Rodent Proofing

Topic: Rodent Proofing (Read 941 times) previous topic - next topic

Rodent Proofing

July 20, 2022, 02:15:01 pm

Feedback/advice sought from all the "desert rats" on here.

We recently acquired a piece of land outside of Tucson that we plan to spend time parked there over the cooler months. Not yet ready to build a garage and/or casita, so looking for some interim measures to protect the coach, particularly against rodents and critters.

Lot's of good suggestions here, but is there any suggestions on safeguarding the perimeter as a first layer of defense? There seems to be some debate on how effective using lights under the coach is, so could use some advice on what kind works for folks. This looks like a possible (albeit pricy) option: BoxKat Rodent & Mouse Barriers. Anyone tried it?

Any and all advice and feedback on what works for you would be appreciated.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #1 – July 20, 2022, 02:30:58 pm

Joe, while we were in Yellowstone last year for the seven months, we were dealing with squirrels and mice! I found that peppermint oil worked the best! Never saw or heard another after that! A lot cheaper than those electronic gadgets they sell. I found bottles of this oil at the local Wally World in the Rx section. Not only does it work, it smells great as well when you open the bays!

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #2 – July 20, 2022, 02:37:44 pm

Get some rat bait stations. Make sure they have candy and can get water someplace besides in your coach.

My son keeps his 5th wheel in the wood. He went one weekend and found a mouse had come to visit him. He went and got 4 stations and set them up around his trailer. He did that on a Friday. Saturday he sees all of the candy was gone and refills them. Sunday same problem. Goes back next weekend and stations empty. He goes through a bucket of candy in 2 weeks. When he goes to get more he asks the guy at the store if they have any better candy since he is going through so much. Guy told him he must really have a bad mouse and rat problem. After he goes through the second half of the second bucket my son said he was only having to reload about every other month after that.

He never has had another un invited visitor after the first one.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #3 – July 20, 2022, 02:39:27 pm

I have been at this battle for a decade. Irish Spring soap - they eat it. Lights seem to work for a while, then they learn to ignore it. I have a programmable stage light shining under the engine area of the coach. Very bright, random color, random duration, fades, blinks, and I just discovered rat poop around the engine bay.

A barrier might work well, I don't know. Without a slab, it might take a lot of dirt moving to cover the lower edge. Would the rats eat through the connectors? Here in Tucson, it had better be very wind resistant.

I have tried the "diving board into the water bucket" device, and caught one. I have tried snap traps, and caught one. I have used glue traps with the non-poisonous bait and have caught maybe 40. They seem to have no interest in peanut butter, fruit, vegetables, nuts, etc. The non-poisonous bait alone - they ate an entire bag overnight, with no change to the rat problem. Poisonous bait, not around our dogs. I put the glue traps in boxes with small openings to dissuade the lizards and birds. I have released a couple of stuck birds and lizards with WD-40, which seems to leave them unharmed.

A pack rat ate a wire on my (previous) FJ Cruiser, which was UNDER the intake manifold. It was a $5500 repair, which insurance covered.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #4 – July 20, 2022, 02:55:17 pm

I use the Rat Away spray from HD it seems to work on my engine bays o our trucks, use a whole can per truck doesnt seem to hurt anything, found a few dropping and some damage in the storage bay placed a glue trap with a piece of a strawberry fruit bar in the middle of then focused the Bing camera on the trap, the camera let me know when I had caught a rat, he was a big one that filled up the trap

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #5 – July 20, 2022, 03:26:16 pm

How about a big cat.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #6 – July 20, 2022, 04:49:13 pm

Quote from: John44 – July 20, 2022, 03:26:16 pm

How about a big cat.

I have never seen a cat around here last more than a week or two. I assume the coyotes, bobcats, rattlesnakes, mountain lions or bears get them.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #7 – July 20, 2022, 05:45:41 pm

Been using peppermint oil for years and have had one mouse in fountain hills camp hosting. I did spray expanding foam in both ends of my wire tunnels and under my gen and fan exhaust I put wire mess as well as I'm the gap for the propane tank all together it works for us.🤗😁

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #8 – July 20, 2022, 08:50:49 pm

My sister in law has cats so I get her to save me the cat poo she gets out of her cat latrine I sprinkle it around coach or vehicle and so far haven't had any problems. Yes i tried irish soap and they ate it lol !!! I also have a few snakes that visit the shop as long as they are non poisonous they get to live but the poisonous ones get removed!
Chris

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #9 – July 20, 2022, 08:58:09 pm

We use a combo of peppermint oil in places and Fresh Cab in others. Brass wool around the cables/hoses that come through the bulkhead tunnel penetration both front and rear.

Pamela

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #10 – July 20, 2022, 09:13:13 pm

Quote from: John44 – July 20, 2022, 03:26:16 pm

How about a big cat.

I have one in the rig, but when outside, she's being walked on a leash. Too many things to eat her as Matt mentioned.

She is an effective "early warning system" The couple times we had intruders in the bays, she goes on high alert at the vents and I know its time to set the traps. Usually catch them in a couple hours.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #11 – July 20, 2022, 09:15:03 pm

Quote from: Chris m lang – July 20, 2022, 08:50:49 pm

My sister in law has cats so I get her to save me the cat poo she gets out of her cat latrine I sprinkle it around coach or vehicle and so far haven't had any problems. Yes i tried irish soap and they ate it lol !!! I also have a few snakes that visit the shop as long as they are non poisonous they get to live but the poisonous ones get removed!
Chris

That's a great idea! Litterbox to the rescue!

