Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Topic: Keeping mice out of the utility bay (Read 4449 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #25 – August 23, 2010, 10:30:43 pm

Dave,

when you said "We've been using peppermint oil in all the compartments for 2 months now in prime mouse/rodent territory, and none so far (the paper towel test.) " has the coach been in storage and not been driven? mine has been sitting about 3 months in prime mouse/rodent territory also.....

Tony

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #26 – August 24, 2010, 08:22:04 am

GREETINGS--FIRST POST--

READ ABOUT AND THEN NOW USE STEEL WOOL AND SCRUB BUDS AROUND ALL OPENINGS. WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY UNWANTED INTRUSIONS IN FOUR YEARS.

NITEHAWK
PROUD NEW OWNER OF 36' 1989 FORETRAVEL GRAND VILLA

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #27 – August 24, 2010, 11:47:38 am

Welcome to ForeForums, Nighthawk.

You certainly don't want any rodents running about in that beautiful GV.

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #28 – August 24, 2010, 11:57:28 am

Yes! Welcome to the Foreforum! Stay a while!

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #29 – August 24, 2010, 12:47:25 pm

Now here's an unusual approach that I've used over many years. I use garlic cloves! I discovered this while living in Miami, FL. We used to get bombarded with sugar ants all over the countertops in the kitchen. Beth & I decided to place our left over garlic cloves in a "garlic roaster" left on the counter top after we figured out that there were no ants in the pantry where we stored the bag of garlic (yes I know what you're thinking, we buy garlic at Costco where you have to buy a bag that has quite a bit of garlic bulbs...it's cheap and we use it for cooking as well as a pest repellent).

We've now included garlic as the repellent of choice in the coach as well. Just place the garlic cloves (unpeeled) on the coach counter top. It keeps the rodents and all other pests away. You can do the research as now I think everybody has discovered this very effective approach.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_6151779_information-rat-repellent-using-garlic.html

Don't forget to replace the unpeeled cloves every 3 months!

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #30 – August 24, 2010, 01:06:47 pm

Quote

I use garlic cloves!
Just place the garlic cloves (unpeeled) on the coach counter top. It keeps the rodents and all other pests away. You can do the research as now I think everybody has discovered this very effective approach.

Quote

Read more: Information on Rat Repellent Using Garlic | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6151779_information-rat-repellent-using-garlic.html#ixzz0xXmfWosa

Peter,
That link seems to contradict your theory.
Are you sure you sent the right link?

Garlic Repellent Products
# Commercial pest repellents listing garlic extracts as an active ingredient include, but are not limited to, Garlic Barrier™, Garlic Pharm™, Gempler's Garlic Oil Repellent™ and Equimins Garlic & Parsley Oil ™. Most commercial garlic repellents are marketed for use as insect, bird, deer and rabbit repellents. None of these products specifically claim to be effective against rats.

Are Rats Repelled by Garlic?
# If rats have an aversion to garlic, it is likely to be very short-lived. Laboratory rats have been used extensively in studies testing the effects of garlic in the diet and pet care sites like the Rat Fan Club recommend adding garlic to rat diets to protect against disease.

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #31 – August 24, 2010, 01:29:21 pm

I must admit that we've never had rats or mice evidence in the house or coach. I may have been incorrectly thinking that the garlic was keeping the mice away as well.

But, here's another interesting bit. We use bay leaves to keep the flour, rice, corn meal containers clean of pests as well (garlic will do the same but may impact its aroma to the milled products (don't know about the rice).

But maybe it's been the bay leaves that have been doing the trick all along???

http://answers.ask.com/Home/Gardening/how_to_repel_mice

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #32 – August 24, 2010, 09:26:08 pm

Hi Nitehawk welcome to the forum,

I will use the steel wool as soon as I get back from vacation and seal as many areas I can find, thanks.

Took a last run this evening over to storage yard with peanut butter to set the wooden traps. I didn't find any evidence in the bathroom cabinet, nor anywhere else. Hopefully the peppermint oil which I left in quite a few spots plus spraying in many other areas calmed things down for now. Only time will tell if maybe made them vacate!...

To be continued....after I return..

