If you’re like me, you love spending time outdoors but hate the thought of mice getting into your food or gear. Luckily, there are some easy steps you can take to mouse-proof your camper and keep them at bay.
It is essential to know how to mouse-proof your camper, as they can damage your personal items, chew and destroy anything they possibly lay their teeth on, and undoubtedly spread disease.
When left unchecked, mice can cause expensive damage to your camper. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if you have a new RV or a second-hand motorhome. Any camper is vulnerable to mouse intrusion.
Most people usually have difficulty keeping mice at bay. They are small and can squeeze into any opening in the camper, so invisible holes and cracks in the camper can welcome these rodents.
In this article, I outline nine easy steps to mouse-proofing your camper so that you can enjoy your time camping without having to worry about mice getting into your things.
Table of Contents
- 1 How to mouse-proof your camper
- 1.1 1. Carefully examine the camper to identify all cracks and openings.
- 1.2 2. Try and seal all gaps and cracks.
- 1.3 3. Clean your camper properly after every trip
- 1.4 4. Observe proper hygiene at all times
- 1.5 5. Park the camper on a paved surface
- 1.6 6. Buy a strong mouse repellent.
- 1.7 7. Eliminate mouse problems completely!
- 1.8 8. Remove unnecessary items from the camper.
- 1.9 9. Find an excellent deterrent.
- 2 Final Thought
How to mouse-proof your camper
It’s believed that mice usually move into campers during the winter when you leave them unoccupied for a long period of time. This gives them the freedom to roam in the camper as they look for a dry area where they can settle down.
The good thing is that there are many ways you can keep mice out of your camper. They shouldn’t ruin your road trip!
Below are some tips and tricks you can try to keep these rodents away from your motorhome.
1. Carefully examine the camper to identify all cracks and openings.
If you want to keep mice out of your camper, it is essential to determine how they may get in. You will require elbow grease for this step, and this will certainly be helpful over time.
Crawl underneath the camper to check whether there are any holes where mice can enter. Pay close attention to all the pipes in your camper, as they are excellent entry points.
After you have completed checking the interior for cracks and openings, inspect your camper’s exterior. Find out if your camper windows or doors have any gaps. Check your electrical and plumbing lines to ensure they don’t have entry points.
Also, remember to check the hood for any openings that could act as an entryway for rodents. After doing this, recheck the interior and look for open cracks. You should do this when it’s sunny so that you can spot the holes that are hidden.
If you have a storage area in the basement of your RV, check for possible entry points. Also, check behind your drawers and cabinets. This is important because you can easily spot an entry point behind your stored canned foods.
2. Try and seal all gaps and cracks.
After you complete a detailed inspection, you should seal all the cracks and possible entryways with caulk, spray foam, or a sturdy wire mesh. Ensure you seal all the cracks you have seen on your doors, in the plumbing area, and in all the electrical and plumbing compartments.
3. Clean your camper properly after every trip
When you use the camper often, store all the food items inside. Store condiments and foods properly in airtight containers. It’s not safe to store your food in plastic bins, as mice can easily chew through them to reach your food.
Only keep canned foods in the camper and avoid the temptation to store other foods inside the camper, especially if you don’t use the camper regularly.
Clean your camper after every trip to prevent mouse infestations. Likewise, when you are done with your camping expedition, thoroughly remove any spills, crumbs, and sticky points. Clean your camper’s refrigerator and microwave, too.
Establish a cleaning schedule to ensure you keep mice out of your camper for good. Remember that mice are efficient scavengers and will easily locate even the smallest crumbs left underneath your seats and behind cushions.
4. Observe proper hygiene at all times
Cleanliness is more than just checking where crumbs usually accumulate. If you often camp with your kids, then you have a lot of work to do.
For beginners, if the camper has an adjustable pull-out bed, try to inspect all the crannies and nooks. Also, check underneath your camper seats.
Clean your chairs diligently and ensure they are spotless. Remove the cushions and check if everything is clean and in pristine condition.
Also, vacuum the chairs to remove all traces of food items that could attract mice.
