Anyone try "Mouse-Free"?

[FunSteak]

We store our coach at an indoor facility, which is essentially a really big pole barn with a gravel floor.  They keep exterminator bait stations around and do their best to keep the rodents away, but I'm still a bit worried.  Sure would be terrible to have the little buggers chewing and stinking up our brand new unit! 

I plan on placing traps and dryer sheets around inside, as well as a few traps around the tires.  I recently came across this stuff:  http://www.mouse-free.com/ - has anyone tried it?  Seems like an interesting idea, but I'd like to know if anyone has had success using it. 

We're taking the coach out one more time for the season this weekend, to do some hiking at Starved Rock State Park in IL.  Going to only have highs in the 40s, so I suppose I'd better make sure the propane tank is topped off!  She's going to get winterized and go right to storage afterwards, so this topic has been on my mind. 

Thanks!

 

[JoelP]

Having once had a trailer damaged by mice I am also interested in hearing any replies, but would like to know if those who may have used this applied the product themselves or had it applied by one of their dealers.

 

[SeilerBird]

Put a cat in the MH and stop by every few days to change the litter box and make sure the automatic feed and water dishes still work. I have never seen a mouse in my RV.

 

[kdbgoat]

There's a member here that uses and recommends Predator Pee:

https://www.predatorpeestore.com/mice-problems-bobcat-urine.html

I haven't had an issue with rodents in my RV"s or home, so I can't recommend anything in particular.

 

[OLDRACER]

I tried the dryer sheets a while back, the mice chewed hem up and carried them up the vacuum cleaner hose into the canister and made a nice nest, dancing all the while to the expensive, loud ultrasonic mouse chasers (my wife couldn't stand them, the mice I think danced.

Traps, glued to paper plates (stops mess) checked regularly worked for me.

 

[FunSteak]

I tried the dryer sheets a while back, the mice chewed hem up and carried them up the vacuum cleaner hose into the canister and made a nice nest, dancing all the while to the expensive, loud ultrasonic mouse chasers (my wife couldn't stand them, the mice I think danced.

Traps, glued to paper plates (stops mess) checked regularly worked for me.

Gluing the traps to paper plates?  What a good idea!  I do plan on placing traps in the coach.  Do you bait them?  I typically use peanut butter and sunflower seeds, which seems to be irresistible to them, but I wonder if that smell wouldn't attract the little devils to come inside in the first place.

 

[OLDRACER]

Paper plates because you can, when a real mess, chuck the whole thing. Also a plate stops still alive mouse from dragging trap away. I have placed trap so hopefully mouse is standing on plate at the snap???

A cheap plastic plate does make it easier to set and handle, and always used peanut butter for bait.

If you cook in RV, probably enough scent to attract them in any case. Plus the little buggers just go exploring!

I used to use a live trap and invite them to go Bass fishing.

 

[blw2]

I saw the stuff in a store a few months back and started a thread about it here....
Basically my GUESS is that it's snake oil hog-wash....

I wish it wasn't though.  I'd love to have a preventative treatment.

 

[skydivemark]

A few years ago we had a mouse problem in our previous classC. I set a few sticky traps and caught one. A week or 2 later i found a small snake (maybe 20-24") stuck to a stucky trap (felt sorry for him). After that we had no more mouse problem, I  guess the smell of the snake was a significant mouse deterent.

 

[grashley]

My favorite trap is the bucket trap.  Start with a 5 gal bucket or even a tall kitchen trash can.  Drill holes on opposite sides,  Take a soda can and drill a hole in each end.  Now a metal coat hanger, cut and straightened.  Run the coat hanger through one bucket hole, through the soda can and out the other side of the bucket,  Bend the wire to keep everything in place.  Coat the soda can with peanut butter.  Put the bucket in the camper with a ramp to allow the mice to get to to the rim.  DONE!  The mouse goes up the ramp and leans in to get the snack, which requires front paws on the can.  Because it rotates, he can't get off without falling into the bucket.

Empty bucket - catch and release trap.
Water or RV antifreeze, they drown and do not suffer.

Room for many mice without any resets.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

Catch n release plan ain't gonna work. I've seen a mouse jump straight up out of a milk bottle, remember them?, and he cleared the top by at least six inches.

Ernie

 

[garyb1st]

Put a cat in the MH and stop by every few days to change the litter box and make sure the automatic feed and water dishes still work. I have never seen a mouse in my RV.