Thank you all for your suggestions and help.

Tony

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #33 – September 03, 2010, 06:53:17 pm

Caught one critter!!

I checked the coach when I got back from vacation and found the wood trap I placed in the sewer compartment got one mouse, and there was nothing disturbed inside.

Reset a trap in the compartment and I resprayed plus moistened the cotton & towel balls with more peppermint oil. Hopefully that was the only critter and the oil keeps the rest out.

Thank you all again for the information and support!

Tony

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #34 – September 12, 2010, 08:47:29 am

Oops, forgot to mention in my previous post that we have a camper cat named Rocket. He had a fine old time last week when a bat (read "flying mouse") got into the coach. We didn't know it was there but he kept trying to get into the cupboard under the sink by pushing the sliding doors open. We came back from town and the bat was on the paper towels on the counter. (wife freaked out) Rocket tried to catch it, but I got it outside. He is still looking for "mice".
Rocket walks on a leash, rides on my lap, considers himself a person due to the sign posted at High Pines in Eagle River, has to break trail when we walk in the woods.(but he is the wife's cat)
DOGS HAVE MASTERS BUT CATS HAVE SERVANTS!!! BOY, IS THAT TRUE!

NIGHTHAWK

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #35 – September 29, 2010, 12:51:47 am

Don't forget poison in motor area. I owned a carbureator shop for yrs. and we found them ruined all the time, from boats and rvs. mostly,from rat droppings!Found a snake,on the motor once, or my workers did, and you 've never seen 4 men scatter !Had a big bull rat in my den once and tried all the things mentioned and he stole the poison, tripped the traps,etc.;smart rat and the only thing that got him was our 16 yr. old cat-in 15 min!!Nuff said.Ranchers-I own one in Texas , use cats to get rid of snakes,Nuff said!

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #36 – September 29, 2010, 01:27:03 am

An update - still using mint oil, still no mice after almost 4 months. Have been both sitting for periods from a week to two months in mouse country, and also moving and sitting in campgrounds that looked like mouse friendly territory (state parks, COE parks, etc with meadows next to sites.) We're fulltimers, so the rig hasn't ever been in storage since we've had it. Have used one 4 oz bottle of mint oil so far & starting on next one. Hot weather does seem to evaporate it faster - no surprise there.

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #37 – September 29, 2010, 09:50:57 pm

Dave,

The only drawback to using the peppermint oil was every time I opened a bay door I developed a craving for Wrigley's Spearamint chewing gum.

I am glad you are keeping the rodents at bay.

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #38 – September 30, 2010, 12:42:17 am

Quote from: George Stoltz – September 29, 2010, 09:50:57 pm

Dave,

The only drawback to using the peppermint oil was every time I opened a bay door I developed a craving for Wrigley's Spearamint chewing gum.

I am glad you are keeping the rodents at bay.

Guess that's why some folks are using garlic oil

. That Wrigley's Garlic Chewing Gum sure does bring back memories....

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #39 – October 05, 2010, 09:29:25 am

Greetings and Salutations,

Not to create more worry for all the newer coach owners because I don't know when it really started, BUT, a few years ago (how many?) the wire manufacturers(in their infinite wisdom and pursuit of the profit margin) switched over to a wire insulation comprised of a corn derived material. Mice and other rodents prefer this taste to the old rubber insulation.

I guess what I am trying to say is it is also important to insure the rodents don't enjoy a meal in the engine compartment or wherever there is wiring exposed. I did have a field mouse make a meal out of the wiring in my 1994 Silverado--and I was driving the truck almost erery day!!

Traps in the engine compartment and/or peppermint oil should help.

Nighthawk

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #40 – October 05, 2010, 09:55:52 am

Just had a "senior" moment! Forgot to suggest to clean off a spot on the frame in the engine compartment, Shoo Goo a mousetrap in place and then bait it. I realize the basic idea is to keep rodents away but if they do get into the engine compartment you will know.