Carefully inspect the camper for areas where your kids might have left snacks or food. After you clean your camper thoroughly, you should never have to worry about a mouse infestation.
5. Park the camper on a paved surface
As a word of caution, you should not store the camper in wooded or grassy areas, as this can easily lead to a mouse infestation. Instead, parking the camper trailer on a paved surface is a better choice.
It’s essential to periodically check on the camper, even if you don’t plan to use it. When you notice any sign of a mouse infestation, you should act immediately to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
6. Buy a strong mouse repellent.
Most campers often use mouse repellents to scare away rodents. Here is a simple homemade method you can try: Soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and then place them in all the openings and cracks on the camper.
This is a useful technique that stands the test of time as far as dealing with rodents is concerned. You can also use mothballs or dryer sheets to seal all the cracks and entry points.
Strong smells help scare off mice and other rodents. Alternatively, cats are excellent at keeping your camp free from mice. On the other hand, you can install repellents that emit ultrasonic noise to keep mice at bay.
7. Eliminate mouse problems completely!
You can use the effective traditional technique of getting rid of mice from your camper—the use of wire traps attached with cheese or peanut butter as bait.
But if you don’t want to kill the mouse, you can use the catch-and-release method. However, this technique is ineffective in catching mice since it doesn’t harm them, and mice usually escape more easily.
Nevertheless, it’s cost-efficient and one of the easiest ways to get rid of these rodents from your RV once and for all. After eliminating the mice problem, clean their droppings and apply bleach to all areas where they have nested or crawled over.
Thoroughly clean these areas to remove odors, and remember to remove nesting materials that can make your camper less appealing to mice. You can also use a germicide cleaner to keep other rodents at bay.
8. Remove unnecessary items from the camper.
As you prepare your camper trailer for use during the winter, you should remove all food items that mice may want to nest in or eat when it’s cold.
Most of the time, mice are always looking for a warm place to dominate, which means you should destroy all nesting materials.
Some of the common nesting areas for mice include fabrics like shirts and blankets. Mice can also build their own nesting areas from paper and newspapers.
It’s equally essential to avoid leaving anything behind that may encourage them to build a permanent nesting place.
More importantly, carefully inspect all your camping supplies to ensure there are no towels, tarps, or other inviting materials that may attract mice.
Also, seal your food containers since mice love free dining! Remove any grains and birdseed to avoid inviting mice into your camper.
And while most containers aren’t 100% effective in keeping mice at bay, if you place them in your garage or shed, then it’s easier to spot any nibbling.
Sweep the floors thoroughly to eliminate food crumbs and avoid attracting mice and other rodents.
9. Find an excellent deterrent.
Fortunately, you can find many effective mouse deterrents online. We’ll discuss some of the best choices and the easiest ones you can try. That way, you can select the right repellent that works better for you.
For beginners, you can consider using natural repellents, as they help repel mice using something you can find in nature. A natural repellent will repel mice by making them sick.
Some of the best natural repellents include peppermint and spearmint oil. These are the best repellents since they smell minty rather than toxic.
However, peppermint oil can be pungent, and hence, it’s essential to cover the nose or eyes to avoid irritation. They can also irritate your lungs and mouth when you inhale them, so be extra careful when using them.
You can try drugstore remedies like Irish Spring soap and Bounce laundry sheets. Nonetheless, using soap is messier since you first have to break it into smaller pieces.
Final Thought
Ultimately, camping is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and get back to nature. However, one of the biggest hassles of camping is dealing with mice. Mice can chew through tents, sleeping bags, and just about anything else they come across, and they can also spread disease.
However, keeping mice out of your camper is not as hard as you may think. I believe that the steps listed in this article will guide you on how to mouse-proof your camper and protect yourself from the dangers of mice.
There are many ways you can keep mice away from your motorhome. One of these ways is to install mouse traps in your camper trailer to catch all the mice.
You can use live traps, but ensure you check on them every day to release the trapped mice.
Nevertheless, make sure you don’t release them anywhere close to your motorhome so they can’t find a way to return to the camper again.