D-Con attracts mice

The last few years I have been storing the pop-up camper and the boat in the barn. I was worried about mice so I put D-Con in them. In the spring I found that the mice had moved the D-Con pellets to a new location like they were making a food stash. They were able to do this before they were poisoned. The problem is they lived long enough to build nests out of material that provides good insulation. In the camper they chewed holes in the canvas top and the foam matress. In the boat they munched my best life preserver. Anyone else have similar problems? If I put mothballs in the camper will it deter them?

[vallyfarm]

Yes, moth balls do the trick, but they don't last forever. Use plenty (1/2 a box full) and every 2-3 months add some more. The smell can air out in a few days next spring, but I happen to love the smell of them. Mike

[wy_white_wolf]

I've been told peppermint extract works. We are trying it in our camper this winter.

[SDjulieinSC]

I second the peppermint extract. It has really helped in my home. Be sure to get the real thing!
I had not thought about putting it in my pop up! Thanks for bringing it up.

[houndlover]

I have a new tactic this winter - my RV is stored in the shop. I leave the window cracked and the barn cat has access. She's a great mouser. Aside from that, I have found NOTHING that keeps mice out of campers. Sealed up every opening. Put out poison, moth balls, peppermint, and every other remedy I've heard of. Mice simply LOVE campers.

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

They tend to hoard the large size bait, with the smaller stuff I don't see it stashed away. Bonide makes a mouse repellent with mainly peppermint, I think the oil soaked into cloths would be the same. It may turn them away from the stuff itself, and possibly out of drawers, but they really don't care. Sticky traps aren't nice, but they can tell you if mice are running around.

Oh, Mike? Mothballs are hazardous to your health: http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/mothball/health.html

[ErinP]

I have dogs and cats. I refuse to have DCon around.

That said, I swear by peppermint OIL (not sure if extract works as well or not). We had a friend's camper for over a year and never did have mice in it.
I've driven mice out of our trailer house with peppermint oil and keep them out of our shop with it. Even the packrats will stay clear!

[sandc]

If Peppermint oil works so well, I wonder if you couldn't dilute it into a spray and then spray the tires and jack every so often to keep them on the ground.

I use fox urine on the ground under our camper and have never found evidence of a mouse in ours. I just spray it about once a month.

[ksfarmer]

"Bounce" fabric softner sheets . Put them in several locations in your camper and boat. I used them in the farm grain trucks, tractors and combines, and the camper trailer. No mice. I don't know why but they don't like them. Wife even puts them under the sink and places in the house where a mouse might explore.

[Allen W]

D_con is about useless I think they can actually live on it. I think they have to feed on it a week to kill them. I rely on bar bait nailing it down if rats are a problem, don't like finding the pellets in places they don't belong.

[MoonShine]

I question whether D-Con works or not. My neighbor was having rat/mouse problems and she put D-Con everywhere. She even had me put it into crawl space areas. It didn't seem to help at all for the mice. The rats eventually died, but the mice are still a problem. They can sure do damage and make messes. My cats must do the trick because I haven't seen any mice around this house in years.

[plowjockey]

Don't put the baits in the vehicles at all. They are more attracted to go in, because there is something in there, for them to eat.

Put the baits in inside a piece of PVC tube, under the vehicles.

The mice are going that way, anyway. Might as well "feed' them, before they have a chance to move in.

[rancher1913]

i use some stuff from the john deere dealer called mouseaway or something close to that. it is made from corn cobs and repels the mice, doesn't hurt the cats. they advertise it for putting in combine cabs over winter. its worked great in my antique cars, does leave a wierd smell in them but it goes away with the windows down on the first drive

[Packedready]

ammonia has worked for us and it is good for the plants

[Willowynd]

I had a huge rat issue in my coops- killing poultry and rabbits. Tried everything I could think of- live traps, non-toxic bait, poison on occassion when I could put it out safely, a fellow HT'er even came out and set traps and showed me how to reset them , etc. ...still had them. Then I tried peppermint oil...have not had a mouse or rat since. I put it in a little purse sized spray bottle and spritz away...I spray the coops/rabbitry about once a month...the wood framing around the doors and pop holes and about an inch above the bedding all around. I need to find out where to spray to keep them out of my bedroom wall though-- last few night heard something chewing in there. Which reminds me...time to get another bottle

[mountainlaurel]

D-con is bait. So it's supposed to attract them but then once they eat it, they're supposed to die from it.
It seems not to work for us either. Now we use Jaguar. That works much better for us. Every time we notice rodent signs, we feed them Jaguar. So far it's been working.

[SDjulieinSC]

DANG THIS POST! Have not seen a mouse in my house in years....til yesterday! Peppermint extract is on shopping list!

[ErinP]

not extract, OIL.


You get it at GNC or other health food type stores.

[SDjulieinSC]

Extract has worked for me, but I will look for oil. Thanks!