Mice - revisited

[NHCamper1431]

Hello, common topic I'm sure, but I am really stumped. Been camping over 20 years with 4 different campers and never had an issue with mice while rv is stored at our house. We switch over to a Keystone, and we have mice damage for the first time over last winter. Built nest in furnace and left their droppings everywhere, you know how it goes. Mobile tech came and replaced all the ductwork and I scrubbed and sterilized everything. We both crawled underneath looking for access points, and figured they got under the plastic underbody where the axles attach to the camper. I stuffed stainless steel wool and expandable foam everywhere the little bastards could possibly squeeze through, no matter how small. Put holistic grade mint oil in cups throughout, and placed sticky traps baited with cheerios, all after our last trip. Over the course of 3 weeks, they have gotten in, again. Droppings in cabinets etc. I'm absolutely stumped as to how they are getting in, and wondering if other Keystone users have experienced this, and if there is a magic mouse portal where they are teleporting in.

Seriously just looking for advise on if others experienced it to this degree with a keystone, and were able to find how they were getting in. There's got to be a place I'm not thinking of to look. Thanks for any help!

[travelin texans]

To start if you'd go up to the "cp" drop to "edit signature" add the year, make & model of your rv & tow vehicle then to the bottom to "save changes", this would greatly help us determine why your Keystone rv happens to be the mouse flavor of the month along answering any future questions you may have.
When our last one was in storage I placed Fresh Cab, maybe Cab Fresh, packets throughout the interior, under cabinets, under furniture & in the storage compartments, this stuff has a pleasant smell, but apparently mice don't think so.
I also used Ramnick Green pellets around & under the rv, they are a deterrent not a poison so won't hurt pets. You will have to add fresh after a few rains.
Using these 2 products, both found at TSC, we had no critter invasion for 2 years.

[bsmith0404]

Have never had mice in ours (hopefully I didn’t just jinx myself). I’ve used the dryer sheet method in the past while stored, now it gets used too much to bother with anything special while it’s stored.

[wrvond]

What parts of your camper are in contact with the ground?
I had a Forest River travel trailer that got mice and ants. I emptied the camper and opened everything possible. Set off several bug bombs specifically for ants, placed a few snap traps and several poison bait trays around the interior. Finally I sprinkled Seven Dust on the floor inside all the cabinets and such. The mice took the hint and disappeared. The ants not so much. I think they lived in the insulation of the underbelly.
You might consider dropping the coroplast and sprinkling seven dust or similar in the underbelly after giving it a cleaning. Not intended to kill the mice but since they pretty much have to be coming up through the floor the odor should make the trip too unpleasant for them.

[sourdough]

I always had good luck with Fresh Cab. I put it at the bases of the tires, one on top of each tire and in various places inside. I used it with my trailer and my Jeep that sat in the mountains. Never had trailer issues and it got rid of the mice in the Jeep. Now I've got a box of the packets sitting on a shelf in the barn so I can smell it.....

[flybouy]

Only had mice 1 time. We were keeping our camper at DD house and the neighbor about 200' away moved. Fortunately I found it early. I use Fresh Cab for many years and no mice so I put in some newly ordered FC and several snap traps. Checked on the camper daily and the snap traps killed 6 or 7 mice and it was all over in a few days. That was 2 yrs ago and no evidence of any mice.

[Lee]

I feel your pain.... have also fought this battle.

I keep a "Walk the Plank" trap baited year round next to a wheel. Object being to get them outside BEFORE they get inside.

No poison to worry about if you have dogs / cats. Just some peanut butter.

On last years 10 day elk hunt in the mountains I got 72!!!!!!!

[GMH]

Originally Posted by NHCamper1431

Seriously just looking for advise on if others experienced it to this degree with a keystone, and were able to find how they were getting in. There's got to be a place I'm not thinking of to look. Thanks for any help!

There are numerous places they can get in. On my 5th wheel:
1) gaps in the underbelly covering
2) where battery cables enter the framing.
3) behind the water heater in the front storage area.
4) up above the propane tanks?
5) if you have a heated underbelly, there is a 2” heat duct that they can get into, then into the furnace, then into the other ducts.
Once they are in the underbelly, they can possibly get into the walls. Once they are in the walls they can get into the ceiling space.
The first thing I did when I noticed them, was to plug all the pipe and wire openings into the living space with steel scouring pads and spray foam. That kept them out of the living space.

[NH_Bulldog]

We use Fresh Cab when the camper is in storage and have not had an issue after three winters. There are limited points of ground contact and that is where I would focus attention on sealing efforts, and/or repellents.

[GMH]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

There are limited points of ground contact and that is where I would focus attention on sealing efforts, and/or repellents.

Yes, that is the first and most important line of defense! I wish I had sealed all access from the ground immediately after purchase.

[NHCamper1431]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I checked all points of contact and sealed one area I missed where the axle mount goes up through the coroplast. Pulled the ductwork from the furnace and everything looked clear this time (few). Added fresh cab (surprised at how expensive that was!) and now I'm hopeful this solved it. If I see evidence of mice after all this, I know that they must be entering through some alien portal lol.

[ThaddP]

I set traps baited with PButter outside the RV and only sticky traps inside along walls and cupboard floor edges. Sealed the underbody with steelwool and sprayed with a mix of peppermint oil & alcohal to deter the critters. (Alcohal is there to easily spray the peppermint oil), do not spray upwind, as it burns the eyes big time!!
So far two trailers and no mice inside. Oh...empty the rv of food or nesting materials before storage.
Good luck.

[LHaven]

If you have any trees or bushes brushing your rig up higher, they can get in from roof openings like the A/C or refrigerator cowls.