We all know what it feels like to have mice inside your camper – it's disgusting, annoying, and at the same time very unhygienic.
These are pests that ruin the fun of your camping vacation, which is why it makes perfect sense for you to get rid of them once and for all.
In this article, we're going to share with you the most effective ways on how to keep mice out of camper.
When you follow all of these tips, there's no doubt that you'll finally say goodbye to these pesky mice.
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Dangers of Having Mice in Your RV Part
Having mice in your RV is not only disgusting and annoying for cleaning, but poses a serious health hazard at the same time.
First, they can damage your property. They will chew through almost anything – plastic, rubber, wiring, upholstery, and cushions.
They often use those parts to create nests for themselves. At the same time, this is a big mess to clean, it can be expensive to repair and, at last, it can be a serious threat to your safety.
Imagine if you would start driving a vehicle with majority of important wires chewed up. Many unfortunate accidents are likely to happen in this case.
Additionally, rodents can spread over 35 diseases and parasites. Once you go camping, you certainly don’t want to get sick, but enjoy your free time in nature.
Probably the most dangerous one and incredibly common disease among deer mice is Hantavirus.
Between 11-50% of deer mice carry this virus and humans who contract it have only 50% chance of survival. If the infection is handled incorrectly, survival rates drop even more.
Hantavirus is carried in saliva, urine and feces of deer mice, which means the risk of infection can remain even after the animals are physically gone from your vehicle.
So, there are more than 35 reasons for you to be cautious when it comes to rodents in your camper, don’t neglect these facts and preserve your health.
How To Keep Mice Out OF Your RV
#1 Place Mothballs throughout Your Camper
The first thing you can do to stop mice from entering is to place a lot of mothballs in different areas of your camper. Mothballs contain a chemical substance that is poisonous for mice and other rodents.
Using mothballs lands on our number one spot because it’s small and very easy to place. You don’t need to set up complicated traps.
You just simply place them on corners. The best areas where you can place them are in dark and tight corners. You can also place them near holes or cracks where they might slip into.
#2 Place Traps Outside
Another way you can rid mobile home of mice is to place mouse traps outside. There are different kinds of mouse traps available in the market today, from wooden snap traps to plastic traps, and even electronic ones.
These are very effective because mice can easily be lured into these traps, by just putting up a piece of food on it, such as cheese or a slice of meat.
Position the mouse traps outside, surrounding your camper.
The more traps, the better, because you'll have higher chances of catching them.
The ideal area to place these traps are near your camper's wheels, near the exhaust pipe, or around the doors.
Little crevices and holes can also serve as a passageway for mice, which is why you can also place these traps there.
#3 Eat Outside the Camper
The number one reason why mice want to enter your camper is they might have smelled something delicious that they could eat.
Mice are scavengers, and they love scavenging on leftover foods.
But there are even times where these mice could even prey on ready-to-eat food. With this, it makes perfect sense for you to keep food out as much as possible.
Even though campers are designed to serve as multipurpose vehicles where you can travel, eat, and sleep at the same time, it doesn’t mean that you need to do all of those things inside it if you can do it outside.
So if you want to eat a meal with your family and friends, you always have the option to set up a table outside and eat there.
#4 Remove Nesting Materials
When it comes to keeping mice out of your camper, it means that you shouldn’t just focus on keeping them away, but you should also see to it that they wouldn’t have any means of reproducing further.
It would surely be a big problem to have a single mouse enter your camper and reproduce there. This usually happens when there are a lot of materials that a mouse can use to build their nest.
Materials such as unused clothes, paper products, and even towels could serve as raw materials for mice to use to build their nest.
#5 Clean Up After Eating
If you eat inside your camper, which is most likely the case knowing that campers are made for that purpose, see to it that you clean it up after eating.
Chances are is that after eating, you leave small pieces of food on the table or the floor.
This is especially true if you're eating dry food that can easily crumble into small pieces. Mice love nibbling on these, and they can smell it from several meters away.
When they do, they'll find ways to enter your camper so that you can eat it.
To avoid this from happening, the best thing to do after eating is always to observe CLAYGO which is the acronym for "Clean as you go".
This means that every time you finish eating, see to it that you wipe the table, get rid of the fallen food pieces, spray detergent on it, and wipe it again with a piece of clean cloth.
#6 Fix Cracks, Crevices, and Holes
Even though firewalls sound very durable and unbreakable, these aren't still damage-proof especially if your camper is already quite old.
The number one rule when it comes to keeping mice off from your camper is never to underestimate.
One thing you can do is to make sure that every wall is sealed. If there are holes, no matter how small they are, patch them up.
Do repair works on crevices or small cracks because these can eventually grow in size when left unfixed.
Remember, mice are ingenious creatures, which is why they'll surely find a way to enter through these cracks, crevices, and holes.
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#7 Find a Perfect Place to Camp
There are places that have a thriving rodent community. These are usually found in hilly places where there are a lot of bushes, trees, and garbage all around.
If you find any area like the ones mentioned, then it’s a clear sign that you shouldn’t pick it as a camping spot.
It’s recommended that you find a flat area which is clean and free from bushes and muddy surfaces.
As much as possible, keep your camper from parking on tight and dark corners. If there is a body of water nearby, you can also park your camper near it because mice are afraid of water.
#8 Properly Seal Your Food Supplies
Never underestimate the capability of mice to find your food, because they're experts in doing this thing.
What this means is that you should always see to it that all of your food supplies are properly sealed.
We all know that it's impossible not to bring any food on your camping trip because that would just defeat its purpose.
There is no harm in bringing with you lots of food or having stocks. Just be sure that they are properly sealed and stored in a secure container.
Plastic containers will do. However, there are specially designed anti-rodent containers you can buy in the market.
If you want to see the actual methods of keeping mice out of your trailer house, you can check out this video:
In this video, you can see the actual process or things you can do to get rid of these pesky rodents in your camper. This will surely make it easier for you to understand and visualize the things we stated here.
Conclusion
With all of these being said, it is very important to know these things because these are the most effective and proven methods to keep mice out of your trailer.
It all boils down to three main things, which are responsibility, knowledge, and maintenance. When you incorporate these three things into the ways mentioned above, you’ll surely go to say goodbye to those pesky rodents.
If you like this article, you can freely share it with your family and friends so we can also share our knowledge with them. You may also voice out your opinions in the comment section below if you have any. We would love to hear from you.