Mouse snap traps for winter storage?

[Stangfire]

I’m preparing for winter storage of my travel trailer. I have read lots of info on “mouse proofing”

It is set up permanently at my camp. It will be closed up for about 6 months. I have gone through and sealed up every hole I can find. We will remove all food, paper towels, TP, etc. Clean everything, no trace of food left behind.

I plan to put some peppermint cotton balls inside and spread some moth balls outside under the trailer.

One thing I’m not clear on is should I set snap traps inside with baited peanut butter? I know that will catch any that get in there but I also don’t want to bait them inside. Seems ironic to remove all food and then place peanut butter out in the open?

I may check in on it once or twice over the winter.

[Dacheedah]

If you are not routinely checking on it that would be a no from me.

[bobbecky]

If you can be plugged into power while in storage, you might give the ultrasonic pest repellent devices a try. We have had mice issues several times, and played the trap game with them. Finally, in desperation, caved in and purchased a few of these plug in devises. It's been well over three years and parking at times in very mouse friendly areas, and we haven't had any of those visitors. Don't know if we have just been lucky, but they seem to be working. I got the ones that say Pest Defender on them, but these on Amazon appear to be similar. https://www.amazon.com/Avantaway-Ult...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[Stangfire]

I have no power to do that. Off grid setup.

[jxnbbl]

We have been very successful with:


1. putting mouse poison blocks in the pass through and outdoor kitchen area. U make a little "tin foil plate" to hold it. This can be checked periodically to see if there is feeding and there are mice present.



2. Inside we use the mice deterrents that usually contain peppermint, etc



We place these as directed in the trailer as well as in storage areas under the beds/bench seats, etc.

[RagingRobert]

There's a mouse free thick liquid kit you spray all over the bottom of your RV. Mice don't like it and it lubricates everything...
https://mouse-free.com/pages/rv-owners I do this before winter...you need a compressor.
What also works for us and I do this all season when my RV's in storage, is pour small amounts of peppermint oil in 3 tiny bowls and place on floor around RV...smells okay and it works.

[RagingRobert]

Just to add...putting anything like peanut butter and traps to attract mice doesn't make sense to me. I'll visit my RV every 2-3 weeks during winter to top up the peppermint oil. I haven't had a mouse issue.

[skids]

Originally Posted by RagingRobert

Just to add...putting anything like peanut butter and traps to attract mice doesn't make sense to me. I'll visit my RV every 2-3 weeks during winter to top up the peppermint oil. I haven't had a mouse issue.

Me neither. Don't use an attractant as bait.

[Stangfire]

Thanks guys. I’ll avoid putting the snap traps and peanut butter in unless I ever have a problem with a visitor.

I’ll put the peppermint inside and spread some mothballs on the ground outside and on the frame rails. Hopefully that will deter them from trying to find a winter home before the snow hits.

My issue is I’m 2 hours away from camp and would have to trek through 3’ of snow to check on things during the off season.

[jxnbbl]

Originally Posted by RagingRobert

There's a mouse free thick liquid kit you spray all over the bottom of your RV. Mice don't like it and it lubricates everything...
https://mouse-free.com/pages/rv-owners I do this before winter...you need a compressor.
What also works for us and I do this all season when my RV's in storage, is pour small amounts of peppermint oil in 3 tiny bowls and place on floor around RV...smells okay and it works.

What is this like in the spring? Is it sticky?

[RagingRobert]

@10, since I sprayed mine the first time 4 years ago and every fall since, in the spring I'd say it's more oily/slippery than sticky...it really does lubricate everything. When I had my new trailer delivered in the winter from Indiana to Toronto, the gas pipe and other things looked rusty underneath. Now everything is always oily looking, no rust, and it makes it very hard for the mice to climb. I bought the kit containing two jugs and a sprayer...it's not fun applying it but the thick liquid does stick well and do a good job Imo.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Stangfire

I have no power to do that. Off grid setup.

There are some "effective battery operated sonic repellant devices. We've got two that work well and the batteries last through the winter (although I change them out at 3 months (around mid January) just to be sure there won't be a "power problem" if the snow doesn't melt as early as we hope....

