Mice!!! How do you keeps rodents out of your conversion???

[scanzel]

The other day I am changing out two starter batteries in the luggage bay of my Prevost which is the last bay in back. Start the engine and go to close the battery door and I hear hissing and it is coming from the plastic pvc tube which runs from the last bay to the front and has a bunch of plastic tubing running through it and I pull on one of them and a mouse has chewed into the air line feeding the front tanks. Made a temp fix but now coach will not air up past 100 lbs so it is not raising up. Was supposed to take it to get OTR serviced. What do you guys and gals use to keep rodents out during the winter months. I have trays of mouth balls in the bays but it seems to not have worked. Turned on the defrosters a few weeks ago and got a face full of acorn shells, found acorns behind the batteries also. Getting frustated, who knows what else they damaged. First time in five years I have had these problems.

[robertglines1]

we use cheap dryer sheets in drawers and cabinets..use spray foam in end of conduit runs(easy to remove if you need access)it forms around wires and lines....will be watching other peoples solutions...look for a big entry hole if you have acorns inside;fresh air intake screen above front bumper.around steering shaft and brake rod.. good luck

[Dreamscape]

We've tried Dcon and dryer sheets. Best solution for us has been the rattlesnakes here in Abilene.

[cody]

Hanging a pic of libby in the bays helped us, now and then we will hear a high pitched scream and the stampede of little feet heading away from the bus and we know a new one has tryed to move in. lol

[gumpy]

We've tried Dcon and dryer sheets. Best solution for us has been the rattlesnakes here in Abilene.

What do you use to get rid of the rattlesnakes when the mice are gone and you want to use your coach again?  

I don't like snakes!!


I had mice in the bus last summer. Trapped a whole family.  Best solution before that seemed to be the buscat that adopted us.
She kept them out of the bus and out of the garage, but she's no longer with us.

I've heard about the dryer sheets, but have not tried them.

[Dreamscape]

One thing I forgot, dryer sheets also work great to help keep the ants out. Just wrapped them around our water hose, power cord and sewer hose. Also put some around all the tires.

I don't like snakes either, never have seen any under the bus. They just have helped keep the little four legged critters away from the coach.

[JackConrad]

At home, we use totally natural rodent control devices.  We use CATS.  We had a feral cat & her 5 kittens move in about 5 years ago. Over the years some of the kittens left, but we still have Momma and one of the kittens (Princess). Yeah Cody, Momma is still there. When they first moved in, we caught them and had them neutered.  Jack

[Eagle78550]

Try coyote urine ...you can get it at local hunting/fishing stores ....I spray it around the perimeter of the shop and have never had a problem with rodents or possums ...you can also spray it on the tires ...it works great !

[garhawk]

Do not slow to less than 34 miles per hour.  If you must stop, pee on the bus!

[bobofthenorth]

We have an environmentally benevolent control device known as George the cat - he is in charge of interior rodent control. 

For the storage bays we practice chemical control.  Most of the bays have a margarine tub with solid bait inside it and a mouse sized hole cut in the container.  The tubs are labelled with felt pen to remind me what is in them.  AFAIK mice can't read.

In three years the score is George 2, chemical control 0 but the chemically controlled ones may have crawled off somewhere else to die.

[Jerry32]

never had a problem with mice with 3 cats around. I also tske one with me when I travel so always have a guard cat. Jerry

[Hartley]

We just tell the cats it's "snack time" they pretty much control the problem.

We do however have a few brave mice. They usually only last a day or so
until the hunting parties get to them. I have been afraid to use baits because
of the cats.

Dave...

[Merlin-PV]

last year in quartzsite our neighbors had a rat and mice problem they grated up irish spring soap spread it around their bus no rats, snakes, or mice worked like a charm

[bobofthenorth]

I have been afraid to use baits because
of the cats.

I've never met a cat that would eat a mouse that he didn't kill.  The anti-coagulant baits wouldn't be lethal to a cat anyway unless he consumed multiple rodents that had died from bait, and even then he'd have to eat them in quick succession.  The purpose of the margarine tubs with rodent-sized access is precisely to prevent anything except rodents from getting at the bait.

When we used to put the RV in storage we used moth balls as a deterrent.  I think they worked but we may just have been lucky.

[Lin]

We have used packets of spearmint in the draws and cupboards with good success.  Last year though, it did not work with a some that moved in.  We added dryer sheets, and that did not work either.  Finally we bought some rat poison bait traps.  I believe they work better than the mouse bait.  Anyway, it seemed to work.  We no longer have our cats.  They disappeared.  Probably the coyotes got them.  There are lots of coyotes here, but we have not been able to convince them to urinate in advantageous places.  There are rattle snakes too, but I am told that they do not make dependable pets.