Any advice for 4 legs and bald tails!

Simon Select

Simon Select

MH Trader
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Mar 18, 2016
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Location
Devon
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42,036
MH
A Class Coachbuilt
Exp
25 Years
We have had 2 customers in this week. Mice in engine bays. One stores in a storage bay on Dartmoor, the other stores in a barn. One has killed a Mercedes engine and the more we look the more damage and hazelnuts we find. The other van has gone from the back to the front. Chewed cables, heating vents, even the insulation on the drivers seat.
How can you repel them? I suggested if you are going to leave your van in such places you may want to invest in mouse/rat traps. Said customer said that’s inhumane.
One bought from us, one didn’t. One said warranty I said no obviously as I can’t get that through.
Are there any deterrents that actually work?
Are there humane traps?
 
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There are humane traps, but like any trap you need to check them very regularly or they very quickly stop being humane. You also then need to have a plan as to what to do with a trapped live rodent. They travel great distances, so chucking it over the neighbours fence is utterly pointless. It'll be back within minutes.

Most effective 'natural' method is to have a cat or another natural predator patrolling the area.

Other than that, you're looking at lethal traps or (being very careful with it) poison.
 
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fishplug said:
There are humane traps, but like any trap you need to check them very regularly or they very quickly stop being humane. You also then need to have a plan as to what to do with a trapped live rodent. They travel great distances, so chucking it over the neighbours fence is utterly pointless. It'll be back within minutes.

Most effective 'natural' method is to have a cat or another natural predator patrolling the area.

Other than that, you're looking at lethal traps or (being very careful with it) poison.
Click to expand...
Yes, as I’ve posted before, they need to be released more than two miles away!
 
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Traps was the only option that worked on our old MH.

Ulttrasonics - no evidence they work

Can't find my old pic I had of a mouse virtually sat on ultrasonic device. :LOL:

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We use peppermint bags in the engine bay, their like big teabags and peppermint spray on the wheels. Then we have lavender air fresheners inside. So far we’ve been ok 🤞
 
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I use peppermint spray but no idea whether it does anything, probably doesn't last for long. There are a couple of other sprays on the market.
I use traps and set them within the range of my internal camera so I can check them without driving 20 miles to my storage site. Traps bated with Nutella which I think tastes revolting but mice seem to like.
 
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We had issues, I then bought some 'Fox Wee' sold on Amazon.......sprayed it all around the engine compartment..... luckily since then haven't had an issue......... as for 'humane method', wouldn't entertain..... if the little buggers want to come in and cause me expensive damage..... they pay the consequences whatever method I chose !!!!
 
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Owners need to own dashund :LOL:. It's hard if your MH is in storage as you can't normally attend it as often. Ours is on drive when I'm cleaning or pottering in the van I always let the dog in or encourage her to much around underneath. We use pepper spray inside and in engine bay 🤞next door has a big cat and it shits in my strawberry patch..I forgive it!
 
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If you had a yard where you kept MH in storage a couple of semi feral cats would definitely help. I'm not against cats but I'm allergic to them but I'd prefer that to my wiring loom being trashed! I know nothing about cats though, but I think some cats live indoors and some live outside if fed regularly?

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Simon Select said:
We have had 2 customers in this week. Mice in engine bays. One stores in a storage bay on Dartmoor, the other stores in a barn. One has killed a Mercedes engine and the more we look the more damage and hazelnuts we find. The other van has gone from the back to the front. Chewed cables, heating vents, even the insulation on the drivers seat.
How can you repel them? I suggested if you are going to leave your van in such places you may want to invest in mouse/rat traps. Said customer said that’s inhumane.
One bought from us, one didn’t. One said warranty I said no obviously as I can’t get that through.
Are there any deterrents that actually work?
Are there humane traps?
Click to expand...
Seems a strange time of year to get them in van now ,
Would have thought when it starts getting cold. ?
Inhumane traps sounds nice ,
But really i use traps outside the van to catch them to make sure they end up dead vermin.
They cost a fortune of damage
I Leave set around wheels and engine bay ,
But also place in a container with a small hole ,
Otherwise you end up catching small birds etc .
 
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Simon Select said:
We have had 2 customers in this week. Mice in engine bays. One stores in a storage bay on Dartmoor, the other stores in a barn. One has killed a Mercedes engine and the more we look the more damage and hazelnuts we find. The other van has gone from the back to the front. Chewed cables, heating vents, even the insulation on the drivers seat.
How can you repel them? I suggested if you are going to leave your van in such places you may want to invest in mouse/rat traps. Said customer said that’s inhumane.
One bought from us, one didn’t. One said warranty I said no obviously as I can’t get that through.
Are there any deterrents that actually work?
Are there humane traps?
Click to expand...
I live on a farm and use these in a storage shed with peanut butter on them. Guaranteed a kill every time. The only way to solve the problem.



