Rodents and Casitas

[computerspook]

I don't know about rodents, but fresh dryer sheets replaced about every 6 months will work much better than any poison at making ants go away from a mail box or other small container.

[Mary F]

Moderators’ note: several posts removed to keep the peace. The question asked was whether or not rodents can get into Casitas. Arguing about whether and how poisons work is inappropriate and off topic. We’re leaving the thread open, for now, but will close it if the arguing persists. Please be kind and respect differing opinions.

[TBrown]

Originally Posted by Dudley

I think any mouse that tried to get in would smell our mouse trap, our 23lb Maine Coon cat that thinks that the trailer is his! Best damn mouser as he has catchers mitts for paws

Beautiful beastie! Have three cats myself, spoiled rotten, indoor only.Too many coyotes that wpuld prey upon them. They'd probably just make friends with any rats or mice they encountered. City cats.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by TBrown

Beautiful beastie! Have three cats myself, spoiled rotten, indoor only.Too many coyotes that wpuld prey upon them. They'd probably just make friends with any rats or mice they encountered. City cats.

Dunno, but I suspect the predator instinct is still there. Our cat was abandoned at a few weeks, raised indoors, and never socialized with other cats. I wasn't sure, but when a mouse got into our house, he caught it in short order.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Dunno, but I suspect the predator instinct is still there. Our cat was abandoned at a few weeks, raised indoors, and never socialized with other cats. I wasn't sure, but when a mouse got into our house, he caught it in short order.

We have one that several times has spotted a mouse; then chased and caught it, some times with colateral damage :-( , Then batted it around and played with it for 5 minutes or so; then walked away and was looking at me with a look of "OK I worked up an appetite ---- feed me".


I have many friends with the same experience.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by computerspook

We have one that several times has spotted a mouse; then chased and caught it, some times with colateral damage :-( , Then batted it around ]and played with it for 5 minutes or so; then walked away and was looking at me with a look of "OK I worked up an appetite ---- feed me".

I have many friends with the same experience.

Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. He disabled the intruder so I was able to catch and remove it. He’s often chasing something, so collateral damage is always possible with a cat. Ours is pretty small as cats go, so nothing serious, and we have gradually cat-proofed the house. It’s my first experience with cat ownership, and I was surprised at how strong the natural predator instinct is.


Having some barn cats outside (neutered and tipped, of course) might help with trailer annd vehicle issues, but it depends on where you live whether that’s a reasonable and responsible solution.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. He disabled the intruder so I was able to catch and remove it. He’s often chasing something, so collateral damage is always possible with a cat. Ours is pretty small as cats go, so nothing serious, and we have gradually cat-proofed the house. It’s my first experience with cat ownership, and I was surprised at how strong the natural predator instinct is.
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Having some barn cats outside (neutered and tipped, of course) might help with trailer issues, but it depends on where you live whether that’s a reasonable and responsible solution.

Cannon balls are pretty small too, like 2 or 3 inches. But like cats at speed they can do a lot of damage ;-) And then there is the take off. Years ago I had one on my lap when she spotted a mouse. I was wearing fairly new jeans. Those were shredded and I ended up with scratches that it took over a year to fully heal.


Sadly she does not seem to disable them. They generally run off when she is done playing with them. It is like she does not want to damage the "toy" so she can play with it again.

[TBrown]

Originally Posted by computerspook

This is one of the best solutions to rodents.

When we first discovered the mice, middle of night camping, I joked to my wife I could take care of the issue by simply releasing a live cobra into the camper and then we would need to get a mongoose to take care of the snake. Her response after 38 years of marriage eyeroll and quietly walk away.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by TBrown

When we first discovered the mice, middle of night camping, I joked to my wife I could take care of the issue by simply releasing a live cobra into the camper and then we would need to get a mongoose to take care of the snake. Her response after 38 years of marriage eyeroll and quietly walk away.

Wonder what her response would have been if you tried this. Heck even with say a black snake like my grandpa and I used to hunt down and put in the sheds on the farm as a kid. Given my mom's opinion of snakes, pretty sure she did not know. But yes it worked great.

[Mister_Bevilaqua]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Besides vent screens, which are great, the single biggest "entry point" for ants, mice, and other small critters is the well-known "mouse door" in the shore power electrical cord hatch. When you are on shore power, your cord is an excellent entrance ramp for critters. I got rid of the small hatch, which was always a pain to try and work with to pull or push the shore power cord in and out from, so I upgraded it to a larger hatch, (not wider, just taller.) It doesn't have the rodent access door, and also locks. It also allowed me access to the space behind the converter, and is also where I mounted my hardwired EMS (electrical management system.) And an external Marine-style twist-lock 30 amp shore power cord plug-in conversion kit, so I can just unplug the cord, coil it up, and stow it. No more trying to put the spring snake back in the can!

https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-I...002UC6RSA?th=1

https://www.amazon.com/JR-Products-Z.../dp/B007HRTSBG

https://www.amazon.com/Marinco-ParkP...000NUYZQC?th=1

I'll be doing this same "upgrade" to our '24 Casita in the coming weeks. I fear I'll have to be extremely exact with my cuts for the new door as there's very little room in that space for error. I might keep shopping for a different size door option should I find that I don't have the space for that door. The one I was told to order sits taller than the water heater door, not flush like yours but appears to be the same model that I ordered from Amazon. It's pretty obvious that there's not an exact stencil that they use at the factory to cut/place these doors as my dimensions differ in placement from yours and the other trailer I originally got the idea from. This is unfortunate.

[Sunnyfalls]

We have three cats that patrol inside and outside our Casita when we are glamping. And upgrading to a detachable 120/240VAC 50A cord and a larger hatch without any opening eliminates that mouse path much to our cats displeasure.

Gayle & Bob
"Los Gatos Casita"

[jerrybob]

I saw a giant mouse so I tried killing it with a baseball bat.....

So now I have a lifetime ban from Disneyland...go figure!

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by Sunnyfalls

We have three cats that patrol inside and outside our Casita when we are glamping. And upgrading to a detachable 120/240VAC 50A cord and a larger hatch without any opening eliminates that mouse path much to our cats displeasure.

Gayle & Bob
"Los Gatos Casita"

The cats aroujnd here keep making friends with the mice, a little like garffield. ;-)

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by jerrybob

I saw a giant mouse so I tried killing it with a baseball bat.....

So now I have a lifetime ban from Disneyland...go figure!

They are not so sure about me at Magic Kingdom. They are sure that looking through the cracks and trying to figure out how the magic works is not one should do at Magic Kingdom.



OK I am an engineer.