getting a bit carried away there:Blush::Blush:
 

movan

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Agree with Craig. I always use humane traps when I have problems with them.... they don't seem to mind them... they are always sat in them cleaning themselves when I find them...:Smile:

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Rayb182

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Rat & Mice Recipes

[SIZE=+1]Rat And Mouse Recipe[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Mice aren't that bad. Especially not with chiles and tortillas! It's all how you look at them. When the big crash0 hits, you're going to drool for any extra mice running around your house.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]RECIPE FOR "Enchiladas El Mouse-o EN EL HOUSE-O"[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]6 corn tortillas 6 mice parboiled, stripped, boned, chopped, seasoned. 2-3 large red dried chiles soaked in water 5 min. l choped green onion, cilantro for decorating. oil/onions. salt pepper to taste,[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Make regular enchilada sauce by grinding the soaked chiles in the pot liquor, and straining well to separate the chile skin from the chile's red meat. Then, fry onions, throw sauce in for l minute. Set aside.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Heat tortillas on a greased skillet, drop into sauce until covered, pull out, then fill the sopping wet tortilla with about 2 tbsps. mouseburger, roll. Set rolls in a dish, line all six up. Pour remaining sauce on top. Decorate with any old cheese, l chopped green onion. Bake l5 min at 350.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]SHEPHERD's PIE[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Not every shepherd can dice a lamb every time his belly rumbles. So many have learned to make do with DICED FIELD MICE.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Take 4 potatoes, boil, mash, season, add cream, mash some more, line 8" pieshell with them.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Boil six medium sized mice. Rats are ok if you know what they've been eating. No Buick upholstery or graveyards.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]If the rodents are the right size, you should have a cup of rat meat (depending if you've cleaned the carcasses well enough.) Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, add l cup blanched, chopped almonds, l cup cracker crumbs, l egg, (reserve l tsp for topping) making a burger. OPTIONAL: bell pepper, onions, cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, l can creamed corn, l can of those crunchy chinese things, water chestnuts, chopped olives, a dash of catsup or tomato sauce.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Fill the pie. Cover with more potatoes. Use egg/cream to wipe down pie so it toasts brownish in oven.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Remember, a rabbit is just a big rodent. The taste of the flesh is identical. Ask any concentration camp visitor.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]TIP: when cooking rodents, pre-soaking up to 5 hours helps take away that pesky rodent flavor. AND the longer you cook it, with the other ingredients, the better the meat tastes.[/SIZE]

Cant be any worse than FB pies

................at least there're be some meat in them:ROFLMAO:
 
Jan 11, 2010
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Well that`s our 13th year & still loving it.
mice

Make no mistakes with these little critters, food has nothing to do with it, they will make a home anywhere cosy for the winter and in doing so destroy your motorhome, any fabrics, plastic, carpets etc etc will be chewed to nothing.
If they get to your wiring it can be a very expensive repair bill.

Forget that "oh they are just little furry creatures surviving cobblers".
Get some traps at least half a dozen and check them regularly.
They can and will destroy the inside of a motorhome, winter stored yacht or summer only used motorcar and your insurance won`t pay for that.
 

Steveutwg

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Re The Mice

If I were you just take a few minutes and check all your vents in the van, depending on your van there may be floor vents, the little gits chew these out then nest up for the winter, we had to sort a van where the mice destroyed the main seats, chewing them up for bedding. Good luck:Doh:

Steveutwg

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MHVirgins

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Bad news! We have them all around us where we live, had success with the snapper "false teeth" type of mouse trap in my workshop over the past week or so, got two of them over a couple of days......kazammmm!:thumb:
Unfortunately they nibbled through a breather pipe in the car last winter and that was costly to replace.......nice warm engine under the bonnet!
I haven't had any luck with the sonic type, I have one in my workshop all the time and they still come in. No food in the ceramics workshop, but they love to snuggle into the bags of shredded paper and they even have the nerve to walk across the shelves and my workshop table:Angry:
The "humane" traps are pointless, the mouse will just come back in again. None of this "Cor, I was lucky that time, better not try that again" nonsense.
I would suggest the "false teeth" type of traps, the ones that near take your finger off when you set them!:shout: Some poison in the corners and along all the edges of the van.
As Jim says put peanut butter or something similar onto the traps, anything that can be "a grab and getaway job" is no use.
From the poison point of view, you just need to keep checking for the little bodies every few days, at least in the cold weather you should find them before any smell appears.
Good luck with it:thumb:
 
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We've had them in so always leave traps, the snappy type, baited with nutella (other brands of chocolate/hazelnut spread are available :Smile:). They seem to like that.
 

movan

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Sorry. Just remembered. Bought a supply of tumble dryer sheets to put around mh and in cupboards, as these too are supposed to keep the mice and the moths away. I use them every year. :Smile:

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FULLMOON

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I find the best way to get rid of rodents in your motorhome is to tell old mo to go home :ROFLMAO:
 

MHVirgins

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Went into my workshop a while ago, found another mouse in the trap, I feel guilty for a minute or so then think of the cost of replacing a ceramic mould!:Sad:

So the traps are the only solution to mice, sadly the little critters have to be kept at bay. Just dreading them finding their way into the van, which is behind the house, the damage to the inside doesn't bear thinking about:Angry:
 

Douglas

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oh dear, have you tried traps? hope you soon get rid

At first site traps sound like a good idea, but have you ever smelt a dead rat or mouse after a week or so?

Doug...

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Mags52

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We had them in a caravan a few years ago. We took a multi pronged approach. We bought fine mesh and put it over all the drop holes in the floor. We cleared the van of anything edible and put down traps and also put the cat in there for a few hours regularly. Got rid of them but not before they had eaten cables, some soft furnishing and even been in the cutlery drawer - presumably finding crumbs we couldn't even see. I suspect the smell of cat was a big deterrent but who knows?
 

Craig Rogers

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I think the smell and presence of Cats certainly help.

We live out in farm land and very often see mice and voles running around outside, we don't seem to get any inside the house though.

It maybe due to the....wait for it.....14 :)Eeek:), yes Fourteen, cats we have.....
 

Chris

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I think the smell and presence of Cats certainly help.

We live out in farm land and very often see mice and voles running around outside, we don't seem to get any inside the house though.

It maybe due to the....wait for it.....14 :)Eeek:), yes Fourteen, cats we have.....

14???

We have 2 and thats 2 too many at times.

We dont have mice problems either except when they are brought as presents for us.

One of them caught a huge crow and brought it into one of the bedrooms a few years back. There must have been an almighty tussle because I walked into a scene of carnage. Walls and windows covered in blood and feathers and cat snuggled up all content on the bed surrounded by a load of feathers.

It was awful:Sad:
 

Craig Rogers

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They are all rescue cats, we did have up to 17 at one point, but some have been re-homed. The 14 that are left are "ours" so won't be decreasing, except maybe one who is supposed to be going back to it's owner. There are also about another 20 or so, but they are at Burton Wildlife Rescue along with all the other animals that the other half is involved with.
 

Welsh girl

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This is interesting, Tez had a cat and mice in his house when we met, had to get traps to get rid and still didnt get rid, they ruined a lot of stuff even electrical in the loft, lights used to go on and off at random, now I have always had dogs but never mice in the house or the van so does having dogs or any other animal put them off coming in I ask?
ps , He lived next to a field as did I years ago.

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