We've had mice!

[Soozywoozy]

Says it all. Discovered droppings in underfloor locker and had made a veritable nest in outside locker and had fun with a box of gloves. Have now been through the entire motorhome and checked everywhere. No damage, thank goodness, traps ordered from amazon. How on earth do they get in and how can we stop further visitors. It's not as if the motorhome has been standing idle for long

 

[Badknee]

Well I'm afraid you have a hole somewhere and believe me it doesn't have to be very big, they get through the tiniest space.
Some use talc to see if they can find a "run" . Talc shows footprints.

 

[pappajohn]

How on earth do they get in

One of lifes mysteries.....

how can we stop further visitors

The second of lifes mysteries.

This year we have them in a spare bedroom in the house....for now !

One in the RV a couple of weeks go but not seen since.

Glue mats go back down tommorrow.

 

[joncris]

Moral When storing or parking for a long time don't leave food (even crumbs) and ensure you block up every hole including the waste pipe

 

[Printermick]

We have 2 ultrasonic mouse repellers fitted in underfloor lockers front and back, run on 9v batteries. From e-bay, had no trouble since

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[teddybard]

We've had mice!

Boiled fried or casseroled ?

 

[sedge]

If you can get a pencil through a hole - you can get a mouse in. We had field mice in our kitchen and Pete was catching them in a humane trap and releasing them in the field, half a mile away!

Unfortunately that was no deterrent and then one night we were washing up - Pete was washing I was drying and one appeared on the top of the worksurface, ran across the back, then continued along the back of the draining board , up the mixer tap, and calmly sat oh the horizontal part washing it's whiskers - he was so sweet! - but it was The End.

The Little Nipper came out, was baited with a chocolate button - and I didn't have anything to do with it thereafter! (it was them and yes we had found the tiny hole and cemented it up well before then)

 

[Jandek]

We have a problem with them too. Started about a month ago. we have put a sonic repellent in , tumble drier sheets everywhere and 6 traps. To date we have trapped 6 mice. Always in same place...bottom compartment of cooker and underneath sink. We are having to go up to storage place to check inside twice a week. Dont know what else we can do to deter the little devils. Have emptied everything out which is a bit of a nuisance as try to get away every few weeks.

 

[Tootles]

If you can get a pencil through a hole - you can get a mouse in

Sounds like Berties wallet.......You can get a pencil in, but no money out.

 

[swanseajack13]

where do you get the mice from e bay sorry for taking the mickey you could hire tom lol ray

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[Larrynwin]

We get mice in every winter and now have rodent bait stations around the perimeter of the house and close to the RV .
In addition we have noise emitters in the loft and in the RV.
So far so good, little barstewards

 

[Nirvanauk]

After last winter we caught 7 mice so now have 4 traps set and a ultra sonic repeller in the van. We have also taken everything out that they can eat or make a nest with.

 

[Chris]

We had them in our old van a couple of years ago.

Just kill what you can, remove all food sources and get some sonic thingies. Not sure the sonic things work, but I think they are a deterrent.

As someone told me though ( Jim I think) the availability of food will overcome any deterrent.

 

[sedge]

They like chewing round the edges of flexible plastic things - Tupperware seals for instance!

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Put the borrowed mini-dachs round twice weekly, she loves it!

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[Bertie Bassett]

And this is her looking smug having done the deed!

 

[Badknee]

To date we have trapped 6 mice. Always in same place...bottom compartment of cooker and underneath sink.

That could be where the problem is. The cooker will have an air grill under it as LPG is heavier that air and the plan is if there's a gas leak it will drop down through said grill, check that it's in place and the holes not too big, or fit a smaller mesh.
Sink, is the hole for the waste pipe too big? Is there space for a mouse to squeeze in? If so block it up so they can't.

 

[Soozywoozy]

This seems to be a common problem. We get mice every year in the garage, promptly dealt with, chocolate and traps, but didn't occur to me that they would get in the motorhome. Do they climb up tyres?
Or possibly cables - have the m/h plugged in on the drive?
Any good ideas to stuff holes with- they already eaten a box of plastic gloves, will shred paper happily?
Think I'll be getting some sonic traps. Already have a jack Russell, but she's only interested in things moving, and loves the chase.

 

[reckless]

We also had this problem last year, they'd used our insulation to make a nest. We finally got rid using sprung traps. We read that plastic bags contain wheat and they can smell them from miles away so make sure you remove any plastic carrier bags.

