Critters - Redux

Not a question Gary, but I have an idea that has worked out for me in the past 5 or 6 years or so for keeping mice out of the RV during periods of non-use. You may have heard of this before. This is ideal for people who are storing there RVs inside a building. I have an empty, unused Morton Building 48 X 99 pole shed where I store mine and others. I simply put tire rings around all the RV tires.

When you think about it, how do mice first get into an RV? They climb up the tire, jump across onto a frame member and then from there, find a hole to get in. Slide outs are notorious for mice finding that hole. These tire rings really do work. Basically the rings are too high and slippery for them to get up so therefore, you have no mouse problem come spring. 

Just to give you an example of the effectiveness, I have had this couple bring their RV to me for the past 3 years. Well anyway, he knew there were mice in his RV, (a 2005 Sunnybrook 5th wheel). I told him it won't be that way for long! I set a couple of mouse traps in the door and sure enough I caught one mouse right off the get go, then a day or so later, I caught another one. That was the first of October. The traps have been empty ever since I installed the tire rings. He is so impressed that now he pre-pays one year ahead to make sure he gets a spot in my building. I also randomly check throughout the winter to make sure there is no problem. So far, my device has worked wonders! Just thought I'd mention this in follow-up to the earlier post about mice. Dan B., (Edinburg, ND)

Thanks Dan! This is a great idea and your success with the invention speaks for itself. I do want to remind readers that, in addition to the tires, mice can easily enter by crawling up the shoreline power cord (one of the reasons why I don't advise leaving the coach plugged in during storage), and up the sewer hose or fresh water hose, if they remain connected for some reason. Literally any pathway leading from the ground to the RV, in any way, provides an easily-negotiated on-ramp for those pesky critters. 

I'm thinking it might also be a good idea to place these rings around the landing gear of 5th wheels and hitch jacks on conventional travel trailers just to be sure.

(For anyone interested in Dan's tire rings, feel free to contact him at bakke@polarcomm.com)

More about Squirrels

I need some help with a little problem. After a recent camping trip I discovered that squirrels had been in the engine compartment of my vehicle and had eaten through some of the wiring. The dealership that repairs my vehicle is giving me a $200.00 estimate to repair the damage the squirrels caused. It seems there is no absolute solution to this problem. I called the campground where this occurred to advise them and to let campers know what happened to me. Please help! Do you have a solution that works?
Oscar, (Los Angeles, CA)

Oscar, remember, determining the cause of the problem of critter infestation is just as important as preventing the problem, if not more so. There are three crucial requirements to attract and sustain unwanted guests; food, water and a secure route between the food source and their nesting places. Begin by eliminating any source of food or standing water near your RV. Be sure to clean up any food or liquid spills inside and outside the RV completely. Avoid placing open containers of pet food in or around the RV. Refrain from feeding the birds around your campsite. Good housekeeping practices can eliminate one and possibly two of their requirements. This is your best defense since, unfortunately, it’s nigh impossible to fully secure the engine compartment of any motorhome.

As for ridding the rig of existing guests, live traps can be purchased or rented. Check with a local pet store for availability. I am not in favor of commercial poisons for the obvious reasons associated with children, pets and recreation vehicles. Additionally, I do not favor the home brews such as carbonated soda, etc. Though I personally have not tested one, I have heard of great results using electronic pest eliminators which emit pulsating, ultrasonic sound waves that affect the nervous system of the animal making it uncomfortable for them to be around. These electronic devices are harmless to humans and domestic pets. Some are powered by 9-volt dry cell batteries, while some are 120-volt AC powered. This might be your best defense when visiting that particular campground.

No Screens Please

Do you have a source for mud dauber or wasp screens for the furnace inlet and outlet vent?
Bill, (Broken Arrow, OK)

Bill, I do not recommend blocking the fresh air inlet tube or the hot exhaust on the RV furnace with any type of screen, as popular as they seem to be. Any air restriction of these components will cause erratic appliance operation and shorten the life of the appliance. I do, however, recommend taping off those openings during winterizing or other periods of storage or non-use to keep the critters out, but during actual RV use you do not want to modify or impair air flow in or out of the unit.

All mud dauber's nests should be checked for and routinely removed during the annual cleaning of the furnace. The photo exemplifies the importance of annual furnace maintenance, but during the actual operation of the furnace, keep those tubes free from any obstructions! Including those screens commonly found in accessory stores.

Messing Meeses

Last year mice got into my RV. This spring I got an electronic mouse repellant and it appears to be working. Here is the problem though; Last winter, they must have urinated in the heating ducts. When I turn the heat on now, this obnoxious odor comes pouring out. I have tried running the heat now a couple of times while out of the motorhome for a couple of hours each time, yet it continues to come out strong when I go back the next time and turn the heat on. Any suggestions?
Cheryl, (Sutton, MA)

Yikes Cheryl! That’s got to be annoying! I’m guessing that there is little you can do to eliminate the odors completely. I once had a cat urinate in an open guitar case and I could never find a product that would get rid of that smell. I eventually got rid of both…..the guitar case and the cat; and not necessarily in that order. Chances are the urine has permeated the insulation inside the ducts and is now permanently entrenched. Adding heated air to the mix by running the furnace only exasperates the problem.