Nighthawk

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #41 – October 05, 2010, 10:24:41 am

Quote from: Dave Katsuki – September 29, 2010, 01:27:03 am

An update - still using mint oil, still no mice after almost 4 months. Have been both sitting for periods from a week to two months in mouse country, and also moving and sitting in campgrounds that looked like mouse friendly territory (state parks, COE parks, etc with meadows next to sites.) We're fulltimers, so the rig hasn't ever been in storage since we've had it. Have used one 4 oz bottle of mint oil so far & starting on next one. Hot weather does seem to evaporate it faster - no surprise there.

I do not know what the temperatures are like in your locality. But here, they are now dropping into the low 40s or high 30s the last 2 or 3 nights. Our experience has been that field mice love to get into houses or other buildings at this time of the year due to the dropping temperatures.

Probably the true test of the peppermint oil will be in the fall/early winter as the field mice/rats try to get inside due to the dropping temperatures.

It will be interesting to see how the peppermint oil works since we would like to avoid using mothballs inside the coach. We might use them in the storage bays underneath, but due to their aroma, we hope to avoid using them inside the coach.

http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=9305.msg41206#msg41206

http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=9723.msg43502#msg43502

http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=8450.msg37094#msg37094

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #42 – October 06, 2010, 05:49:31 am

Quote from: Dave Head – October 05, 2010, 02:12:54 pm

And if you have Aquahot and shore power its even simpler!

Except that heated bays attract rodents, which like to nest in warm places...

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #43 – October 07, 2010, 07:23:04 am

Quote from: Duane Budd – October 06, 2010, 05:49:31 am

Quote from: Dave Head – October 05, 2010, 02:12:54 pm
And if you have Aquahot and shore power its even simpler!

Except that heated bays attract rodents, which like to nest in warm places...

Having said THAT, I found why my coach would not air up - the nasty little devils had, once again, invaded my bays:

(as you can see, I could not find a way to insert an image of the hole a mouse chewed in one of the air lines to the front of the coach - copy and paste did not work, nor did attaching a file, which resulted in a little box with a red X inside)

At any rate, that is what happened...

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #44 – October 07, 2010, 07:12:48 pm

Quote

(as you can see, I could not find a way to insert an image of the hole a mouse chewed in one of the air lines to the front of the coach - copy and paste did not work, nor did attaching a file, which resulted in a little box with a red X inside)

When you are in the post page, where you type in your message there is a section named Additional Options... just below and to the left of the text box.

Click on that and you will see, well additional options, one of which is Attach: this is used to attach files and images to your post.

Select the Browse button, find the file on your computer (just make sure the image is <4Mb in size, it should be as thats would be a hugh image). If you have more than one attachment you must select more attachments and browse the to the file and select it. Do this for as many attachments as you want to include (sorry its one at a time, NO multi select yet)

Thats it, just Post the message as normal.

PS you can go back and modify your post an add an image to an existing post.

Steve

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #45 – October 08, 2010, 07:05:05 am

Thanks, Steve - I THOUGHT I tried that the first time!

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #46 – November 19, 2010, 06:53:01 pm

George , I hate to tell you this ,but my little buddy ran away from home . Tears abound , yep a sad day on the ranch . looks like I can't help you .

now Now Pepper ,my catch everything cat is A card carrying union member . He wont work more than 10 miles from home . SORRY

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #47 – November 20, 2010, 02:19:27 pm

I refered to an email I received years ago and saved. A sheet of Bounce Fabric softener is supposed to repel mice. Also bees, yellow jackets, and most annoying bugs. According to that email, Bounce has many uses as an odor cure. If interested email me and I will forward the email to you.
Bob Raab '06 Phenix

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #48 – November 20, 2010, 04:30:56 pm

Quote from: Bob Raab – November 20, 2010, 02:19:27 pm

I refered to an email I received years ago and saved. A sheet of Bounce Fabric softener is supposed to repel mice. Also bees, yellow jackets, and most annoying bugs.

Don't know about the others pest, but have heard that mice love to make nests out of Bounce. I tried it once and the Bounce disappeared, but the mice droppings didn't. I'll stick with moth balls and peppermint oil thank you.

Re: Keeping mice out of the utility bay

Reply #49 – November 20, 2010, 05:17:37 pm

Pat,

Thanks for the reminder. We will make our coach bays smell like a freshly cut peppermint field for the month it is in storage.

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