While I don't share Tom's plan totally, (we wouldn't leave our cats alone in the RV) I can assure you from our personal experience, they will get the job done.  Twice on our last major trip, dead mouse on kitchen floor.  The funny part is when the DW thinks it's one of the cats toys and goes to pick it up.  lol.    ;D

 

[Graycat]

While I don't share Tom's plan totally, (we wouldn't leave our cats alone in the RV) I can assure you from our personal experience, they will get the job done.  Twice on our last major trip, dead mouse on kitchen floor.  The funny part is when the DW thinks it's one of the cats toys and goes to pick it up.  lol.    ;D

Ditto on the cat.  We live in the country and rodents are always with us.  During haying especially, and when mowing, I can see them jumping above the hay, at least a 3 foot jump.  One evening as I was shutting the overhead garage door, a rat ran in.  The cat soon saw him and the hunt was on.  In short time, the rat was dead and buried.  (We buried it, not the cat.)

While Tom was being facetious (I think ;0), he has a good point.  Maybe you could encourage the storage owner to get a barn cat?  Our cat is an indoor cat, and since he took up residence with us, we have never seen a mouse or rat.

 

[Rene T]

Catch n release plan ain't gonna work. I've seen a mouse jump straight up out of a milk bottle, remember them?, and he cleared the top by at least six inches.

Ernie

That milk bottle was probably empty. The bucket trap has about 3" of fluid in the bottom and they drown immediately. There's no way they could jump out. They can't push off the bottom. I used antifreeze so it doesn't freeze. I clean them out in the spring. Like Gordon said, "catch and release". I release them out of the bucket.  ;D

 

[thomasamski]

I use a Riddex unit. It's an electronic box that keeps away all pests. If you do get a visit from a mouse, set up a few traps baited with peanut butter. Don't use rodent poison. The mouse will crawl behind a wall and die. The smell is difficult to get rid of ... and lingers for a loooooong time.

 

[tanglemoose]

I've tried all of the suggestions, except the 5 gallon bucket. Our worse mouse problem was when RV was in a pole barn, all the mice went in to barn to get warm and IN the RV.... I went to drastic steps and left NOTHING inside of drawers, cupboards... took everything out and put in plastic buckets that snap shut. I never put peanut butter in RV... I set lots of traps, those big white ones that look like jaws, on the "path's" they would take, with NO food on it... they trip the traps running their paths. The only way to be rid of them is to kill them. I could go to RV and check traps, reset, which does help.

I took all the bedding out or put in cupboards they could not get in. There are some storage areas that are closed tight. Cover mattress with one of those cheap plastic mattress covers, throw away after storage. Put steel wool in every plumbing hole, microwave plug has one, every hole... fill with steel wool.

You want to have RV not mouse attractive...

After taking out of storage I wash drawers and cupboards out and unpack all my plastic buckets of belongings. After one year of having to take everything out to wash when finding mouse droppings, decided to just put all things away clean... Easy to wash out a empty drawer and unpack. Plus a great time to get rid of stuff you did not use last year while camping!

Have fun!

 

[FunSteak]

Good Morning.

So in preparation for the "long winter's nap", we got a few large bins with decent lids and packed away all soft goods - linens, pillows, towels, paper products - anything that they can easily chew up for bedding.  We took anything edible out for the winter, even spices, as well.  Similar to what tanglemoose mentions, above.

I saw the stuff in a store a few months back and started a thread about it here....
Basically my GUESS is that it's snake oil hog-wash....

I wish it wasn't though.  I'd love to have a preventative treatment.

This was my first thought, too, but I thought I should ask the hive mind for opinions. 

Since this will be our first winter storing the unit, I'm trying to have an abundance of caution without getting too paranoid. 

I use a Riddex unit. It's an electronic box that keeps away all pests. If you do get a visit from a mouse, set up a few traps baited with peanut butter. Don't use rodent poison. The mouse will crawl behind a wall and die. The smell is difficult to get rid of ... and lingers for a loooooong time.

I've heard mixed results regarding these types of things.  We do have power while in storage, though, so I suppose it can't hurt to give one a try.  Riddex is a pretty well-known brand.  Do you feel it was effective?

 

[Rene T]

Good Morning.

So in preparation for the "long winter's nap", we got a few large bins with decent lids and packed away all soft goods - linens, pillows, towels, paper products - anything that they can easily chew up for bedding. 

They'll chew right through plastic to get inside to get what they want.

 

[JoelP]

They'll chew right through plastic to get inside to get what they want.

You might be better off with metal canisters.  I had to deal with a rat problem last year when they overhauled nearby landscaping.  To prevent their entry into my garage I put in a conventional door sweep only to find that they had eaten through this in a dingle night to create a passageway where they have gone freely before.  It took a metal reinforced door sweep to stop their progress.

 

[FunSteak]

They'll chew right through plastic to get inside to get what they want.

Well darn it!  I'm hoping that since there are no food products or residues in the containers that they won't be inclined to go through the effort.  ::crosses fingers::