The only cure is to replace that section of ductwork. If your ducts are routed on top of the flooring inside the RV this task is relatively simple. If, however, you have a central distribution ducting system, it becomes more problematic. In that case, first try stuffing crushed-up black & white newspaper pages into each duct as far as you can easily reach and then closing or taping off the ducts for two to three days. Every two or three days, remove and trash those pages and stuff new crumpled pages in there. Repeat as often as necessary. Crushed newsprint has removed fouled food odors from refrigerators in the past, perhaps it can work wonders for mice urine as well. Check with your local pet store also; they may have urine odor products available.

Wish I had better news for you, but animal urine is definitely one of the most difficult odors to eliminate. Maybe some of our members and readers have further ideas. I’ll be happy to pass on any worthwhile suggestions to you.

##RVT927

Uninvited Guest!

We have a Hitchhiker, 33-foot fifth-wheel with two slide-outs and an enclosed basement. We have an unwanted guest trying to make a home in one of the storage compartments. He is a red squirrel. Has anyone had the same problem? How do you get rid of him?
 
John, (Pinckney, MI) John, indeed pesky critters can be frustrating! In your case, the good news is that the red squirrel is a solitary critter and probably travels alone. Many RVers use naphthalene flakes to "dust" around the exterior of the RV while it is stationary; much like sprinkling Comet around the tires to keep ants from intruding. Moth balls strategically placed in and around that compartment will also deter the rascal from becoming too comfy. Other home brews have been concocted using crushed red peppers or even dried blood to prevent squirrels from nesting. These methods, however, may cause some consternation with your campground neighbors. Besides, where can one purchase dried blood? There are commercial products available such as "Squirrel Away" though I have not tried any of those personally. I have heard that they are not suited for long term success; seems the squirrels can simply get used to some products regardless of how obnoxious they may be. Check with a local pet store or vet in your area for other recommendations. In a worst case scenario, trapping and relocating the critter is another option. Some city, county or state restrictions may apply in the case of trapping, so be sure to call first. Some locales even require permits for trapping. Traps can be purchased starting at about $25, but it may be possible to rent them. Again, check with your local pet store or vet.

Preventing Critter Infestation During RV Storage

Hey Doc, what can we do to keep mice out of our RV when it is in storage? Jeff C., (Iowa Park, TX)

I thought I read an article you wrote about keeping mice from entering your RV under-carriage, I thought it was something   you could spray on. Any help? Joe G., (Bellingham, WA)

Well Jeff and Joe, I had an opportunity to test a Canadian product called Mouse Free, vicariously, through one of my beta-testers in the field. Howard and Linda Payne (rv-dreams.com), agreed to try it out, under my direction, since they were going to store their RV on a farm out in the countryside of KY while traveling overseas. Field mice had been a problem at this location in the past so I thought it would be a great proving site for the test.

From all appearances, I liked what I saw and heard while speaking with the company at a few RV shows and was anxious to see if it was worth the effort for the do-it-yourselfer. Here’s what Howard and Linda had to say:

 

"We were kind of at a loss of where and how to begin. The instructions you get are very limited. The only written instructions we found were with the spray gun. The instructions said to use no more than 60 psi of pressure. We felt this was not enough pressure to get a good spray of product. At 60 psi, our spray of product was more like spitting the product on. When watching the video of a dealer applying the product, the amount coming out of the spraying was an even coating.

Application as a “Do-It-Yourselfer” was difficult because you need an air compressor and getting access to the under carriage. Our RV sits very low to the ground so one has to lay on their back and scoot under and around to apply the product (see photo below). The instructions suggest wearing protective eye gear and we are glad we did. The spray of the product does get on you when you are applying it to the under carriage.

Other comments:
The literature states that one gallon coats up to 24’. Our 5th wheel is 39’ and we did not use an entire gallon. We are not sure why, but it could have something to do with the amount of air pressure that the instructions suggested. It was unclear of how much to apply in a given area.

 
Cleanup was suggested as very easy. We did not find this to be the case. The product is very similar to petroleum jelly and is extremely difficult to clean the spray gun. It was suggested to use hot water and a mild soap. I’m not sure anyone wants this product being washed down into their drains or pipes. I simply gave up and put the spray gun back in the box with product still in it.

Overall comments:
Although we took other measures to prevent mice, (removed all food, and filled obvious holes with steel wool) we feel the product did work. We parked in the same spot last spring for one week and we got mice (note: we were living in the RV at the time so we had food and we did not plug up holes with steel wool). This time we were gone for a month and there were no signs of mice.

Being full-timers, we probably would not buy this product because of the expense and the infrequency of rodent infestation. However, if we stored our RV every winter and mice were a continuous problem, we would not hesitate to use it and the cost would seem more reasonable. We would prefer to have a dealer apply in that case.”

In addition, one of the containers had leaked during the shipment to KY and created a mess in the carton. I spoke with the supplier about the leaking container and they assured me this was simply a random accident and that they’ve not had problems shipping the product in the past, but I thought it warranted a mention as a full disclosure of what the Payne’s experienced. As always, your mileage may vary! I think the bottom line is that Mouse Free will indeed help keep the critters from entering the RV.