 

[johnandi]

This seems to be a common problem. We get mice every year in the garage, promptly dealt with, chocolate and traps, but didn't occur to me that they would get in the motorhome. Do they climb up tyres?
Or possibly cables - have the m/h plugged in on the drive?
Any good ideas to stuff holes with- they already eaten a box of plastic gloves, will shred paper happily?
Think I'll be getting some sonic traps. Already have a jack Russell, but she's only interested in things moving, and loves the chase.

Re: 'what to use to block holes up' - our son had problems with rats at his house, the 'expert' called in and used Wirewool to block/seal holes. apparently they don't like chewing it. Seems to have worked, the Wirewool to stop them entering the house and poison under the floorboards have done the trick!

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[johnandi]

We have 2 ultrasonic mouse repellers fitted in underfloor lockers front and back, run on 9v batteries. From e-bay, had no trouble since

I'd be interested in buying some of these for our van (going into storage for 3 months - the van not me!) - could you say what make/model they are please?

 

[johnandi]

We have a problem with them too. Started about a month ago. we have put a sonic repellent in , tumble drier sheets everywhere and 6 traps. To date we have trapped 6 mice. Always in same place...bottom compartment of cooker and underneath sink. We are having to go up to storage place to check inside twice a week. Dont know what else we can do to deter the little devils. Have emptied everything out which is a bit of a nuisance as try to get away every few weeks.

Thanks for the info but whats with the 'tumble drier sheets'?
Thanks

 

[MikeD]

You are probably going to have a good laugh but I am a bit old fashioned when it comes to mice, squirrels and ants etc.

When I see them I bluntly tell them they can live outside/in the shed and I will never harm them.

But move into the house and you are dead.

I never kill anything in the garden (Next doors cat does not hold the same view) Bugs on the roses and Spiders by the million live long and prosper in my garden.

But we have never had any rodents/ants in the home since we moved here (35 years).

Hopefully they will understand the motorhome is also off limits (But I suspect the cat next door may have something to do with it)

 

[melly watson]

Did they taste nice

 

[Wildman]

Don't rely solely on ultrasonic devices we have one and still get occasional mice who last year nested right below it. Must be some deaf mice out there.

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[golly]

Put the traps out in the garage on Monday as there were signs of mice, I've caught 5 of the little buggers since then. Best bait for the trap is Nutella chocolate spread, it must be like mouse cocaine.

 

[MitchandJenny]

Hi Soozywoozy. I bought an ultrasonic Pine marten repeller. It is made by German company KEMO, model No:- M100N. Its 12 volt and only draws 2 MilliAmps..
Good luck !!

 

[magicsurfbus]

My workplace out in the country is a historic building that gets rats and mice on a regular basis. The ultrasonic repellers don't stop them.

We lay the blue bait blocks beside the internal walls of the building, and after a few days the problem goes away, but others eventually replace them so it's a constant battle.

In the MH they're most likely going up the wheels - then in our case into the engine bay and through gaps in the lining to the cab.

As I've said here before, your best defence once they're in is your side door footwells, as they're often smooth-sided. If you can lure them down into there with bait it contains them and their bodily secretions until the bait or the cold kills them. Don't leave any potential food or nesting materials within reach of the floor.

Humane traps may make you feel better about God's little creatures but they do nothing to solve the problem, given the reproduction rate of the captives that get released back into the wild. God also invented something called Leptospirosis which is carried in mouse and rat urine and can be fatal to humans. Mice are just disease carrying vermin with very good PR - I personally blame Beatrix Potter and Walt Disney.

 

[movan]

Thanks for the info but whats with the 'tumble drier sheets'?
Thanks

apparently they don't like the smell of tumble dryer sheets .. put them in cupboards .... or moth balls but you can't buy these now as they are banned until they sort out another substance to make them of. I have bought some lavendar moth repellant sachets from Wilkinsons and put those in my cupboards and spray everything with lavendar air freshener. I coudn't buy peppermint oil as all the shops had run out so I bought peppermint capsules from the health shops and pierce one, rub it over all the work surfaces and leave the empty capsule under the cushions. Not been up to van this week but as of last week... no sign of the mice that came in last year ....

 

[movan]

I'd be interested in buying some of these for our van (going into storage for 3 months - the van not me!) - could you say what make/model they are please?

Hi See Jenny and Mitche's reply above re these.. They come in various costs .. some seem quite expensive since a lot of people say they don't work though .. so bear that in mind.

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