Vermin control in storage

[ianevans]

We are storing our Sprinter camper for 3 months - April to July. It is on a farm, but a new building with concrete floor and sealed metal doors and walls. We are still concerned re the possibility of rodents. We have been told to use dryer sheets everywhere, which we will do. However, we have also learned that the dryer sheets lose their effectiveness after a few weeks.



We have removed all food, bedding etc. etc. Looking for recommendations to stop vermin entering the vehicle and the engine compartment.



Thanks, Ian

[SteveJ]

It would seem if any critters would get in the numbers would be few, especially that time of year. I would set up one or two 5 gallon bucket roller and or lid traps. If you can, pop in to make sure that they don't get over full.

Poison would be a no go. Critters dying in the coach would not be pleasant to deal with, aside from the ecological concerns.

[mloganusda]

Go to Tractor Supply and purchase Fresh Cab, botanical rodent repellent. We have used this for several years with no problems. Place in storage areas, outside storage lockers, on top of engine and anywhere you think mice will get in. The packs last several months. They do not have a bad odor to them, and you can tell when they have lost their effeteness. Do you have an electricity in the storage building? Make sure your engine battery does not die by removing the ground cable, if possible.

[mumkin]

I stored my rig in a barn on a working farm over a summer with no issues. The time of year is in your favor because the rodents will be out and about. I also used Fresh Cab... one on each tire and a couple under the hood.

There is a fascinating (if you are into that sort of thing... lol) series on Youtube called "mousetrap monday' done by a farmer using his resident rodent population. He tests all of the popular products and you get to watch a video of whether they work. Most of them don't because different mice and rats have different tastes... rather like humans.

That is why you will hear people recommend this or that... dryer sheets, Irish Spring soap, peppermint, moth balls, used kitty litter, Fresh Cab. Then the next few posters report that the mice just used the dryersheets for nesting material, ate the soap, and the peppermint didn't last, and the stench of the moth balls made the rig practically unusable for months. And of course, the used kitty litter only works for outside storage. But farms usually have cats roaming around which helped explain why my use of Fresh Cab worked... as the cats worked with it.

If it were me, I would try the Fresh Cab... AND... put in a few good old cheap snap traps with peanut butter. If any do get in, you can catch them. Don't use glue traps. I am no fan of mice, but no reason to torture them with a long ugly death. Check the traps once a month or so and renew the peanut butter.

Good luck...

[mkguitar]

I use moth balls- 99¢ Store



not inside the van


underneath and on the perimeter


if you have bird feeders etc, add cayenne pepper to the seed. doesn;t bother birds, really bothers mammals


mike

[michaelingp]

A guy I met swears by Bonide's Repel-All. Read the reviews on Amazon and believe them. The stuff is the worst smelling stuff you can imagine, and then a little bit worse than that. I've tried it, but my rodent damage is so infrequent (years apart) that it's hard to say if it's working or not. I keep the bottle in the shed, you would not want it in your house.

[ianevans]

All good ideas, thanks. Fresh Cab seems promising.

Ian

[rowiebowie]

I think rodent/pest invasions into the coach of a class b is an extremely rare thing. Yes, something can nest in the engine compartment, but what you fear is much more of a problem with travel trailers with underbellies than with a van.

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

I think rodent/pest invasions into the coach of a class b is an extremely rare thing. Yes, something can nest in the engine compartment, but what you fear is much more of a problem with travel trailers with underbellies than with a van.

It is very common... and yes on the inside. With all the holes made for the plumbing and electrical system, there are plenty of holes to get in.

Many of my fellow owners of vans are boondockers and spend a lot of time out in the middle of nowhere, and full timers. After so many issues, many have gone to lights... in particular flashing lights under the hood and under the van. Here is an example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...QQBPRZVY&psc=1

This probably isn't an option for rodents in a storage situation.

[rowiebowie]

I guess built quality varies greatly and I only have experience with my 2012 Airstream Avenue. I've been all under it and the only mode of access is low point drain pex pipes and black/gray tank drains that were drilled through the metal Chevy floor. These holes are very tight to the diameter of the the pipes and expandable foam was installed at the factory for a tight seal.

[Rocinante]

I'm a fan of Shawn Woods and his "Mousetrap Monday" series of videos. Definitely worth checking out when people tell you to try dryer sheets, which mice gleefully run around on, or Irish Spring soap, which they happily gnaw on, or light ropes, which they cheerfully dance on, etc.

That said, his experiment with Fresh Cab indicates that when used consistently over time it encourages mice to leave the area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bd1GS3zF-E

He also found that peppermint oil was pretty effective, and that's what we've been using.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNaNGH_hnEE

For giggles, check these out.
Dryer sheets experiment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjZ2L26pJIU

Irish Spring experiment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhQjxTwQdpk

Light rope experiment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVN9JXUJXdY