Mice in the winter

[Sea Ray]

Re: Mice in the winter

I have had to find ways of keeping mice out of our motorhome for several years. We lived in the country with farms all around us.

I had heard all the myths about moth balls, bounce sheets and decon. Here are my results using them:

Bounce sheets worked great for the mice, they chewed them up and made super soft nests and they smelled good all winter long..

Moth balls stunk the motorhome home up but the mice didn't seem to care. They were still there all winter long.

Decon doesn't kill them right away, they always seem to have just enough time to crawl inside a wall and die. Then they stink all winter long (and into the spring)..

I had the best luck using old fashion mouse traps. The trick is to get them in there early, before the first even light frost. The mice nest down as soon as it gets cold. Check the traps daily (or as much as possible) until it gets cold and stays cold. You would have caught all of them by then or they would have moved on to nest somewhere else.

Just my opinon..I know people swear by the bounce sheets and moth balls but I was in an area where I knew I was going to get mice and they didn't work. It may be the people that have luck with them wouldn't have had mice with or without them???

Good luck, them little critters can cause all sorts of havoc

 

[MikDee]

Re: Mice in the winter

I have had to find ways of keeping mice out of our motorhome for several years. We lived in the country with farms all around us.

I had heard all the myths about moth balls, bounce sheets and decon. Here are my results using them:

Bounce sheets worked great for the mice, they chewed them up and made super soft nests and they smelled good all winter long..

Moth balls stunk the motorhome home up but the mice didn't seem to care. They were still there all winter long.

Decon doesn't kill them right away, they always seem to have just enough time to crawl inside a wall and die. Then they stink all winter long (and into the spring)..

I had the best luck using old fashion mouse traps. The trick is to get them in there early, before the first even light frost. The mice nest down as soon as it gets cold. Check the traps daily (or as much as possible) until it gets cold and stays cold. You would have caught all of them by then or they would have moved on to nest somewhere else.

Just my opinon..I know people swear by the bounce sheets and moth balls but I was in an area where I knew I was going to get mice and they didn't work. It may be the people that have luck with them wouldn't have had mice with or without them???

Good luck, them little critters can cause all sorts of havoc

Another interesting, informing, viewpoint.

 

[PhatboyC]

Re: Mice in the winter

Interesting Sea Ray...

Perhaps your mice where in the motorhome before you winterized? This would mean the bounce and moth balls are only deterrent and do not evacuate current rodent resident? Would make sense when mice are looking for new homes they would be picky. But when they have been living there for a while they can endure some dwelling problem instead of moving. Same as us when it come down to it...

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Mice in the winter

I use mothballs all over the inside of the boat and fabric softener sheets all over the place. Every couple of weeks I open up a corner and throw some more in. I also put steel mesh over each end of the drain plug hole and a very coarse pan scourer cut to suit in the drain hole itself. Water will still drain out and air can pass through but hopefully it will delay any rodents.
No issues with using this method .....so far !!!!

 

[amynbill]

Re: Mice in the winter

Ya'll DO know I was joking about the cat, right?

Anyway, I agree on the fabric sheets. Seemed to work good for my tractor. Every winter mice would get into the engine, and every year Id have to dismantle a bit and blow them out with a backpack blower.

The last 2 years I used dryer sheets, no problem.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Mice in the winter

For the humidity you can use dehumidifying silica beads, and a tight cover. You can find the beads at most sporting goods stores in the gun cabinet area.

Or you could buy a cheap dehumidifier from Wal-Mart, and throw it in and plug it up.

 

[Hashi]

Re: Mice in the winter

Boy...reading horror stories like these make me feel lucky I live in California where winterizing is not a big deal. But, I always keep my plug out whenever the boat is not in use. Never thought about the rodents, though. I'll now put a wire mesh over the drain and duct tape it as recommended by another boater.

 

[IOSLVR]

Re: Mice in the winter

Are these suggestions for boats that are covered or would this work if mine is in closed storage? Haven't been covering it due to possible mildew problems with the humidity here. Figured the complete storage was good enough but have been wondering about putting it away with the carpet wet.

Anyone?

 

[Sea Ray]

Re: Mice in the winter

Interesting Sea Ray...

Perhaps your mice where in the motorhome before you winterized? This would mean the bounce and moth balls are only deterrent and do not evacuate current rodent resident? Would make sense when mice are looking for new homes they would be picky. But when they have been living there for a while they can endure some dwelling problem instead of moving. Same as us when it come down to it...

I am sure the mice were not in there before it starting getting cold. But, I must also say that it certainly would hurt anything to throw bounce sheets around the boat (or camper). The moth balls do leave an unpleasant odor that needs to air out. But, other than that there is any harm done there either.

It is just in my expeirence it wasn't enough to keep the mice out. I would still catch mice in traps for the several weeks and found nests with bounce sheets in them!!

I just decidied that it was an old motorhome and I wasn't going to be able to keep them out. I didn't want dead rotting mice in the walls so trapping them was best way to deal with it. After the first weeks of cold weather I quit catching them for the rest of the winter.

 

[craig stevens]

Re: Mice in the winter

i did pest control for years, mice and rats can chew through steel if the need or want to. drain plug or not if they want in your boat there in. moth balls, glue boards, bait stations or snap traps all work. you can pull your plug and put steel wool in the hole, its like chewing on tinfoil