How To Keep Mice Out Of Camper: 7 Top Ways Of Prevention
Do not let mice ruin your camping or trip. Facing mice problems in RV is common as mice like clustered and dark places like RV. However, before the mice start multiplying and infestation, you must get rid of them. If you are wondering how to keep mice out of camper, this article is the perfect one to read.
Preventing mice from the camper is easy, but you must make a reasonable effort. First, you have to check the holes and seal them thoroughly. Next, cover the opening space like air vents. You must clean your RV regularly. Also, using LED lights, ultrasonic sound, peppermint oil, and natural fragrances of garlic, cloves, rosemary, etc., will repel mice.
Want an elaborate explanation of the methods? If so, then let’s get into the article!
7 Effective Ways To Prevent Mice From Getting In
There is a famous saying, “Prevention is better than cure.” It is applicable for getting rid of mice in an RV also. If you find that mice have built their nest in your RV, the first thing to do is prevent more mice from entering. That means before you get rid of the existing mice, find a way to prevent new mice from getting in.
Mice mainly enter the RV through holes and air vents. Moreover, they get attracted to open food and often seek shelter on cold winter nights. So, you must be more careful in winter and keep your RV’s kitchen neat and clean. Check the cleaning process of How To Clean A Tent?.
Follow the Below Steps to prevent mice from entering your RV-
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1. Find The Entrance Holes
If you are troubled with mice in your RV and looking for a way how to get mice out of the camper, you must first look for holes. Remember, mice entering an RV through the door is rare. They will always find an alternative way to enter, like small holes in the pipe or walls.
So, if you think your RV door has no gap to let a mouse enter, then you are wrong. Mice can find their way even from the tiniest hole in your van. Now, looking for the entrance holes of mice is easy if you know the trick.
When looking for a hole in your RV, make sure you search and point out the minor holes. Because mice have flexible rib cages which allow them to squeeze through tiny holes. So, do not miss out on the little holes in your RV.
You can also follow the thumb rule to figure out the mouse holes. If a pencil is easily going through the holes, the mouse can also pass through that hole. Also, if a spot is equal to a dime’s size, a mouse can easily enter through that hole.
Remember, you must look for the entrance holes outside and inside the RV. Be sure to search the below part of your RV. Mice are great climbers who can enter through the holes under the RV. After finding each spot, mark them with highlighting tapes or markers.
2. Cover Or Seal The Holes
Once you find the holes, it is time to cover them. Yes, you read it right! You have to cover the gaps so that the mice do not find their way to let in. However, do not worry because covering or patching up the holes is easy.
You can quickly seal the holes using wall patches, spray foam wood filler, or steel wool. Firstly, wall patches are not perfect for all types of spots. If the gap is too small, then it is safe to use wall patches.
Next, if you use spray foam, simply spray it on the holes. Do not spray much because the foam will expand, so it is better to spray less.
On the other hand, you can also use steel wool to seal the mice entrance of your RV. Steel wool is more effective than spray foam because mice find it harder to chew steel wool. It mainly helps to seal the openings permanently.
However, if you want to be extra safe, use spray foam and steel wool together. To do so, first, put the steel wool into the hole and then spray the foam. It will provide extra protection, and mice cannot chew and invade through double protection.
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3. Cover The Vents
Other than little holes, mice can enter your RV through the air vents. Air vents remain open for proper ventilation, and mice take advantage of it. You cannot fully close the vents, but you can cover them with mesh wires from the outside so that mice do not get in and the air flows remain good.
Note: Hardware cloth is also a proper tool to cover the air vent of your RV.
4. Use Tubes Of Sheet Metal
Besides digging holes, mice are also well-known as great climbers. They can climb through anything they find. Remember, to get into your RV, they will climb over the tires, jack stands, and tubes. Are you now worried about how to keep mice from climbing tires? If so, this article has the perfect solution for you.
One of the most effective ways to prevent mice from climbing tires and tubes is to use sheet metal. You can find galvanized sheet metal reasonably priced at your nearby hardware store.
After you buy them, cut the sheet into long strips and make vertical tubes around the tires, tubes, and jack stands. Mice cannot climb the vertical tubes; remember to put the height to 8-10 inches. Also, there must not be any gaps between the tubes because even a tiny gap will help mice to climb the tire and waste all your efforts. Ensure you do this when you park your RV in one place for a long time.
5. Always Keep Your RV Clean
The more dirty your RV is, the more it attracts mice. So, the best way to prevent mice in your RV is to keep it clean. Ensure every RV corner is clean and there are no food scraps.
Moreover, give special attention to the kitchen and cabinets. Mice tend to build their nest in the kitchen area because this is where they will get food. Also, do not store newspapers, clothes, or toilet paper in the RV because they are perfect materials to make a mouse nest.
Furthermore, if you have kids, you have to be extra careful. Having kids means it is tough to keep the RV clean as they always keep throwing food here and there. You must always check under the cushions and couches if there are any food scraps under them. Because children tend to put their chocolate and chips under the pillows and behind the couches.
