Pack rats are light sensitive so the rope lights are for them. Seems where we are they are more of a problem. We have tried so many of the cheap ways it is hard to tell exactly what worked but we haven't had any damage or nests so it must work but as my neighbor said it must work on elephants too as we haven't had any of those either. Some like the mothballs and vinegar have kept people away as well! We use those when we will be leaving the motorhome for the winter.
Hickory Dickory Dock
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Kaylee
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Bullfrog, thanks and... LOL! 
I have zero experience with pack rats, so that's good to know.
I have zero experience with pack rats, so that's good to know.
RoamerRV428
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OK....Jim S said peppermint is like garlic to a vampire for mice so.....get some big cheap peppermint oil, put in old fashioned ketchup bottle and squeeze out a line around the van and encircle it and they won't go over that line cause they hate it....then encircle your van with a solar rope of fairy lights to ward off pack rats. Done deal. We got it handled cool
cool
highdesertranger
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LOL of course nothing works you need to call call Terminix. not only that but those homemade solutions are bad for you. LOL somehow I knew what the conclusion would be. highdesertranger
B and C
Well-known member
Terminix is trying to sell you their services. I would take everything printed there with a grain of salt. A simple search of "do mothballs keep mice away" brings up a lot of places that say it works too.
If everyone went to alaska this winter this wouldnt be an issue.
People tries to tell me dont go to alaska in the winter or SW arizona in the summer but what all these supposed experts dont get is that you have to go where the mice are not.
People tries to tell me dont go to alaska in the winter or SW arizona in the summer but what all these supposed experts dont get is that you have to go where the mice are not.
I had a packrat building a nest under my E-150 battery box. Was parked on a gravel pad next to my mom's house in the country, bushes and trees very close on two sides, house wall on the other. Early one morning I heard strange noises and thought a squirrel was on the roof but the sound seemed "under" not "over". Remembered reading about packrats and thought, Oh Please! Not that! Sure enough, raised the hood and there was its tail sticking out from under the battery box, could just see leaves and twigs. War was declared!
I cleared out the nest as best I could. First thing, I got in and blasted the horn. Nope, he kept snoozing away. Bought some granular repellant stuff and spread it around the van and under the hood (pee yoo! Stinky!). Set big traps underneath and at the wheels. Left the hood up at night with clamp on work lights. One evening, when I raised the hood to set up the lights, there it was sitting on top of the radiator, a foot away. Startled me so badly I stepped back and the hood slammed down hard. Bang! Who was more scared? Took the van to a car wash and thoroughly cleaned the engine compartment with the high pressure sprayer. This went on for a week! What worked? None of the above. I left. Packrat 1, me 0.
Also had mice in my fifth wheel underbelly storage compartment, parked in an RV park. Always in the fall. Removed everything, cleaned with bleach water, set traps and poison. (At this point, my "never use poison" attitude went down.) Stuffed steel wool in every possible entry point that I could find. Not easy around the slide out. Set up rope lights all around outside. The second year, they were back. Chewed the wire to the outdoor patio lights! Cost $150 to fix. I hate them!
I am an immaculate housekeeper. All food is in hard containers or the fridge. Never had any in the living spaces. I became crazy about cleaning.
I bought a BB gun and would sit outside and shoot at squirrels. Luckily, my RV was located away from others. Neighbors laughed. Hell, even the squirrels laughed as they ran around on the roof. I cut back the tree branches, they just jumped across. I had my Class B parked in the middle of the driveway. One squirrel ran underneath it once and I went ballistic! I ran after it, cursing and screaming, throwing rocks, it was WAR!! My friend and neighbor was over and she just howled. She said she didn't think I knew those words. I turned into a raving maniac. Mess with me, okay. But you better step away from my Van!!
That was over a year ago. I can sorta laugh now (back in S&B), sorta.
