Camper at the lease question

Those of you with a campers, how do you keep varmints of all sizes out? Do moth balls really work? Thanks in advance.

Nothing is for sure but here are a few tips. Seal every crack, opening and gap on the bottom of the trailer. Keep clutter out from under your trailer. Leave absolutely no food in it. Seal the opening around your power cord and don’t leave your cord out when you aren’t there. I also use the electronic ultrasonic repellant devices. There are mixed reviews on them but what I can say is they will generally keep rats/mice from taking up residence....however they won’t get rid of ones that are always there. Good luck.

Moth balls help...some. Having cats around is your best defense. Our cats were killed by coons and/or relocated to the main ranch house. Just started finding droppings in the trailer after many years. Never had any food packages damaged though. I just put some Tomcat bait out.

It's a pop-up camper so no food will be left and it closes up real tight.

Mothballs will certainly make you camper smell repellant to you, but not for rodents. Check out the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCmAL3ErEMM

Try bars of Irish spring under the trailer. There are also peppermint oils purportedly effective.

My first camper was an old 1978 model pop up. In the the first three months I had it out at the lease it became home to some mice. I got them out and got underneath the camper with steel wool, great stuffy foam, and 1/4 inch wire mesh with self tapping screws. Anything that looked like a gap or potential penetration point was sealed. I never had another mouse or critter in there at all. Did all of the above to my next camper A 36 foot jayco double slide out bunk house or else .

Don't use moth balls!
Note:
Moth balls contain a toxic chemical, either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Both become a gas when exposed to air and cause that pungent moth ball smell. These gases are irritating to the eyes and lungs and may cause headache, dizziness and nausea. They are both suspected of causing cancer.
Peppermint will repel them, but closing up all the access holes around pipes and hoses and seams is the way to go!

Like others have noted - spend a day with foam, mesh, steel wool, etc. and seal up every entry point possible. I also placed 5 or 6 Tomcat traps in mine and it helped ALOT! My understanding is that once vermin eat the bait, they become dehydrated and leave looking for water source, so hopefully do not die inside the camper. I can't recall having one die inside while using Tomcat. We also invested in several airtight tubs and stored all paper, bedding, spices, food, etc. in the tubs. Not sure it kept the rodents out, but it eliminated pulling something out of a cabinet for use, only to find it had become a nest or food source.

Id say your best bet is getting it up off the ground a little and keeping it clean under it ideally on gravel/concrete pad and tires off the ground.

Nothing works - You are doomed. This SOB decided to make his home under our camper. Be prepared to be awaken several times during the night to strange scratching and clawing sounds as well as the occasional mouse running across your body. Good Luck!

Our solution -

Fresh Cab inside the trailer and Zatarain's crafish boils on anything in contact with the ground.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ulMb66wIVkobACh0RAALTEAQYAyABEgJdVPD_BwE

I used a bunch of fox urine underneath mine (heard years ago that small varmints will stay away), and put Tomcat in the storage and typical pest areas. I'll report back in 2 weeks if it works....

Very tough to keep em all out, especially the small mice.

I used to set up 2 trashcans that were about 2' tall and put 15-20 kernels of corn in each. Typically would catch one or two mice in each one and then let my boy give em hell with his bb gun!

I have had big problems in the past and caught several mice with baited traps, using cheese and peanut butter. I finally figured out the bait was bringing them inside and only a few of them were slow enough to get caught. The past three years, I have used moth balls, outside only, and Bounce dryer sheets inside. So far, so good! Don't leave any kind of food that is not inside a mouseproof container and be sure to keep all kitchen surfaces clean. If you use killer bait inside, be prepared to smell the dead critter for several days.

I've fought this for years.......mice, spiders, ants, varmints. You've got to be there more than a few weeks each year. I built bait stations of scrap wood and keep mouse bait out monthly. Not one or two but 10+ bait offerings. I put mouse bait in the blinds every time I'm there. Buy mouse bait in buckets. Not cheap but no more mice crawling around after dark. Basically mouse free for 3 years now. As said above, bait them outside your camper.

Insect types........I spray the camper with insecticide when I leave. I vacuum them up on arrival next time. Have never found a scorpion or bad spider in the camper. Long legs are everywhere outside.

Had a skunk take up residence in my pump house..,.......a bottle of dollar store red pepper flakes convinced it to relocate. Broadcast on the ground inside.

I set traps when I arrive to try to control coons, possums, skunks. Be sure to trip them before you leave.

I had a squirrel get in a travel trailer at a lease years back. He got in and couldn't get out. Never knew a squirrel could do so much damage. He couldn't get out and died I guess, it was a freakin mess. Either that or he at so much he exploded. He ate a whole box of cereal, along with anything else he could get into.

How get to in the cabinet and got to a sack of flour I'll never know. It looked like he opened the flour and sprinkled it all over the floor and then rolled around in it.

Moth balls, Irish spring and traps have all worked to a degree. Have used metal mesh and steel wool and it is still a problem. Not as bad but still there at times. Going to RV Fresh Cab from tractor Supply next.