How to Keep Mice Out of Your RV

You probably don't want to go camping in a camper infested with mice.
They can cause all kinds of trouble, including damaging your furniture or belongings, chewing wires or even getting into your food! Not to mention, they can carry parasites and diseases too. But how you do keep them out?
This article will provide some suggestions.
How to mouse proof a camper.
Before trying to mouse proof your camper, it's important to know how they get in in the first place.
Here are a few places a mouse could squeeze through to nest in your RV:

• Holes in the floors
• Cracks in the doors
• Cracks in the walls
• Gaps around wires and plumbing

Mice can squeeze through almost any small opening.
Mice are said to have flexible rib cages which allow them to flatten themselves out and fit through small spaces. Typically, if their head can fit through a space, the rest of their body likely can too. Knowing where those openings are in your camper is key to keeping mice out.
Here are some strategies you can use to keep mice out of your camper:

​Close up any access points.

You'll have to examine your entire camper very carefully, both inside and out.
When you find access points, you can close them up with:

• Steel wool
• Spray foam
• Mesh screens

 
Keep your food put away.

This one might be a given, but you should never leave food out if you want to keep mice away.

If you're in your active camping season, it may be too much work to keep taking 100% of your food out every time you leave your camper. But removing anything that you can’t reseal is a good idea.
And sweeping up crumbs off the floor can go a long way.

Use mice deterrents

Mice deterrents are solutions with smells that mice don't like. Some options include:

• Mothballs
• Peppermint oil
• Fabric softener sheets
• Professionally made products

Professionally made products may work best, but consider doing in-depth research on multiple solutions to determine which one(s) you want to try.
 
Keep it light and bright.

Mice are nocturnal, meaning they enjoy the dark.

You can consider using small nightlights in your RV, to make it less attractive to them. You can also consider having bright lights on the outside of your RV, so they never want to come near in the first place.

Now you know how to keep mice out of campers (or at least how to try), but what if they're already in?

How to get rid of mice in a camper.
Some options include:

• Mouse traps
• Rat poison
• Glue traps
• A professional exterminator

These methods, like many others, each have pros and cons.
For example, some of the ones listed above can be cruel and even fatal for mice. We recommend using humane mouse traps or calling in a professional exterminator whenever possible.
And of course, you should always do your own in-depth research to decide which one you want to use.