What you need to do to protect your RV and yourselves from mice for good 

There is nothing worse than discovering mice have moved into your RV.

Up until a few months ago, we naïvely thought that mice couldn’t get into OUR RV. We thought because it’s only a few years old, well-kept and clean, that we were safe. Boy, were we wrong!

The day came… the telltale signs of a rodent intruder. There were little brown pellets just about everywhere. The clean-up took hours! I removed everything from the drawers and cupboards, wash and disinfect every surface, set traps and caught the culprit. Then, to my surprise and horror, it happened again the next time we set off for a camping trip.

1) Block entry points

Prevention is key! Without a doubt, the best way to keep mice from being a problem is to stop them before they get in! This may seem obvious, but it can be difficult to do. Mice can squeeze themselves through a 1/4-inch opening (roughly the size of a pencil eraser).

RV’s have lots of potential entry points, so it’s important to thoroughly inspect your unit and block everything you can.

• Cracks around doors and windows
• Partially extended poorly sealed pull-outs or slides
• Gaps around plumbing or wiring and their access panels
• Gaps in the floors or walls
• Poorly sealed air vents
• Look under your RV for any small gaps
• Check corners and edges for gaps
• Plumbing and wiring gaps
• Slide seals

Once you’ve found the spots that may be able to allow mice in; use steel wool, tinfoil, expanding foam, silicone caul, pieces of wood or metal to fill any cracks or gaps that you find.

*Be sure to use expanding foam sparingly as it can cause some damage to your RV.

2) Keep your RV SUPER clean

This is key to keeping rodents out! After each trip, make sure all food and traces of food are cleaned up and taken out of your RV. Thoroughly vacuum carpets, floors, furniture and vents. Wipe down all surfaces and make sure sink drains are cleaned of food scraps.

A mouse can survive on as little as an ounce of food each day. And they are NOT picky eaters!
If you eliminate their food sources by thoroughly cleaning your RV after each use, they will be far less likely to stick around. Pay special attention to cleaning around where you’ve kept your garbage can – where it’s easiest to miss crumbs and spills.

3) Set Traps

Once you’ve found evidence of mice, they are going to have to be removed somehow. This doesn’t mean you have to kill them. There are lots of great humane options like these HUX EYE Humane Live Mouse Traps.

If you aren’t able to check on the traps you set regularly, it is more humane to set traps that will kill mice quickly and with the least possibility of suffering. 

Mouse Trap Tips

• Contrary to popular belief, cheese isn’t the best bait. Mice are attracted to foods that are higher in carbohydrates. Peanut butter with added sugar works well because it doesn’t dry up quickly and is easily spread where it needs to be on the trap. Dried Fruit like raisins or gummy candy work great as well.
• Set uncovered traps with the bait facing the wall and covered traps parallel and flush against the wall.
• Space each trap about 3-4 ft from each

Although glue traps are readily available and affordable, they cause pain and suffering to rodents and anything else that may encounter it, so I recommend that you do not use this option.

4) Commercial mouse deterrent

Ultrasonic deterrent can be effective when placed hear a potential entry point, but they are limited by needing to be plugged into an electric outlet.

5) DIY mouse deterrent

Peppermint

Although there are conflicting reports, some say they’ve been able to keep mice away with peppermint oil. Apparently, rodents don’t like the smell of peppermint. If you’d like to give it a try for yourself, try out our DIY Peppermint Mouse Spray Recipe.

Place cotton balls soaked with peppermint oil and placed near potential entry points or points where you suspect mouse activity can help as well. Another idea is to place peppermint tea bags in the same suspect spots.

An added bonus, your RV will smell minty fresh and mice aren’t the only creatures that don’t like the smell. Spiders, ants and other insects are all offended by the smell!

Other DIY alternatives

Ammonia
Mice are also thought to hate the smell of Ammonia. Ammonia can be dangerous so use with caution and only if children aren’t going to be around. Place cotton balls or old rags soaked in ammonia near potential entry points. 

Dryer Sheets
Although there is no official evidence that dryer sheets actually keep mice away, what have you got to lose? Simply place a dryer sheet near any potential entry point. If it does nothing but keep your RV smelling fresh, everyone wins!

6) Park on level ground

If you’re able to park on level ground without tall grass or brush, you’re more likely to keep rodents out.

7) Winterize wisely

On top of making sure you’ve sealed entry points and you’ve cleaned thoroughly, be sure to clear out anything that a mouse may use to build a nesting place. Loose papers, fabric and cloth.

Hopefully these 7 tips help you keep mice out of you RV for good! Everyone has a unique RV or camper set up and parking location. You may need to tweak and adjust the methods you use depending on your unique situation. The key is to check in with your unit as often as you can and adjust your efforts according to your specific needs.

If you’ve got any great tips on how you keep mice and other pests out of your RV or travel trailer please share below.