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #12 – July 20, 2022, 09:20:03 pm

Mike just reminded me that there is a Forum member that picked up a King snake in the basement for mouse patrol several years back.

Pamela

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #13 – July 20, 2022, 10:07:37 pm

So when I was changing my fuel lines I fully realized just how open the lower bays are at both the forward and rear ends. Mike and Pamela had mentioned using stainless steel wool packed into the opening. I did use it around the aqua hot exhaust opening but the forward aft opening got spray foamed till they were sealed up.double check your basement drains around the Propane and battery compartments and repair screens as needed. We dont generally have mice issues in southern nevada but they certinally do exist. Pack rats are tough to catch.Bait doesn't work on them for me. They just collect the bait for later. Best thing I've found it a plastic bucket with about 8 inches of water in it. Any less and they jump out. Need to be next to a wall or stick for them to leap in from. Can't recommend anything to keep them out of the engine compartment. Ive meant for years to put up a snake fence around our property. Set traps on both sides of the fence. Put the non poisonous on my side and release. Hope this helps.
Scott

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #14 – July 20, 2022, 10:46:15 pm

Yes cat litter works wonders .
Save it up and throw it between wheels and both ends of that wiring/hose track. Did this for years. Just have to brush it up after it is dry
Johnh

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #15 – July 21, 2022, 01:13:25 pm

First thing to do is clear the brush and debris away as far as you can. Mice, Packrats DO NOT like being out in the open as it makes then vulnerable to Hawks, Coyotes, Bob Cats. I have also heard that peppermint oil is a safe and pleasant smelling and effective way to go.

We do not feed any birds except humming birds. Bird seed is a Rodent magnet.

And also, Tell us where in Tucson. There are a few of us that stay the winter or live there. We stay out west of the Tucson mountains at Justin's Diamond J.

Perhaps I'm temping fate or jinking myself. But our 98 U320 came from BC, Canada. Has lived in eastern Washington since 2015 and spends the winter in Az. I have never spotted any Rat poo or nesting material in our bays. The 320's living area is pretty well sealed because of the aqua hots lack of forced air heating ducts.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #16 – July 21, 2022, 01:32:47 pm

I saved spice bottles with the shaker tops ... larger is better than the little ones ... and stuffed them with cotton balls. Saturated that with Pure Peppermint Oil (Amazon) and placed several in each bay and a few under the bed around the engine compartment. Every couple of weeks I would replenish the oil. No mice.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #17 – July 22, 2022, 12:29:54 am

Quote from: bigdog – July 21, 2022, 01:13:25 pm

And also, Tell us where in Tucson. There are a few of us that stay the winter or live there. We stay out west of the Tucson mountains at Justin's Diamond J.

Our property is just south of Three Points off S Sasabe Rd, west of Tucson in the Greenwald Acres neighborhood. Couple of RV pads, electric, water and sewer at this point. Hopefully we'll get a shed and some landscaping done over the winter months this year. Looking forward meeting up the with you.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #18 – July 22, 2022, 02:35:45 am

Quote from: Joe Phebus – July 22, 2022, 12:29:54 am

Our property is just south of Three Points off S Sasabe Rd, west of Tucson in the Greenwald Acres neighborhood. Couple of RV pads, electric, water and sewer at this point. Hopefully we'll get a shed and some landscaping done over the winter months this year. Looking forward meeting up the with you.

We always top up the fuel and propane tanks at Three Points before parking at Justin's for the winter.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #19 – July 24, 2022, 08:56:57 pm

I had both mice and rats in the coach at one time. I think it was when I was in Wyoming but I can't remember for sure. I finally did trap them and drowned them. In Mexico, there were feral cats that kept the mice and probably snakes too at bay.
I like the peppermint oil idea and I really need to do that. I have a bunch of rodent traps and repellents but I don't usually use them since I'm moving too much. Just spent two months in Oklahoma City and didn't see any rodents there.

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #20 – July 24, 2022, 09:13:39 pm

Quote from: Journey, Roam, Explore – July 24, 2022, 08:56:57 pm

I had both mice and rats in the coach at one time. I think it was when I was in Wyoming but I can't remember for sure. I finally did trap them and drowned them. In Mexico, there were feral cats that kept the mice and probably snakes too at bay.
I like the peppermint oil idea and I really need to do that. I have a bunch of rodent traps and repellents but I don't usually use them since I'm moving too much. Just spent two months in Oklahoma City and didn't see any rodents there.

They are scared of tornadoes! lol Peppermint oil Bob, just do it!

Re: Rodent Proofing

Reply #21 – July 24, 2022, 09:51:46 pm

The only good varmint is a dead varmint. Packrats are the worst...relentless and massively destructive. "Just One Bite" kills them in less than an hour and they love it. Get it at farm/ranch stores...pricey but worth its weight in gold. Run wire thru the center hole of a piece and hang in your engine and generator area (where Fido or Fluffy can't get to it) as well as wet bay so they'll nibble on it, and they're goners, otherwise they'll take the whole chunk back to the nest and hide it. Haven't had an infiltration or gnawing damage in 20 years since using it. Works on all damage causing varmints including mice and rabbits. My $.02. Woody.

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