Here's the ones we bought from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

[Ramtop]

In our last camper, I set a 5 gallon pail up next to the couch on the floor with about an inch or so of RV Antifreeze in it. Come spring there would be several mouse carcasses in the bucket. The current camper stays relatively mouse free but I still set up the bucket just in case. I also leave the toilet open with antifreeze in it and have caught mice in there too. Both are easy to clean up in the spring. Plus not baiting with food.

[sourdough]

Something I've not seen mentioned is Fresh Cab repellent. Moth balls have never done anything for me in any location I've ever tried....at the mountain house it seemed the skunks liked them though and mice ignored them?

I heard of Fresh Cab on this forum years ago and deployed it around the vehicles at the mountain (mice loved getting up into the Jeep and knawing around under the hood) and in the RV. At the RV I put them on each side of each tire, on the top of the tires and at the foot of each stabilizer/jack. Inside I just put a few around and never had a problem. In my part of the country I want mice either dead or never seen. Some of them carry hantavirus and I caught a variant of it. At the time I got it the death rate was 70% but thankfully it was a variant and I obviously survived it.....but I got VERY sick.

I've also had good luck with the electronic repellers as mentioned previously. The cheap 4 for $10 stuff won't work but there are some very good ones and they seemed to work for me for years in different houses.

[RagingRobert]

Ya moth balls don't work for mice or smell good. They apparently work at keeping spiders away so I've placed some inside the grills of the HW tank and the fridge to keep them out and from webbing up things. @13 you sound like a mouse hunter The idea is to prevent them from entering your RV...they do piss & poo a lot and chew on things...maybe set up your traps outside the trailer? Interesting/not good that the mice are attracted to RV antifreeze.

[Stangfire]

Originally Posted by Ramtop

In our last camper, I set a 5 gallon pail up next to the couch on the floor with about an inch or so of RV Antifreeze in it. Come spring there would be several mouse carcasses in the bucket. The current camper stays relatively mouse free but I still set up the bucket just in case. I also leave the toilet open with antifreeze in it and have caught mice in there too. Both are easy to clean up in the spring. Plus not baiting with food.

Interesting. so they're attracted to the antifreeze? Somehow are able to crawl up the side of a pail?

[Ramtop]

I’m not sure if the antifreeze attracts them or they are looking for something to drink. I think they climb on the couch and go over the edge into the pail which I put right tight to the couch

[notanlines]

Keep in mind that the antifreeze is somewhat an attractant. I’d think twice about the idea as stated before.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Ramtop

I’m not sure if the antifreeze attracts them or they are looking for something to drink. I think they climb on the couch and go over the edge into the pail which I put right tight to the couch

Originally Posted by notanlines

Keep in mind that the antifreeze is somewhat an attractant. I’d think twice about the idea as stated before.

I agree. There's something they like about the antifreeze. Whether it's a smell of food, the need for liquid or something else. The mice are "drawn to the pail with antifreeze in it"... That, IMO, makes it an "attractant" of some sort...

Whether it's providing "snacks" or "free drinks", I'd keep it out of the trailer...

And then there's the "putting it next to the sofa so they have a reason to climb on the sofa (leaving those chocolate sprinkles along the way) on their journey to whatever they find attractive about that pail with antifreeze in it. If I "had to put the pail inside the trailer" I'd much rather put a 1x2 board as a "bridge from the floor to the pail rim" rather than expecting them to make their journey along the same route I sit when I use the trailer.....

I'd leave it outside, not in the trailer. YMMV

[RV Vacation]

Guess who's back adding his two cents.

Bucket style mouse traps are the "cats meow" for long term storage. Be it winter or otherwise.

Check this out then go on the internet for how to's in making your own bucket trap(s)

https://youtu.be/clTq6Gzm0SA


With Halloween just around the corner, how about this scarry thought? After going to all the trouble of plugging alllllll the openings/holes under your RV, how about the air conditioner on the roof? Only thing between the inside and outside is thin closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam insulation mousey loves to chew through. [Muah-haha]

Ohhhh geez.... sorry I get excited around Halloween. Anyway, just for chyts-n-giggles, check out the mouse traps you can make with a bucket and thin scraps of wood.

Who says we can't reinvent the mouse trap? We RV.

Be well and happy mousing.