Mice in my manor!

We live in the mountains and had mice evidence in our older popup every time we prepared for an outing. We were hoping the 2009 TM we purchased would be better sealed but we are having the same problem. I know we live in nature and have critters here but I'd rather they not be in my camper! Anyone have this problem and a solution? We can set traps but would like a permanent solution. So far, we've not found their entrance. That would be a great first step toward sealing it better.
Thanks!!

We saw a number of posts suggesting essential oil of peppermint and so far it has worked for us. Our problem was squirrels. Put a few drops on a cotton ball or gauze in an old ash tray and leave it inside. Also, we no longer use a cover over the TrailManor because the squirrels think it makes a nice shady entrance. Anyway no more rodents. Good luck.

[Redtail Cruiser]

+1 on the peppermint oil. Very effective.

Thanks so much for the idea of peppermint oil! We will definitely try this and hope for the best. LM

[logcabin]

Our first winter we also got mice inside our TM. They ate holes in the sofa cushion upholstery. Since then I have used: Bounce strips, peppermint oil and Fresh Cab - all at the same time. No mice anymore and when you open the TM it smells delicious!
"Fresh Cab® #1 Botanical Rodent Repellant is the First and only "green" repellent registered by the EPA for indoor use! Patented flow-through pouch gradually dispenses active ingredient-each pouch covers up to 125 sq. ft. for up to 100 days."
You can get it at Tractor Supply or Amazon - http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...=&cm_vc=-10005
Good Luck!!

[tentcamper]

I put out bait stations in all 4 corners of my garage and bounce in the camper. I will have to try the peppermint oil. I have some loran peppermint oil in my candy making box.

I never had any mice in my campers.

My high risk time is in the fall. It seems the mice are looking for a better place and my garage looks very good. During this time, I'm refilling the stations every week or so. I takes about 3-5 weeks and eating stops.

Everyone has their own opinion on mice...we had some in ours one year. What I discovered was that they are creatures of habit - they tend to follow the same path. If you are putting the TM in the same spot as your other camper, they are going to go right in. If you move out of the path by as little as 10' or so (per some websites), they won't go in... Regardless, what we did was: put peppermint oil in open salt/pepper shakers near droppings found, create a "wall" around each tire and support that touched the floor with aluminum sheet metal (create a circle and tape shut with duct tape), and put out traps along the known path. The aluminum thing was an idea taken from another website that I found, where a guy who stores RV's in a warehouse in the winter came up with the idea...the "wall" is too tall and too slippery for mice to easily jump on /get a grip and crawl into the camper, supposedly. We caught the culprits and have not had a problem since. good luck!

[tentcamper]

I think they somehow scent where they make their shelter. I had some make a nest in my lawnmower. I moved where I stored the mower to the other side of the building and they made a nest in it again. I had an older mower in the fist location just feet away from the mower I moved. They have never mad a nest in that mower.

[QUOTE=tentcamper;112734]I put out bait stations in all 4 corners of my garage and bounce in the camper. I will have to try the peppermint oil. I have some loran peppermint oil in my candy making box.

Not sure that peppermint oil intended for food use will work. We have used essential oil of peppermint and despite mice in shed just inches away none in TM, It also keeps out spiders and ants.

[GA Judy]

We only had mice as a problem one time with no real damage (other than front mattress in our 2720 smelling of urine and droppings present). We took care of the mattress cleaning and left it out in the sun afterward to really make sure it was cleaner.

I concur with the peppermint essential oil but instead use blue spruce or Christmas tree essential oils on cotton balls and tiny pinecones that I keep in a cleaned out canned chicken breast can. We keep it in the bathroom and all smells fresh with no more mice. A friend uses the Walmart brand of pine scented cleaner and sprays his motor home under carriage and wheels every so often. His MH is kept outside the garage we rent from him for our TM. He thought because the black snake hanging around is not seen anymore that the mice are more prevalent.

We also carry a box of fabric softener sheets to keep ants from invading. They seem to find ways in through the bed end corners and congregate on the back end by the bed bar latches! I must have killed a hundred of them last time, attracted by the water leaking out the hose coupling. They will also climb a hose and come in by the front bed end where we can see a small area of daylight. I try to stuff a piece of hard foam rubber in that hole.