Anyone have problems with mice (or any critters) while camping?

I think first I would find a cleaner place to camp. At home, get a couple cats, feed them just enough to keep them coming around. They'll hunt 24/7. I have one that sits on the front tire waiting for a mouse to climb up, jumps out when he hears the doors unlock. They breed too, so you may have to thin the herd from time to time.

 

Amazon sells an electronic device for repelling mice and such from vehicles. I don't know if it works though. I know that mothballs repel mice from my tractors and equipment left covered but unused for months. I put the cellophane packaged mothballs under the hood and on the seat and cover with a tarp. No mouse problems in two years. They would nest inside the engine cowlings in weeks before that. They also invaded my small storage shed and mothballs stopped that cold too. I wouldn't want mothball smell in the cab though. If you are not leaving the windows open the only way into the cab is the heater air vent under the cowl. That can be fixed with screening.

 

I don't have any at home (that I have noticed) but I will probably set a couple of these traps in the garage since my neighbors say there are rodents in the area. Thanks for the suggestion

 

I was surprised myself, never happened before. I'm in the PNW and apparently we have a bunch of forest rodents. This was only in a specific area that is also an OHV area. I'll try another spot to see if I am cursed

 

I think that's why I haven't had any issues with chewed wires. We got to camp early enough that everything was cold. I also clean up the truck pretty well after my trips. I'll make sure to get out early enough for things to cool off.

 

Big, smelly balls.

 

Odd. Does this area get a lot of use (have a lot of trash) ? I could see that being why there is such a concentration of rodents.

Even when I stay at designated camp sites that get a lot of traffic in em here in PA, there are very few of em running around.

 

Colorado, in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. There are lots of furry creatures, even above 10,000 ft- pikas and marmots are everywhere. It is absolutely not a trash issue, these areas are generally pristine. Spend three weeks a year in CO hiking and sleeping in your truck on public land and you'll see how much wildlife there is. It's cold at nite, often below freezing, even in August, and they love warm engines. I had a vehicle parked near me years ago getting chewed on by porcupines- we ran them off and I put some coyote urine around it and they didn't come back.

In addition I had a mouse get into the truck cab via the cowl. I need to put a screen over the HVAC entrance hole. Also, don't park against bushes and it'll help prevent them climbing up. And make sure you don't have any antifreeze leaks, don't even have dried up residue on the overflow tank.

 

The area is not highly trafficked, at least with campers, since it's an OHV area. It's pretty remote and no trash or food I could see anywhere. Maybe they learned that's where food *might* be but they were everywhere at night. During the day I couldn't find one though.

I seem to think they are indigenous and that's just how they roll. They probably do not have many predators in that area and that's why they are rampant.

I already screened off the vent but I have to make sure I clean off that coolant. That's probably something they can smell from a far away. Thanks for the tip!

 

Mice crawled up under that plastic engine cover and chewed the coolant bypass hose and injector wires on my Tacoma.
The electronic noise that you can set for various critters (believe 3 diff settings) does work as we spent many months camping and after the first attack of the killer mice (was that a movie) we never had another problem - but the electronic noise if turned up to max will be heard by you too and its annoying so a low volume setting should be used. We just left it under the truck at night turned on but of course you need AC power for this. So the moth balls also work and an added benefit is bears don't like them either so when in Alaska camping we left them on top of the cooler and food box - they aren't that smelly. Will remind you of old granny!

 

When the squirrels chewed my wires they really went to town on the windshield wiper fluid rubber lines, something in that washer fluid they loved.