Keep Mice out of your Camper!

glockman55 · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:36 am Post subject: Keep Mice out of your Camper!

Any tricks on keeping mice out of your campers when in storage? I've tried a few things, from Moth Balls, De Con, traps, and one guy told me to use auto anti-freeze. haven't tried that one. I know they are gonna find their way in, How do some of you guys keep them to a minimum?

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944

Glockman,

Put anti-freeze in a 5 gallon container, just abit (a gallon or so) mind you doesn't need to be much. Then cut out a bigger (4 to 6 inches) sized hole in the top middle of the container, coat the upper inner part of the container with peanut butter and add a few 2x4's to make "ramps".

Now the mice will get up on the top of the container because of the peanut butter smell and because of the fact they cannot tell how far something is because of the type of vision they will go in the hole to get it.

Once in they will be swimming in anti-freeze which has methanol (the posionius alcohol) which will kill them quickly seeing as even 30ml of 40% Methanol can kill a full grown man. Shocked

Dimitri

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Does the anti-freeze stink up your camper?

-DallanC

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944

I dont know Dallan, the topic of mice came up on another board I visit (they were infesting the guys hunting camp) and someone suggested that so I thought I'd relay it, and it does work I've done similar traps execpt without the antifreeze and not as big of a bucket Wink

Back when I had hamsters and they'd chew there way out of the plastic bottom of the cage to catch them after Shocked

Dimitri

popgun · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:57 pm Post subject: Re: Keep Mice out of your Camper!

Too bad that you guys live so far north. An everyday black snake would take care of the problem or a boa big enough to eat a mouse. Let the snake earn its keep.

Vince

popgun wrote:

Too bad that you guys live so far north. An everyday black snake would take care of the problem or a boa big enough to eat a mouse. Let the snake earn its keep.

Great idea Chris...I like it. Good to have a snake around.

A few years back we had a BIG problem with mice and rats in a horse feed shed. I made up a mix of melted beeswax, rat bait and peanut butter.....poured it into little paper cups used for cupcakes and let it set. Threw a couple in the shed every couple of days and that took care of the rodents. Can't see why this wouldn't work for a camper.

Never heard of the anti-freeze idea, but can't see why it wouldn't work. Most farms out here in Australia have a drum filled with liquid in the feed shed that works the same way and it works a treat. Only drawback to the anti-freeze idea I can see is the cost. Ethylene Glycol ain't all that cheap....well out here it isn't.

Cheers, Vince

glockman55 · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:06 am Post subject: Re: Keep Mice out of your Camper!

popgun wrote:

Too bad that you guys live so far north. An everyday black snake would take care of the problem or a boa big enough to eat a mouse. Let the snake earn its keep.

I like the snake idea too, my wife on the other hand might totally freak out if she crawled into the bed in our camper and felt something crawling up her leg...It wouldn't be pretty..Keep the ideas comming!

Crackshot · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:41 am Post subject: Re: Keep Mice out of your Camper!

We use Bounce dryer sheets, take a whole box and spreadem around everywhere, In, under and on everything. No mice! We have used it in our camper for years and have had no Mice in it. And it smells real nice when we break it out for use...
Dont know what it is about the dryer sheets, but the mice do not like it...

PaulS

When using poison on mice and rats be sure that they don't get out into the open again - you will be killing dogs, cats, birds and anything that might feed on them before or after they die. The "bottle" trap works well. You can use any kind of poison in it - doesn't have to be methanol - BTW modern antifreeze is ethylene glycol and not methanol. The glycol will kill them too but you need to keep them captured so the poison doesn't kill all the other animals in the area.

BLASERMAN · Member Joined: Apr 08, 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Baltimore

Go to the local auto Repair and ask for some used antifreeze
We at our shop would galadly give a gallon or 5 if needed.

tracker

Spread or stuff some steel wool around where they might be getting in. I've been told for some reason they won't chew through it (I refuse to believe the little buggers can't chew through anything) If you're going the snake route, garter snakes, harmless to people ....find mice yummy. If you put anti-freeze anyplace you're risking other animals lives too.

glockman55

garter snakes, harmless to people...Tell my Wife That..LOL

camperbee · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 29, 2011 Posts: 1

to everyone that is so concerned about the anti-freeze, use the bucket method with water. The mouse will drown.

Aloysius

Excuse me, what do you call anti-freeze?
The windowcleaner is based on methanol or IPA (iso-propyl-alcohol). But the cooling system in your car is mostly based on ethylene-glycol, a sweet, watercolored oily liquid which is poisonous! (not at all as the MPG, mono-propylene-glycol, which is a food and feed additive, a kind of foodgrade antifreeze, used in many applications)

In my opinion you best take the ethylene-glycol for mice and put a label on it not to drink the stuff yourself. When you like mice in you drink, you better order sake... but see you don't mix it with the mouse-trap Smile

glockman55 · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Keep Mice out of your Camper!

Dryer sheets still work the best, keeps them little varmints to a minimum...