IMG_6743.webp
 
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This stuff featured on a recent BBC tv program about VW Campervans experiencing rodent damage to wiring due to use of Soya products for environmental compliance?:-

www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk

Powerful 500ml Anti Rodent Spray - Keep Your Home Rodent-Free

Protect your home from rodents with our effective Anti Rodent Spray. This 500ml bottle is a powerful solution to keep your space rodent-free.
www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk

No idea if effective though.

Also referenced here…

Thread 'VW Campervan Owners should see this.'
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/vw-campervan-owners-should-see-this.315727/

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No such thing as humane traps for mice.
Unless you have a cat, you either live with them, or you kill them.

Bait or traps is the only solution.
Bait bought in shops is not very effective, they need to eat quite a bit over time.
(Commercial bait however is very effective, as if they carry the bait back to the nest it will kill them all)

If the van had been eaten 'end to end' then then that has had a long term mouse problem, not just a single winter.
Mice tend to want to be inside October to March, So when they are looking for winter quarters in October is when the most vigilance is required.
 
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Cowpat said:
I live on a farm and use these in a storage shed with peanut butter on them. Guaranteed a kill every time. The only way to solve the problem.
Click to expand...
I've found peanut butter to be extremely effective.

Traps placed around a perimeter or edge of furniture etc.

I did somehow catch a snail in one once, but otherwise they've only ever caught the intended quarry.

Please, please, please don't use the glue mat things. Horrible for the mouse/rat. I think they should be banned personally.
 
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On the warranty question is it reasonable to expect manufacturers to design vans that don't allow rodent access to the habitation area?
 
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Wildbill said:
on the forum ther a very good article on mice’s by Jim
Wb
Click to expand...
This is that page:-
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

How to Keep Mice out of Your Motorhome - MotorhomeFun

We can get a rodent infestation at any time of year, but it’s at the time of the first frosts that we need to be especially on our guard from rats or mice looking for somewhere warm and dry to spend a cold winter. Mouse infestations are much more common than rats, and we’ll concentrate […]
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
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This works for dogs but I dont know if it'll work for any other animal. I use to bring dogs with me, but I dont have a dog any more. But if you get apple juice (like orange juice) but only use apple juice, put it in a spray bottle and spray/mist it on furniture, seating etc in the MH and what ever it does to dogs, they wont pee or chew on anything in the MH, the smell of it to dogs, they dont like it and they keep well away from it. I cant smell it. I had one dog (bitch) in particular and she picked on another dog (male) by pulling his hair out on his tail, so to stop her from doing it, I sprayed apple juice on his tail, not only did she keep away from him but all my other dogs avoided him too LOL
But for mice in the MH when I'm not using it, more so over the winter months, I set mouse traps in the MH and rat traps out side it...corn lased with poison. So far so good :giggle: But I'm going to try the apple juice in the MH this winter without mouse traps and see if that works too.

If you have a bitch in heat/season, spray her with apple juice to keep the boys away ;)
 
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Simon Select said:
We have had 2 customers in this week. Mice in engine bays. One stores in a storage bay on Dartmoor, the other stores in a barn. One has killed a Mercedes engine and the more we look the more damage and hazelnuts we find. The other van has gone from the back to the front. Chewed cables, heating vents, even the insulation on the drivers seat.
How can you repel them? I suggested if you are going to leave your van in such places you may want to invest in mouse/rat traps. Said customer said that’s inhumane.
One bought from us, one didn’t. One said warranty I said no obviously as I can’t get that through.
Are there any deterrents that actually work?
Are there humane traps?
Click to expand...
Lidls are currently selling a product called "Marten Spray". Specifically designed to deter such damage, it looked like easy to spray on, but plenty needed and would probably leave a sticky goo to deal with when carrying out other works 🤷‍♂️
Mike.
 
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Outdoors Dad said:
Owners need to own dashund :LOL:. It's hard if your MH is in storage as you can't normally attend it as often. Ours is on drive when I'm cleaning or pottering in the van I always let the dog in or encourage her to much around underneath. We use pepper spray inside and in engine bay 🤞next door has a big cat and it shits in my strawberry patch..I forgive it!
Click to expand...
Crack on off in it's basket, "take that Thomas".
Mike.

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I'm on a farm and the corn will be cut mid August so I'll be setting rat traps when I see the corn being cut. The rats will run to the corn field to get the left over corn on the ground and about a week or two after that, they'll be in the sheds...but I'll have corn set with poison by then. And then I'll send my hubby or sons in to take the dead rats out of the shed coz I'm not doing it lol
 
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Outdoors Dad said:
Owners need to own dashund :LOL:. It's hard if your MH is in storage as you can't normally attend it as often. Ours is on drive when I'm cleaning or pottering in the van I always let the dog in or encourage her to much around underneath. We use pepper spray inside and in engine bay 🤞next door has a big cat and it shits in my strawberry patch..I forgive it!
Click to expand...
That's a well trained cat :ROFLMAO:
 
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