Managing mice in your stored trailer - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > General Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-30-2019, 04:11 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Trailer: 2019 5.0 TA
Posts: 39
Managing mice in your stored trailer

This is our first storage season with our 5.0TA. With our previous RV we frequently had mice enter and make quite a mess over the winter. We tried various control measures with mixed success, including:

A sonic device - annoyed the dog but didn't do a thing about the mice

Mothballs- DONT EVER DO THIS.....YOU WILL RUIN YOUR TRAILER

Classic mousetraps baited with peanut butter - this worked but we had to remember to check the traps frequently

The 5.0 TA seems to be sealed against mice much better than our old camper van but I am stil tending toward putting a couple of traps in.

What's your experience been? Any advice or suggestions?
Mswan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 04:17 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
No evidence of mice, no rats in the trailer. Lots in the back yard. I set traps for them.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 05:35 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,234
Here’s what I do. My process may be different because we keep the Escape in a metal building with a concrete floor.
I put mothballs in small boxes and distribute the boxes on the floor by “climb up points” like tires, stabilizers etc.
We use dryer sheets on the curved door taped up with painters masking tape.
I tape over all vents and holes in the trailer.
I put two glue boards by each corner of the doors.
We remove all food and water from the trailer, spices and all.
All of my control joints under the door in the concrete are caulked
The building is very tight at ground level. It does have screened soffit vents, they do not have any openings in them and are framed tight with wood strips.
Six years, no damage and only insects on the glue boards. Save the admonitions about glue boards and birds or other animals.
I trap mice in my other building which is not tight at all. I use them for coyote bait.
Thank you.
Iowa Dave
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
Iowa Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 05:38 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
I agree the Escape is pretty mouse tight. I used to use the various traps and poisons, also mothballs. Never had a problem with mothballs, when I remove them I toss em under the shed to try and keep the vermits out of there. Haven't bothered with the mouse stuff since I started going away for part of the winter. I take out all the stuff I mentioned in the other thread and leave everything open.

A lot probably depends on where you live. Mice are not much of a problem around here.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 07:58 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: White Bird, Idaho
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19, "Zen Purple", 2017 4X4 Chevy Colorado/Duramax
Posts: 404
I have a 2018 19 and live in a rural, extremely mouse ridden area. It’s a constant battle to keep them out of our vehicles. We’ve had the trailer over a year now, sitting outside all the time we’re not using it. As far as I know, they have not gotten into the trailer. I monitor the situation closely, but no evidence of these pests so far. Fingers crossed!
salmo7000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 08:25 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Oldtimer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
I also live out in the country no mice issues here but then I have my rat patrol, 6 outside cats haven’t seen or had any mouse issues the last 8 yrs with them on patrol.
Oldtimer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 08:36 PM   #7
Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle, Washington
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 73
Cut up a bar of Irish Spring soap & put the pieces in different areas. Works like the dryer heat method.
Gasguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 08:38 PM   #8
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gasguy View Post
Cut up a bar of Irish Spring soap & put the pieces in different areas. Works like the dryer heat method.
Irish Spring gives mice minty fresh breath.
Attached Thumbnails
IrishSpring-Mice.jpg  
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2019, 09:22 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Oldtimer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
I tried Irish spring n the dang birds took them ........ guess they forgot their soap for their baths at the creek lol
Oldtimer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 08:53 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Upfisk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Yarnell, Arizona
Trailer: 2024 Bigfoot 21 Rear Bed
Posts: 545
We live in a very rural area with aggressive mice. Our Casita could not keep them away. The Escape has not had a mouse intrusion! Our cars suffer hundreds of dollars of damage, a favorite item to chew is the $1000 NOX sensor. The Casita was attacked via the power cord, the rodents were able to squeeze in the power cord door, I finally stuffed the area with stainless steel scrub pads. We ordered the removable power cord on the Escape. The Casita had the window screens chewed up and access was gained with a slightly opened window for ventilation. We keep all windows and vents shut tight on the Escape. We used a fabric cover on the Casita and the mice crawled all over the trailer using the fabric as a ladder, their laterine was the area between the Fiama awning and the roof. We built a vinyl covered portable garage for the Escape, and do not use an cover. So far we have not found pools of mouse liquids or solids on the roof.
__________________
Myrl and Gary
Upfisk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 09:54 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013, 17B 'Mini Pearl' and a 2010 Highlander
Posts: 400
I responded to a craigslist ad a couple of miles out of town once and the guy had 3 cars all with the hoods all open.
He said it was to keep the mice/rats/squirrels out as they would feel too exposed to predators. I guess hawks and eagles?
He thought it worked.
jxoco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 09:58 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
fudge_brownie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Janesville, WI, Wisconsin
Trailer: Escape 19 (sold) Escape 21 2014
Posts: 1,879
I have found the best solution. A small portable player that runs off 12 volt. It plays "What's up Pussycat!" every 30 minutes.
__________________
Paul and Janet Braun
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 now 2012 Toyota Sequoia V8
Escape 19' 2010 now 2014 Escape 21'
fudge_brownie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 10:12 AM   #13
Member
 
runnergirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2017 5.0 TA Sold
Posts: 73
We put steel wool around each tire and the landing gear. Mice don't like the poke in the nose they get from the steel. We put dryer sheets throughout the trailer because I heard they don't like the smell. And we don't leave any food in the trailer. I vacuum thoroughly to reduce the amount of food crumbs. So far, so good. :-)
__________________
Candace and Garry

Sometimes not having any idea where we're going works out better than we could possibly have imagined. Ann Patchett
runnergirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 11:31 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Quote:
Originally Posted by runnergirl View Post
We put dryer sheets throughout the trailer because I heard they don't like the smell.

I smell a rat.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 12:40 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,234
We used to use Irish Spring soap to keep deer away from our
Flower beds, especially Hostas. We would buy a couple cases at the railroad salvage store and slice wafers of the soap with a salad shooter and hang it at feeding height. Your tax dollar at work. Lunch tasted funny some days though.
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
Iowa Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 12:51 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Dave Walter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 2013 19' & 2013 15B
Posts: 2,634
I had a huge mouse problem so I brought in a couple of cats. After many months I checked back and the mice were all gone but there were cats all over the place. I am currently looking at adding a couple of dogs to the mix to solve my cat problem! - just joking, i don't really have any mice, it is much too cold here in the winter for the mice to bother with my Escape!
__________________
2013 19' \ 2013 15B, 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Offroad

"It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it." - 1907, Maurice Switzer
Dave Walter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2019, 01:56 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
I have had mice in all my other trailers, but none in 10 years of Escape ownership, and I do nothing other than shut the door to keep them out.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2019, 12:12 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Nindy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Springfield, Missouri
Trailer: 2015 Escape 17B "L'Escaboose" with 2021 Ford F150 XLT
Posts: 386
I use these in my house and garage. They don't bother the dogs but do make a squeaky noise I had to get used to. They have worked really well for me and I no longer hear what sounds like a herd of elephants in my ceiling between floors.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nindy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2019, 12:49 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
I keep jello in the home refrigerator to keep out the elephants, so far have not found any elephant prints in the jello............it works
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2019, 01:04 PM   #20
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: ventura, California
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21
Posts: 36
Do you rent or loan out the cats?
Kodakajika is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:06 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.