How to Keep Mice Out of RV
ATAP Pest Control is one of the best mouse exterminators in Chicago companies to keep mice out of RV. Call ATAP Pest Control to determine the most effective mice removal method at (708) 980-0092.
If you’re as passionate about RVing as we are, chances are you’ll want to share it with just about everyone in your vicinity. Perhaps not everyone. As endearing as our four-footed, whiskered companions can be, unwelcome mice and rats can be challenging to conquer in the RV camping world.
Because RVs include a kitchen and are periodically loaded with food, mice find them very enticing. It is especially true if you keep your camper equipped with supplies for your next trip.
Fortunately, there are several strategies for avoiding these creepy-crawly animals and techniques to deal with the situation if you are already infested with mice or rats.
This article will discuss all the steps you need to take to keep mice out of your RV if they’ve already taken up residence.
How to Keep Mice Out of a Recreational Vehicle
The ideal situation is to keep mice out of your RV or travel trailer entirely. Thus, what precautions should you take to keep your equipment mouse-free?
The most critical step in keeping mice out of your motorhome is making it less inviting to the mouse kind. And that includes keeping your rig clean and food-free, particularly over extended periods of storage between journeys.
While you keep food in your house at all times, keeping a mouse-free RV can be more difficult. After all, you won’t leave your RV unattended for weeks on end, and the creatures may have other routes to your RV. (Consider all the doors, windows, and seams!)
Between travels, we recommend removing all food from your RV, with the possible exception of canned goods and other well-sealed nonperishables.
How To Clean RV and Get Rid Of Mice
Along with removing obvious food sources, it’s a good idea to conduct a complete cleaning after each trip. However, the crumbs and bits of food that fall beneath your stove burners or into the cabinets may appear insignificant as they are more than enough to attract rodents! Additionally, performing a complete cleaning between trips allows you to inspect your RV both inside and out thoroughly. Also, assist you in identifying any potential concerns such as water damage as early as possible. (Psst: here’s our guide on cleaning out your RV, whether it’s for spring cleaning or just some time in storage.)
If you’re serious about getting ahead of the mouse problem, you can incorporate some traps and deterrents in addition to keeping the place spotless. Certain odors are believed to deter mice without using dangerous chemicals in your RV’s living space; examples include peppermint oil, mothballs, pine needle spray, dryer sheets, and even Irish Spring bar soap. We are aware — peculiar!
You can use these materials in areas where mice may congregate, such as areas near the ground (such as the seam between the kitchen floor and the cabinets discussed previously) or even inside the cabinets themselves. Additionally, you can install mouse traps to ensure that all of your bases are covered. However, keep in mind that if any mice are trapped in the traps. So you’re likely to find them when you return to your RV to prepare for your next trip.
How to Get Rid of Mice in an RV
While understanding how to keep mice and rats out of your RV is the ideal way to handle the problem, there are times when you can’t stay ahead of those little feet and noses – in which case. You’re going to have to gather supplies and fight the good fight.
If your RV is already infested with mice or rats, here are some methods for eradicating them.
Eliminate all vulnerable food sources. Along with crackers, chips, and other cupboard staples, keep in mind the following products that are easy targets for hungry mice:
- Coffee creamer in powdered form, packaged
- Sugar, flour, and other components for baking
- Pasta that has not been cooked
- Trail mix, dried fruit, and nuts
- Bars de granola
Once you’ve removed all of these food items and thoroughly cleaned up any evidence of the mice’s presence — i.e., droppings — it’s time to get serious about eliminating the swarm. There are both natural and artificial methods of eradicating pest rodents.
Natural Remedies
As discussed previously, there is a range of natural smells and items supposed to repel mice. However, if you have a genuine mouse problem, these may not be strong enough to rapidly and adequately resolve the issue.
It’s never a bad idea to stock your cupboard with peppermint oil or mothballs to ward off future mousey visitors. However, you may need to step up your game and employ actual poisons and traps to accomplish the task in the interim.
Poisons
Commercially available rat and rodent poisons function by simulating natural mouse food sources. Hungry mice consume the poison and then die in their refuge.
However, some individuals are wary of using rodenticides in their RVs or homes, not simply because mice are cute. What is hazardous to mice and rats may be detrimental to pets and children and introduce a new toxin into your surroundings.
It is why many RV owners vow to use traps instead of poison when confronted with a rat problem.
Traps
While not wholly cruelty-free, traps allow you to control mice, rats, and other pesky rodents in your house without introducing a toxin (or, in this case, a home on wheels). On the market, there are numerous types of mousetraps.
Box traps operate by attracting the mouse in with bait and then trapping it within with no way out. In principle, you could gather box traps containing still-living mice and release them outside, though most people discard the boxes once they are complete.
Glue traps are a simple but successful method of capturing mice: you lay these sticky sheets in areas where mice are likely to travel, and when the mouse walks on the trap, its feet become caught, and it becomes immobile. Glue traps are inexpensive, simple to operate, and small enough to fit in spots where larger traps may not do, like beneath your windows or along the kitchen counter.
In the traditional sense, spring traps are the ones you recall from Saturday morning cartoons, and they perform as advertised. Although some users may view them as vicious, they can be highly successful in eliminating mice. When combined with targeted cleaning efforts, they can quickly result in a pest-free region.
How to Keep Mice Away from Your RV
The best way to keep mice and rats out of your RV is to prevent them from getting in. For more detail about how to keep mice out of RV. Here are a few more ways to keep rats out of your rig, especially during long storage periods.
An RV cover is the best way to keep rodents out of your RV in the winter. Close all doors and windows to deter rodents, but rain and cold make your RV more appealing. If it still smells of food. A sturdy RV cover protects the paint job and exterior of your trailer from weather and debris damage. An RV cover is the best way to keep rodents out of your RV in the winter. Close all doors and windows to deter rodents, but rain and cold make your RV more appealing. If it still smells of food. A sturdy RV cover protects the paint job and exterior of your trailer from weather and debris damage. Here’s more information about selecting and using an RV cover.
Conduct a comprehensive inspection of your RV
As indicated previously, one of the reasons RV owners frequently encounter mouse problems is the sheer number of vulnerable areas in an RV. Examine any possible entry points into your travel trailer or motorhome, including the seams along with your slide-out. There are numerous places where your RV can leak, including the exterior HVAC system, the door, window gaskets.
Why Is It Critical to Prevent Mice from Entering Your RV?
Finally, you may be wondering why it is so critical to keep mice out of your RV in the first place. After all, they are beings as well, and they require a habitat. Numerous individuals keep mice and rats as pets!
However, when it comes to RV camping, mice make awful houseguests. They leave their droppings behind when they eat the food in your cabinets, causing a mess and even spreading deadly infections to your family. Remember, rats were the carriers of the bubonic plague all those years ago! So, look best Chicagoland pest control agency to take help to get rid of them.
As if making a mess and maybe causing illness wasn’t enough, mice are also prolific breeders. It implies that once you’ve acquired a couple, you’re almost certain to acquire further ones sooner rather than later. Mice may wreak havoc on your RV’s interior via droppings, urinating, and nibbling through wood, particleboard, and electrical lines.
In summary, regardless of how big of an animal lover you are, you do not want mice to share your RV with you. We guarantee it. (At least if they are not confined.)