A camper or RV is like a miniature house on wheels that you can take for a trip to escape your normal problems and stresses for a short time. However, it is at least as vulnerable, and in some cases more vulnerable, to rodent infestation, as your home is. Getting rodents out of your camper can be even more challenging than getting them out of your home, requiring professional rodent removal services. Here are some tips to prevent them from getting inside in the first place.

1. Seal Off All Entry Points

One of the best ways to prevent a rodent infestation is not to give them a way to get inside. It may not be possible to seal off all the possible exterior entry points on your RV because some of them are the holes through which the utility wires come. Therefore, your first priority is to look for and seal off potential entry points on the inside, which is the opposite of the approach you would take when sealing off entry points to your house.

Look for holes with the diameter of a dime or bigger. This is large enough to admit the skull of a mouse, and if it can fit its head through, it can squeeze the rest of its body in as well. Examples of materials you can use to seal these holes include caulk, steel wool, and expanding foam. For stronger protection, you can combine the latter two materials.

2. Clean up All Food

Rodents do not have a reason to investigate your camper in the first place unless they think it can offer them something that they want. Mice and rats are primarily motivated by food. Their sense of smell is extremely keen; they can smell even small amounts of food over long distances and go to great lengths to get to it.

To prevent an infestation, you should empty your camper of all food after your trip. Don’t leave things in the refrigerator or even in tight-sealing storage containers. The rodents can smell it and will do whatever it takes to investigate it. Unopened canned food can remain stored in the RV, but all other food should be removed. Make sure that you clean the camper thoroughly to make sure you are not leaving any crumbs behind. This is easier if you are diligent about cleaning up crumbs during your trip, and it gives rodents less of an incentive to check out your camper while you are still using it. Dispose of trash from your RV whenever you have the opportunity, such as when you first arrive at a campground.

3. Declutter the Camper

Don’t leave any clutter, such as old newspapers, behind in your RV when you get back from your trip. Clutter provides places for rats and mice to hide, and it can also provide nesting materials. As soon as possible once you get home, remove all clutter and waste from your RV as soon as possible.

Consider finding alternative storage for your camper supplies when you finish your trip as well, especially if you anticipate that it will be a long time before you use it again. While you want to have things such as towels and toilet paper in the RV while you are using it, these things could provide nesting materials for rodents, so you might want to consider removing them while the camper is in storage.

Rodent Removal Services for Your Home, Business, or Recreational Vehicle From Truly Nolen

As part of the services we provide for pest control in Mississauga, we include rodent removal. Our residential services include recreational vehicles such as campers. Find out more about our process.