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Finding mice in your camper is a nightmare for many RV owners. Mice will poop everywhere and eat everything, slowly destroying your RV. In this guide to mouse-proofing your RV, we cover how to keep mice out of your RV and how to get rid of mice once they come inside your camper.
Let’s dive right in!
Contents
How to Get Rid of Mice in Your RV
If you are here because you already have mice in your RV, you need to purchase some traps. Unfortunately, we have experienced the unpleasant ordeal of discovering a mice infestation in our camper.
A few years ago, our RV was in storage while we were visiting family over the holidays. When we went to pick up the RV and resume our travels, we found mouse droppings and chewed-up kitchen accessories.
Use Traps
After lots of research, I quickly determined the only effective way to get rid of mice in your RV is to trap and remove them. As an animal lover, I did not want to kill the mice, so I used catch-and-release traps.
Once mice have made a cozy home in your camper, they are not going to leave on their own accord. Campers must trap mice and physically remove them.
Avoid Poison
We do not recommend using poison to get rid of mice in your RV for two reasons. First, if the mouse eats the poison and leaves your RV it becomes a danger to other wildlife. Any predator that eats the mouse will also be poisoned.
Also, the poisoned mouse could die somewhere deep in your RV without you knowing it, which will be a very unpleasant discovery later on.
Seal Entrances
In addition to trapping and removing the mice in our RV, we made sure no more mice could get in our RV. Following the trail of mouse poop, we discovered mice were entering through a cabinet in the rear corner of our fifth wheel.
We explored the underbelly of the RV near the entrance point and discovered a small gap between the RV frame and the enclosed underbelly. We used spray foam to seal off this rodent entryway.
With their entrance sealed off, we could trap and remove all the mice without worrying about them coming back inside.
How to Keep Mice Out of Your RV
Mice love to create nests in warm cozy campers, especially when they are in storage and unoccupied. All RV owners should take preventative measures to keep mice out of their RV. We’re here to share which mouse-proofing strategies work best.
What Works to Keep Mice Out of Your RV
Seal Entrances
As I noted above, sealing off holes and gaps in your RV exterior is key to keeping mice out of your RV. Before putting your RV in storage (or every few months if you are a full-time RVer), search for any entry points.
Inspect the underbelly and walls and ceilings inside storage bays for any holes or gaps. Focus on areas where plumbing and wiring enter the RV as these areas are more likely to have a gap. Repair all holes, even tiny ones (mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime), using spray foam.
Also, make sure all your appliance vents are covered with insect screens.
Remove Scents and Food
Many mice infestations occur when RVs are in storage between camping trips or during the off-season. During any period of storage, all food items or toiletries with a tasty smell should be removed from your RV.
Then, thoroughly clean your RV (especially the kitchen) to remove any residue, odors, and crumbs.
See our guide to winterizing your RV for more tips on preparing for long-term camper storage.
Consider Where You Store Your RV
It’s also important to think about the likelihood of mice in the location where your RV is being stored. While mice can live anywhere, there is an increased chance of a rodent infestation if your RV is parked near grassy fields or wooded areas.
If possible, park your RV on a hard surface away from woods and fields. Also, visit your RV regularly during winter storage and check for poop or any other signs of mice. The earlier you catch a mouse invasion, the easier it will be to manage and minimize the damage.
What Doesn’t Work to Keep Mice Out of Your RV
When RV owners search for mouse prevention methods, they are sure to encounter countless recommendations for scent-based repellants. Peppermint oil, mothballs, and Irish Spring soap are all commonly touted as effective solutions for keeping mice out of campers.
However, there is no evidence that these scents will keep mice out of your RV. It is true that mice have an acute sense of smell, and will avoid scents like peppermint oil. However, the scent is not an effective enough repellent to keep them from accessing a warm camper with food inside.
Explaining why peppermint oil is not an effective mouse repellent, the Mice Hunters state “Wherever there’s warmth and food, they’ll be there. They’ll just avoid the areas you have sprayed. Not even the strongest peppermint oil for mice will work. There’s not one on the market that you could buy to rid your home of mice!”
Unless you are going to douse every corner of your RV in peppermint oil and return often to replenish the scent, it is unlikely to be an effective method of keeping mice out of your RV.
All that said, placing peppermint oil or mothballs in your RV isn’t going to cause any problems. If you believe in their power, go ahead and use them, as long as you also take all the other mouse-proofing actions we recommended.
Happy Camping!
Keeping mice out of your RV will prevent unnecessary damage to your camper. Another way to keep your RV in one piece is to stay on top of preventative maintenance.
Our eBook, The Owner’s Guide to RV Maintenance, includes step-by-step guides on RV exterior and appliance upkeep.
Happy Camping!
Christina Pate is a seasoned full-time RVer who, along with her husband Justin, has journeyed across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Drawing from her extensive travels, RV repairs and RV renovations, she founded Travels with Ted to guide and inspire fellow RV enthusiasts. Christina is also the co-author of The Owner’s Guide to RV Maintenance and the creator of My RV Log Book.
