Mice in my Casita. How do they get in?

[JoeNelson]

I appreciate all of the great feedback.
I do suspect the power cord hole as I started to plug it in to keep it dry ( I thought I might be smelling mold not mice excrement). It is possible this was the entry point. I will definitely look into replacing the power outlet.
Thanks to all!!

[Casita Greg]

I have to agree that the most common point of entry for vermin and ants, etc. is walking up your shore power cord and entering through the power hatch door opening. I also installed a 30 Amp 120 Volt Twist-Lock shore power receptacle and a new end on the cord to match. Additionally, I replaced the factory electrical hatch cover with a taller one that not only affords no opening for rodents and such, but also allows me access to what was previously unusable wasted storage space behind the converter. It is the same width as the original hatch, but taller. No more fighting with the shore power cord anymore either. Just coil it up and your done.

https://www.amazon.com/JR-Products-Z...=rv+hatch+door

https://www.amazon.com/Female-Twist-...amp+twist+lock

[Skyblue]

Fresh Cab https://www.earthkind.com/fresh-cab/

I have never had a problem with mice in my Burro
but I have in my 5th wheel. This stuff works like a charm.

I have heard of thru-hikers having trouble with mice chewing
thru their tents!

[CampyTime]

I do not have the detachable shore power plug hole, so I made a round "plug" out of hardware cloth, and wrapped it in duct tape to cover sharp edges. I slide it just inside the shore power outlet hole, and it sits in right in front of the 30 amp plug. Works great!

[Casita Greg]

Sounds like a temporary solution to a permanent problem...

[CampyTime]

It's actually not temporary, as I've had it for several years now, and felt it rather creative of me! I also use fresh cab, and I have not had any mice problems anyway. I use hardware cloth under the fridge vents, and dryer sheets wound up the water tank drain and vent tubes. All preventative, and of course, I take cushions out for winter storage.

[dmad1]

Ron H.- The peppermint oil has me wondering about a product I have used a couple of times to keep snakes out of our yard. A couple of years ago, we found found several snakes and skins that had been shed in our back yard. Even found one crawling on the den floor. I bought a snake repellant at Lowes that had peppermint oil and cinnamon oil and spread it over the grass. (I did not spread it in the house but threatened to if I found another one.) It worked very well. Just wondering if it might also work on mice.

[David B.]

I was wondering if I used the pepermint oil to keep the mice out, would it atract bears when we travel Alaska?
Dave & Paula

[Gerry]

Never had trouble in my Boler but I think the key is clean, clean, clean. I park the Ladybug down back near my wood pile and never had a mouse in the camper and when moving wood in the fall of the year will find all kinds of mouse nests in the wood pile so I know there are mice around. I did have them in my big 5th wheel the first year I had it but after I cleaned with just Bleach/water and made sure no scrap food was anywhere, I never had another mouse or evidence of mice in the past 8 years.
Clean clean clean

[CampyTime]

I agree with you Gerry. Clean is the word. Vacuum if you have carpeting, wipe down surfaces, eliminate food residue, all of this will go a long way. Mice are everywhere, and are persistent.

[Rich and Rei]

Had trouble with mice at our cabin.
Did some research-found that mice hate peppermint and citrus.
I put unwrapped peppermint candies in all the drawers in the kitchen.
No more mouse problems.
Has also worked in the campers.
I also spray lemon juice around camper on places it wont ruin something.
Has worked also

[emij]

We use the Fresh Cab as well. We also remove EVERYTHING, including cushions, food and bedding from the camper while it is in storage over the winter. I spray everything down with a cleaning spray that smells like lemon and wipe out every cabinet, vacuum, and wipe down the floors. So far, no issues with mice at all.

[Rzrbrn]

I live in the country just outside of Nashville, TN.

I store my 2013 Casita Spirit Deluxe, under a detached carport. I park my TV next to it.

I have seen mice nests in the engine compartment, but nothing has gnawed on my wiring as of yet.

A opossum has gnawed on the wire connecting my solar panel charger to the TV battery. My fault, the wire rested on the ground before it went into the TV engine compartment.

I have been experimenting with winterizing. When we return from camping we take out all food retailed items, most clothes, and clean the unit. Nothing special with regards to cleaning, vacuum, wipe surfaces down if dirty, etc. Pretty much leave all else in the trailer. I leave the refrigerator door open, the windows open for ventilation, and the ceiling vent open. I vaguely recall using roach spray on the ground around the (but not on) the wheels, chocks, stabilizers, and jack, but not often. All holes are closed, but that is easy with the Casita, it could be a boat hull. At least the bottom half.

I bought extra refrigerator and vent covers and laboriously stitched stainless steel screen to the inside so only an very small bugs can get in that way. I take these out when we use the trailer and replace with vents that do no have the screens in place.

But they could still drop down from above and get into through the Air Conditioner, just has not happened yet.

No mice to date.

My biggest problem has been dirt daubers getting into the air conditioner and hot water tank outside panel area.

I do move the trailer and truck a bit, in and out of the carport, just to clean and mess around with both. That might have something to do with no mice intrusion. Knock on wood.

[Borrego Dave]

Henry, one of the vinyl AC covers may help you out for daubers and UV also. Sounds like you need a screen behind the heater vent too .

[upfisk]

Our Casita had been empty for months, previous owner cleaned it out, no food anywhere. Cool weather arrived and mice moved in. They chewed a hole in the sliding screen and additionally entered through the power cord hole. We put Kurly Kate stainless scrubbers in the wire runs at the benches, along the bulkheads at the kitchen unit, anywhere we could find a tiny path that mice could get into. We changed the window screen to black aluminum and filled the power cord hole with more Kurly Kate. We put out peanut butter traps for several weeks and never trapped anything. The rat poison bars stopped being moved around.

We've had mice, pack rats, and ground squirrel problems with our vehicles. Xmas lights wrapped around the cars and engine do not deter. Mouse repellant bags get used as nesting material. Moth balls and peppermint oil only mask the smell of previous nests, once the rodents enter a vehicle they will again resume nesting, chewing, destroying. We don't have any solution.

[Rzrbrn]

Thanks Dave. I have the heater vent screened off. I do have the plastic AC cover and use it, including a foam noodle around the base. They still sometimes get in. The only real solution is to take the AC cover/shroud off and clean the area. The problem is doing that without bending the AC cooling fins.

I weigh 240 lbs. Everyone here says don't get on the roof. Trying to remove the AC cover without standing on the roof is very difficult, so I don't do it as often as I probably should.

[k0wtz]

mice have no skeletons to speak of they can squeeze themselves into anything.

we have not had mice problems yet in our 13f scamper!

bob