All the pictures out there make mice look so cute and cuddly, but they are a campers nightmare. They get into your food, they nest in your toilet paper, and leave a giant mess behind. It probably sounds like I have a grudge against them? Well I do. I’ve run up against mice a number of times and it can be a real challenge to rid your trailer of these pests.
Interesting fact about mice. I can’t remember where I read it or the exact distance but field mice won’t travel farther than 10 – 15 feet. Why is this important? Mice generally get into your trailer when it’s in storage. I used to store my trailer in a friends farm field. I had a great spot in the grass right next to a grove of trees. It offered a great place that was difficult to see but was easy to access. It also partly sheltered my trailer from the weather. With all these great features it also had the gift of mice. I tried all the standard ways of deterring mice, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn’t until I moved my trailer about 10 feet away that the mice magically stopped getting into my trailer.
Other really important things to help deter mice include making sure they aren’t able to get into any food or nesting material. Always removing any food that isn’t really sealed (cans, bottles, or stored in very secure containers) as well as any nesting material. Mice seemed to always love my expensive RV toilet paper as well as the spare boxes of Kleenex.
During the winter I would always put out mouse poison as well as remove absolutely anything that might attract mice. With no real time to check on the trailer during the winter I never wanted to risk having a mouse infestation go unchecked for months. I never found steel wool or bounce sheets to do anything, and many forums online seemed to agree. So I just made sure everything was clean, closed tight, and left the poison out.
What’s even better than all the above? Getting a storage spot on a packed gravel pad that is FAR away from the fence line and any grass or trees. When I got a new storage location on a gravel pad I never had a mouse problem again. I always made sure to empty food, but that was about it. From that point on I’ve not had a mouse problem again (knock on wood)
Have you had success with any other ways to preventing or removing mice? Let me know.