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Topic: Rodents! (Read 7302 times) previous topic - next topic

Rodents!

Rodent issues, I have 6 commercial bait stations around the Coach, one at each wheel, one at the rear and one at the power cord. Have a custom plate blocking access to the wet bay, have the gap sealed all around the water tank, all my compartment door seals are good, access to the propane bay blocked with copper wire wool behind the front wheel, engine bay sealed off access on both sides to upper area and blocked any possible access thru the possible gap above engine bay door hinge. Having said that had a plump dead mouse resting on a pile of clean rags in the main storage bay but worse yet is the big question, how did two large (2") black walnuts get into area below the water heater and the Manablock?
Underneath everything is right, where else do I need to seal and the black walnuts??
I need help, locations I should seal?
David

Re: Rodents!

Reply #1 –
Do you have anything blocking the chase from the back where the fuel lines and electrical go?

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Reply #2 –
NO! Must be somewhere above the transmission, whatever sealant was there was probably removed when MOT replaced the fuel lines a few years ago, access from engine compartment or from below?

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Reply #3 –
Quote from: craneman –
Do you have anything blocking the chase from the back where the fuel lines and electrical go?
Having blocked all other access points, the cable chase is the only other place that I could figure out that the pack rats were getting in.  With my coach I think they preferred to enter the front end of the chase.  I have tried to plug up the cable and hose entries but have not been successful in completely stopping the little buggars. 

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Reply #4 –
I did not know there was a front entry to the chase, where is it located, behind the generator?

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Reply #5 –
Quote from: "Irish" –
I did not know there was a front entry to the chase, where is it located, behind the generator?

Correct. It is hard to get to this area as you have to get either over or under the front axle to access the cable tray exit point. If they (little/big rodents) can get in one end they can go all the way to the other end of the coach. We stuffed Stainless Steel wool into all the penetrations of the cable tray that go through the multiple bulkheads. You have to take the covers down to get to these but can be done when changing out fuel lines.

Mike

Re: Rodents!

Reply #6 –
As full-timers, we keep both mouse and rat snap traps loaded in the sewer bay, and where we keep a plastic container of cat food, set at all times.

We had pack rats get in in Oregon, and they chewed an airline and data cable.

Since that time (after catching 4 pack rats) we never had more rats.  But I get a mouse 4 or 5 times per year.

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Reply #7 –
We once drove through a campground west of Tucson where everyone had lights under, over and around there engine area. It was a small rural campground with lots of brush.  I asked and they said the lights detoured the critters.  Sooo.

 I now have underglow lighting installed all around our coach for mostly that reason. Although it looks cool too. 
Full disclosure, I never had much rodent issues before either and I like sticky traps.

Re: Rodents!

Reply #8 –
I've caught a bunch of mice over the years. They are worse in some areas than others. I know that pet food attracts them. In the fall they are looking for somewhere warm. I have some poison cubes in the basement that I don't have much faith in. If I see any sign of a rodent I put out a bunch of baited snap traps and glue traps.
Last year I had a real savvy ninja mouse that was visiting my kitchen counter and somehow getting over the glue traps I had set around the perimeter. It had to be jumping from the back of the couch, over the glue traps and onto the toaster to get at my bananas. I put a couple glue traps between the toaster and the bananas and caught it. 

Re: Rodents!

Reply #9 –
We use spring traps mouse and rat. One each at each wheel. Peppermint oil in each bay, snap or glue traps in the wet bay.  At a recent BLM camp ground 4 days 16 rodents mice rats chipmunks. 🐿️ if they do get in bait on top of the fuel tank and fresh water tank. The battle goes on

Re: Rodents!

Reply #10 –
I use a variety of products in the coach. Peppermint drops on cottons ball. Bounce sheets .  Rodent away product and irish spring soap. ALL of it.  I use moth balls under the coach and in the bays. Never had an issue with mice

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Reply #11 –
Mouse trap Monday with Shawn Woods some fun Rodent wisdon

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Reply #12 –
We full time and have found the best rodent deterrent is a cat. When we started full timing five years ago, we had a cat and had no rodent issues until our cat died. Within a month we had mice in the coach, so we got another cat. Since then, no mice inside. I have had two since in the bays that the poison took care of, but one of those was when I foolishly left the door open all day while camped at a site with thick brush nearby. I don't have any traps, bait, etc. inside—just the cat. I'm not really confident the cat could even catch a mouse since she has been inside for the entire three years we have had her and has never hunted anything, but the mice don't know that.

Re: Rodents!

Reply #13 –
We have always had a couple of cats that travel with us.  We still will have an occasional mouse problem, but the cats will alert us when we do have mice in the coach by fixating on the area where they hear, smell or see the rodent.  And they have even caught one or two.  By alerting us, it gives me the sign to deploy the spring traps.

For us, the problems seem to happen in the fall when the mice are looking for warmth and food.

If you have cats, I STRONGLY urge you not to use poison.  Stay with only traps.  If a cat catches and eats a mouse that has been into the poison, it can be VERY BAD for the cat because they get the poison dose that the rodent had.

Rich

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Reply #14 –
We travel with 2 cats. But rodents still get into the basement areas.

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Reply #15 –
If you have a cat, save the clumps from the litter box and throw them under the rig every month of so.  We live full time in the desert and never had a mouse of packrat since we've been doing that,  I keep spice jars with cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in the bays and a couple sticky traps in the water and sewer bays for good measure, but the cat litter balls are my "secret weapon." 

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Reply #16 –
We had a mouse problem in the engine bay/end cap a while back. Tried every kind of trap know to man with no luck. Tried all kinds of food and even bedding materials... NOTHING got them into a trap. We even spread DE around the engine and could see their tracks (they just went around the traps!) Then we stumbled onto something amazing! Simple Green. Mix water/Simple Green at 50/50 and spray with a small garden sprayer. They have lost ALL INTEREST in our rig now! We spray and do not rinse about twice a month.

Re: Rodents!

Reply #17 –
Regular (which isn't safe for aluminum) or Extreme (which is safe)?

If regular, you REALLY need to be careful where you spray it in the engine area.  Simple Green regular shouldn't be left in contact with aluminum for any length of time

Simple Green | FAQs | US | Industrial | Aluminum

Re: Rodents!

Reply #18 –
Put a Hershey kiss in the middle of a sticky trap.