Unwanted little visitor

[tidewatcher]

Heard an odd scratching noise in the night and discovered a little hole in the cereal packet and the odd very small mouse droppings. Oh joy! Now in the process of sealing food etc. any tips apart from mousetraps?

 

[Nomad.]

We are currently in Spain in our newly engined Rimor Katamarano.Nice Aire here in Carinena.Heading towards Valencia for some sun and R+R.

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Not had any critters on board yet.Certainly agree with sprung mousetrap and Nutella.Cockroaches are far worse and there are plenty in Europe.Apparently they love laying eggs in cardboard boxes and paper bags.

 

[Cookieboy68]

Has anyone had cock roaches in the van

 

[Poodlepower]

I blocked all spaces under my motorhome with wire wool then sprayed everywhere with diluted peppermint oil. Got none in last winter so it seems to be working.

 

[Fidge]

Heard an odd scratching noise in the night and discovered a little hole in the cereal packet and the odd very small mouse droppings. Oh joy! Now in the process of sealing food etc. any tips apart from mousetraps?

Whatever you do don't ignore it. The little %&£gers chewed through our electrics and it cost us over a grand to get fixed. However much you hate the idea traps are the best because at least you have the evidence, horrible as it might be, that you're getting rid of them. Do not leave ANY food in the van. We had left some dried pasta and they had made a nest in the packet. They wee all over too!!

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[Fidge]

Whatever you do don't ignore it. The little %&£gers chewed through our electrics and it cost us over a grand to get fixed. However much you hate the idea traps are the best because at least you have the evidence, horrible as it might be, that you're getting rid of them. Do not leave ANY food in the van. We had left some dried pasta and they had made a nest in the packet. They wee all over too!!

PS think we brought them back from France

 

[HKF]

When we lived on our farm in England, I went out one day to find the gaiter around the gearstick in my Jeep had been completely chewed to bits! A few nights later, the alarm went off and my hubby went out to see what was wrong. When he opened the Jeep door, a rat was sat on the passenger seat looking at him and made him jump sky high Took it to the garage and they discovered it had been feasting on some of the wiring under the bonnet, too, the little blighter!!!

 

[Conniedriving]

Heard an odd scratching noise in the night and discovered a little hole in the cereal packet and the odd very small mouse droppings. Oh joy! Now in the process of sealing food etc. any tips apart from mousetraps?

Peppermint oil on cotton buds works well

 

[KiwiKampers]

Has anyone had cock roaches in the van

Occasionally we get bush cockroaches in our van. They are very adept at creeping through air vents and lockers. I never leave the barbecue outside overnight because they smugggle themselves inside in the legs or drip tray. Being bush cockroaches they actually prefer to be outside and I like to think they are not as unhygienic as the little cockroaches you see in “dirty” houses. Some of them are as big as your thumb and as shiny as a conker.
If I remember, I spray likely entry points with a barrier spray. This also keeps out spiders.

 

[Cookieboy68]

Occasionally we get bush cockroaches in our van. They are very adept at creeping through air vents and lockers. I never leave the barbecue outside overnight because they smugggle themselves inside in the legs or drip tray. Being bush cockroaches they actually prefer to be outside and I like to think they are not as unhygienic as the little cockroaches you see in “dirty” houses. Some of them are as big as your thumb and as shiny as a conker.
If I remember, I spray likely entry points with a barrier spray. This also keeps out spiders.

Sneaky little Fiddlesticksers

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[Poodlepower]

Peppermint oil on cotton buds works well

Yes. that is what I use and it works

 

[Nomad.]

PS think we brought them back from France

Occasionally we get bush cockroaches in our van. They are very adept at creeping through air vents and lockers. I never leave the barbecue outside overnight because they smugggle themselves inside in the legs or drip tray. Being bush cockroaches they actually prefer to be outside and I like to think they are not as unhygienic as the little cockroaches you see in “dirty” houses. Some of them are as big as your thumb and as shiny as a conker.
If I remember, I spray likely entry points with a barrier spray. This also keeps out spiders.

We had some stowaway Roaches in the Caribbean.They call them Mahogany Birds.We had to bomb the boat with a special compound and exit for 24 hours,it worked.We saw plenty of them on the marina pontoons in the Canaries.Yes some came with us.

 

[Tonks]

We had some stowaway Roaches in the Caribbean.They call them Mahogany Birds.We had to bomb the boat with a special compound and exit for 24 hours,it worked.We saw plenty of them on the marina pontoons in the Canaries.Yes some came with us.

cockroaches are almost impossible to eradicate. I worked on a ship for two years and we had cockroaches. Periodically the whole ship was fumigated against them. This would reduce the numbers considerably but never got rid altogether. You got used to living with them. I would be horrified now if I found a cockroach in my bed or in my food, but then I barely reacted.

In the van, as pest infestation is one of my biggest dreads, I never, ever leave food in the van when it's 'stood up', and any packet foods carried on board are stored in a plastic crate, with cereals etc decanted into plastic containers. Fresh foods are kept in the fridge.