This Mouse Trap Works Better Than Anything
Boondockers always get mice in their cars, vans, and RVs, here are the best and worst mouse traps to get rid of them.
The fact is that there is no way to prevent mice from getting into your car, van, or RV when camping or living in your vehicle. As long as your vehicle provides shelter, warmth, scraps of food, and protection from predators, you can count on them getting inside.
Based on our years of living in our trailer on public lands, we’ve encountered dozens of mice over that span, crawling through the walls and ceiling, and getting into the cabinetry.
Top Three Best Mouse Traps
Snap Traps - (See it on Amazon) - The old classic spring-loaded trap is still the king of stopping mice in their tracks. They’re cheap, costing anywhere from $1.00 to $2.00 a piece, light weight, and small. This is our “go to” choice every time we find mice poop laying around. We recommend getting the Victor “Easy Set” trap which uses a yellow plastic bait pedal. This pedal offers less resistance, making it extremely sensitive, and thereby catching the stealthiest of mice. Always use peanut butter for bait.
Glue Traps - (See it on Amazon) - While not the quickest way to put a mouse to sleep, it remains highly effective. We will sometimes use glue traps in conjunction with snap traps. Some mice are smart enough to nudge a snap trap first and set it off. However, if you lay glue traps around the snap trap, the mouse will inevitably get caught in the glue in the process.
Bucket Traps - (See it on Amazon) - This is the better choice when you have numerous mice in your RV. It’s basically a 5-gallon bucket with some water in the bottom. It has a ramp that lets mice up to the top, and a swivel door that they fall through and drown. This trap can catch and kill dozens of mice in a single night.
Mouse Traps to Avoid
These traps simply don’t work based on our hands-on experience…
No See, No Touch Traps - (See it on Amazon) - It seems like most mice we’ve encountered refuse to enter these traps, sensing some kind of danger with walking inside of a black plastic housing or tube. While a minority of mice are brave enough to try it, most are not.
Ultrasonic Repellers - (See it on Amazon) - This is an electronic device that emits an ultrasonic sound that is said to drive away mice. When we tried it out, it didn’t work at all. We still had mice, and it seemed as if they were insulted with our underestimating their resolve. I was also concerned that our dog was able to hear the ultrasonic sound.
No-Kill Traps - (See it on Amazon) - These traps are supposed to contain mice inside without harming them. The idea is that you’re supposed to wander away from your campsite and let them go. We tried this out also, but like with the No See, No Touch Trap, most mice refuse to enter these things. Furthermore, mice are smart enough to follow you back to camp, and they can still smell their way back too. You wouldn’t trap a mosquito and let it go, so why would do so with mice?
Mouse Repellents That Don’t Work
The Internet is brimming with tips and tricks to keep mice away from your vehicle. We’ve tried them all, and here’s what we’ve found…
Irish Spring - The idea is to rub this bar of soap across the door jam, inside your cabinets, and anywhere else you suspect they’re coming in through. It didn’t work at all. We were still getting mice in our trailer, except now we had the smell of bar soap everywhere.
Peppermint - It’s actually true that mice hate the smell of peppermint. And if given a choice, they’ll avoid spaces with that scent. You’re supposed to buy real peppermint leaves, bundle them into cloth sachets, and lay them in your cabinets. After trying this, we still ended up with mice. This is because when a mouse is hungry, and it has baby mice to feed, it’s going to invade your vehicle no matter what.
Steel Wool - This strategy requires you to inspect your vehicle and stuff every hole, crack, or space with steel wool. This actually does work. Mice will not chew through this stuff, and instead look for other ways into your vehicle. However, after we tried this out, we still ended up with mice. This is because mice are so stealthy, they will find a way into your vehicle no matter what.
Keep Your Vehicle Clean and Seal All Food - This still does not keep mice out, nor does it force mice to leave. Food is not the only reason why mice enter your vehicle. They love the warmth, and they love the protection from predators. Your vehicle is also a perfect place to have babies. If they cannot find food in your vehicle, they can still find food outside and come back in to sleep.
Boondocking Sites of the Week
[Visit our Boondocking Map for more Sites]
Sedona Designated Dispersed Campsites, Sedona, AZ, - Coconino National Forest officials had banned boondocking around the area of Sedona, AZ after locals complained about the sight of RVs from their million-dollar balconies. However, the forest did create eight (8) “designated dispersed campsites” west of Sedona, far enough away from sight, but still close to town. They also had one existing campground north of Sedona. These are still free, and legal to camp in. We also found a few more boondocking areas nearby.
See the special map of these camping areas.
BLM Road 142, Moab UT, (GPS: 38.7683, -109.7094) - While the Bureau of Land Management shut down boondocking in several areas close to Moab, there are still several areas, a little further away, that are still legal for camping. This is one of them, and it places you within 20 minutes from Arches National Park entrance.
Watch the video for this campsite.
Madden Peak Dispersed Area, Mancos, CO, (GPS: 37.3532, -108.1987) - This site places you about 30 minutes from Mesa Verde National Park, and about 45 minutes from Durango, CO. It’s located inside San Juan National Forest, with easy access for most vehicles, 4WD not required.
Watch the video for this campsite.
Why Is There Private Property Inside National Parks & Forests?
Nearly all national parks and forests have plots of private property within their borders and their greater sphere of influence. This happened because the National Park Service and the US Forest Service created their lands after private property existed there.
People who own private property inside or adjacent to federal lands are called “inholders”, and the lands they own are called, “inholdings”.
Both the NPS and USFS maintain aggressive efforts to buy up inholdings, but inholders are not required to sell. Moreover, inholders can still sell their lands to the highest bidder, and often times the NPS and USFS lose out.
Don’t Trust Google Maps
When you look at a national park or national forest on Google Maps, it will not show you where the inholdings are. Instead, Google Maps will color all private and civic properties in the same green color as the park and forest, making you think that camping is allowed anywhere.
When searching for boondocking sites, use our Boondocking Map to show you the true national park and national forest boundaries.
Can You Purchase an Inholding?
Yes. There are real estate brokers who specialize in listing inholdings. You can search Google for “inholdings for sale”, or you can visit the following brokers…
Keep in mind that inholders will tell you the NPS and the USFS are the “neighbors from Hell” because they are constantly putting pressure on them to sell, going so far as to cite them with misdemeanors for ticky-tacky violations, like an improper fence, or too much noise. Many inholders rely on roads owned by the NPS or USFS, and they frequently find these roads closed, effectively blocking them from reaching their properties.