I cleared out the nest as best I could. First thing, I got in and blasted the horn. Nope, he kept snoozing away. Bought some granular repellant stuff and spread it around the van and under the hood (pee yoo! Stinky!). Set big traps underneath and at the wheels. Left the hood up at night with clamp on work lights. One evening, when I raised the hood to set up the lights, there it was sitting on top of the radiator, a foot away. Startled me so badly I stepped back and the hood slammed down hard. Bang! Who was more scared? Took the van to a car wash and thoroughly cleaned the engine compartment with the high pressure sprayer. This went on for a week! What worked? None of the above. I left. Packrat 1, me 0.
Also had mice in my fifth wheel underbelly storage compartment, parked in an RV park. Always in the fall. Removed everything, cleaned with bleach water, set traps and poison. (At this point, my "never use poison" attitude went down.) Stuffed steel wool in every possible entry point that I could find. Not easy around the slide out. Set up rope lights all around outside. The second year, they were back. Chewed the wire to the outdoor patio lights! Cost $150 to fix. I hate them!
I am an immaculate housekeeper. All food is in hard containers or the fridge. Never had any in the living spaces. I became crazy about cleaning.
I bought a BB gun and would sit outside and shoot at squirrels. Luckily, my RV was located away from others. Neighbors laughed. Hell, even the squirrels laughed as they ran around on the roof. I cut back the tree branches, they just jumped across. I had my Class B parked in the middle of the driveway. One squirrel ran underneath it once and I went ballistic! I ran after it, cursing and screaming, throwing rocks, it was WAR!! My friend and neighbor was over and she just howled. She said she didn't think I knew those words. I turned into a raving maniac. Mess with me, okay. But you better step away from my Van!!
That was over a year ago. I can sorta laugh now (back in S&B), sorta.
Kaylee
Well-known member
Stargazer: LOL & thanks!
I could feel your catharsis.
According to Spider Robinson, "Shared pain is lessened, shared joy, increased, thus do we refute entropy".
Unless one has truly spent time with mice, one can not grasp how persistent they are!
Orange: That's why I asked about DrBronner's. Some of us already carry it, and it's both affordable & multi purpose.
Also, please don't stress about all this, at this point in your Journey.
I could feel your catharsis.
According to Spider Robinson, "Shared pain is lessened, shared joy, increased, thus do we refute entropy".
Unless one has truly spent time with mice, one can not grasp how persistent they are!
Orange: That's why I asked about DrBronner's. Some of us already carry it, and it's both affordable & multi purpose.
Also, please don't stress about all this, at this point in your Journey.
Silly people, if you set out baited mouse traps around your vehicle that is like ringing a great big dinner bell saying to a crowd...come and get it. Now way will you catch as many of them as you attract.
However you are already producing a free source of rodent repellent substances.
.......just as with human urine, human hair can serve as a deterrent to animals, especially snails, rodents, rabbits and deer. In addition to sprinkling hair in your garden, you can tie cheesecloth or nylon bags filled with unwashed hair onto posts or branches near your garden to deter animals.
Your hair will loose its scent after a week or so (if you even have enough on your head to do any good). But dog and cat hair will also repel rodents and if you have a dog or cat that sheds a lot of hair you will have a readily renewable supply. Hey neighbor...can I brush your dog for you?
However you are already producing a free source of rodent repellent substances.
.......just as with human urine, human hair can serve as a deterrent to animals, especially snails, rodents, rabbits and deer. In addition to sprinkling hair in your garden, you can tie cheesecloth or nylon bags filled with unwashed hair onto posts or branches near your garden to deter animals.
Your hair will loose its scent after a week or so (if you even have enough on your head to do any good). But dog and cat hair will also repel rodents and if you have a dog or cat that sheds a lot of hair you will have a readily renewable supply. Hey neighbor...can I brush your dog for you?
CityWoman
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Elbear1 said:
All natural bug repellents made with essential oils to wear on one's body usually include peppermint as an ingredient. I always put a few drops in the water for washing my wood floors, too.
But how did you distribute the peppermint in your van? On cotton balls?