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6. Use LED Lights To Deter Mice
Adding LED lights around and beneath the vehicle will make mice avoid the place. Mouse prefers dark areas to live in, and they cannot tolerate lights as they do not like exposure.
So, placing LED lights under RV to keep mice away is efficient because the lights make them uncomfortable. As a result, they will stay away from your vehicle and won’t ruin your vacation.
On top of that, the LED lights won’t bring any harm. Besides preventing mice, it makes your vehicle look nicer at night.
7. Use Ultrasonic Electric Repellent Device
Ultrasonic repellents work great on mice and play an effective role in keeping mice away from your vehicle. This device releases high-frequency sounds which mice cannot tolerate. However, this sound is not audible to humans.
Keeping Ultrasonic electric repellent in your RV silently deters mice. It avoids the hassle, and you get a mice-free vehicle. Remember, do not put the device anywhere in your car. It is best to place it near any open entrance or door from where the mice try to enter the RV.
3 Ways To Take The Mice Out Of The Camper Or RV
You are reading this part of the article means you know how to keep mice out of camper. But what will you do if mice already invaded your RV? Are you worried? You do not have to be worried because this article has the perfect solution to this problem.
If your camper has mice inside, you must take steps immediately. However, avoid using mice traps that will give them a painful death. Using natural remedies to make the mice leave the RV by themselves is best.
The practical and non-cruel ways to take the mice out of the camper are given below-
1. Use Cruelty-Free Mouse Traps
Yes, you heard it right! There are mouse traps in the market which will trap mice without harming them. They are known as catch-and-release traps. Keep such trap boxes or cages around where the mice usually run through and keep checking the box. Also, keep food like oatmeal flakes, peanut butter, birdseed, rice, bacon bits, etc., to attract them towards the trap.
After the mice get trapped, take the box out of the RV and release them. Following this, you can get rid of mice inside your vehicle without killing them.
2. Use Peppermint Oil
Mice do not like the strong flavor of peppermint oil. They always try to avoid the area where they can smell peppermint. Using peppermint oil to eliminate mice is one of the easiest and best ways. Make some cotton balls, soak them in the peppermint oil, and put them where you usually see the mice roaming around. It will make the mice get out of the RV by themselves.
Moreover, you can keep the cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil around the small openings. It will prevent the mice from entering the RV.
3. Use Mice Repellant Bags
Are RV mice-repellant bags useful? Yes, they are useful and prevent mice without any doubts. Intense repellent flavors will keep the mice 100 meters away from your RV. Also, if your RV has mice inside, placing the repellent bag will make the mice leave the RV.
You can find mice-repellent bags in the market, or you can also make one. The process is easy. All you will need is some essential ingredients and assemble them in a bag.
First, take some cedar shavings and dried herbs and then mix them. Next, add 20 drops of cedarwood, lavender, peppermint, and rosemary essential oils to the mixture. Mix them well, put everything in a funnel bag, and tie it tightly.
If you use mice-repellent bags, replace them once the smell fades away. Because over time, it becomes less effective as the scent fades.
Some Myths About Mice Deterrent
There are many home remedies that our ancestors used to keep mice away. Earlier, mothballs were well-known as mouse killers or repellers. Now, the question is, do mothballs keep mice out of campers?
Well, using mothballs as mice repellers is not that effective because they have much fewer levels of naphthalenes. If you use mothballs in large quantities, they might repel some mice, but there is no guarantee of that.
Some people also believe that soap bars will eliminate mice. But soap bar is the most ineffective way that one can use to repel mice. Some soap repellants, like Irish Spring soap, might be available, but their effectiveness is not guaranteed. This soap does work on all kinds of mice. If you see bite marks on the soap bars, they are not repelling mice.
Watch the video to know how to keep mice out of camper?
FAQ
What smell does mice hate?
Mice cannot stand the smell of cloves, peppermint, pepper, rosemary, and cayenne pepper. You can repel mice from your house or RV using the extracted oil from those components. Soak the cotton balls in oil and put them in places where you have seen mice.
Do dryer sheets repel mice?
The dryer sheet alone does not show much of an effective result in repelling mice. However, using dryer sheets with cloves, garlic, or peppermint oil can effectively keep Mice out of campers.
Do mice hate garlic?
Mice do not like the strong smell of garlic. There is allicin inside the garlic, which acts as natural mice repellent. The scent of allicin irritates the mice and keeps them away from entering your RV.
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Final Words
That is all about how to keep mice out of camper. This article mentioned all the effective ways to keep your mice out of your camper. Now that you read the whole article, you can eliminate mice from your RV without the help of pest controls.
Remember, finding the holes in your RV and sealing them with spray foam or steel wool is the first and most important thing to do. Next, you can repel mice with sheet metal, covering vents, LED light, ultrasonic sound device, peppermint oil, etc. The most basic thing to do is keep your RV clean and avoid scattering food on the floor.
However, if you see things getting out of control, it is best to seek help from pest control. Happy camping!