# Outbacker's Mythbusters!



## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I've always been a firm believer in the "Dryer sheets repel mice" theory.

Well, NOT ANY MORE!

I had MICE! I had MICE!









For the first time in my travel trailer owning career....we've had mice infiltrate the trailer. I had dryer sheets in every cupboard, drawer, etc. I had them laying everywhere!

*TRUTH OR MYTH?*
Do dryer sheets repel mice?
I say MYTH! The mice didn't chew on the dryer sheets at all, nor make the nest from thisreadily available material. BUT...the nest was built in a drawer...along side a dryer sheet. In fact, the ran all over the dryer sheets as if it weren't there.

They chewed up the fringe on the sofa pillows, and other items that were in the trailer. They must have gotten in through the kitchen area...as that is where they were living. They ventured out into the undersink bathroom cabinet as well. Had to toss the foam mattress topper, and 4 pillows as well. Spent all day cleaning/sanitizing today.









I'll be examining the underside this weekend. I've already set traps...but I think the mice already moved on.
There is damage to a drawer...they used the corner as a urinal. Might have to rip the drawer apart and use new wood.

I didn't want to use poison...as they may die inside the trailer...and stink up the place.
Maybe Mothballs...although I don't like the smell. I wonder if tossing them under the trailer would work?

This myth is....*BUSTED!*


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Pete sorry to hear about the mice issue. If you have holes steel wool works. I can't say I've heard about dryer sheets repelling mice however I can say that the dryer sheets do a great job cleaning the bugs off my windshield.

Say... have you gotten out of the white frozen stuff yet?


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Ewww Jolly!

That really bites








I know how you feel, we had them in our house. One of them pee'd in Pat's $60.00 Ugg slippers







so he had to throw them away







It was easy to find out where they were coming in from and so dh blocked the entrance. I had them all (4) trapped over night...I set the traps and only waited about 10 minutes for each one to go for the bait...they're suckers for peanut butter


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## happycampers (Sep 18, 2006)

We do put mothballs under the tt. Don't know if it really works or if its also a myth







. 
Good luck and hopefully you will find a solution


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

How awful.









Sounds like they can really make a mess of things. Sorry about all the damage.

I don't know much about repelling mice except that cats and mousetraps defifntely work.


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

Not unlike "deer proof plants", I'm afraid







Snopes tested a few of the dryer sheet claims:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bounce.asp


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Jolly - you beat me to it, but Puff also bears proof of the busting of this MYTH!!!!







We haven't found the little rascals or a nest in Puff, nor have we found any real damage from them (how VERY unusual!!!), but we have certainly found their trail in one of the drawers! and we, too, had dryer sheets EVERYWHERE!!!!!! Guess the obstacle course didn't bother them much ...


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## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

Ooooh, so sorry to hear. Mice are nasty. I'll never forget when we had a pop up and the mice chose the gear box to make their nest -- two years in a row! The tent section of the trailer kept falling down. At one place, we had my son's whole baseball team holding up the roof while we tried to fix it . . . and they were in uniform! Quite a picture. Then, when we had it for sale, it happened again just as we were demonstrating it. Had to drive it on the shoulder for 12 miles to the repair place with the roof sticking up . . . AND take a beating on the sale price.

ATTENTION MICE: stay away from my Outback! (and now I have to find a new plan as I have always used dryer sheets . . .)


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## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

YUCK!!








So sorry for your damage!! When I was pregnant with my oldest, me and hubby #1 moved into a "new to us" home we bought. Nice, brick, 3 BR, 2 BA........you get the picture, great neighborhood!! Well, first thing we discovered was fleas!! Next thing we discovered, as we were proudly showing the new home to my parents, in BROAD DAYLIGHT, a mouse literally stood up in the middle of the bare den floor and "eeked" at us!!














Exterminators, rat poison, rat traps, you name it!! Always felt "sick" when the dishwasher ran.......very nauseated......smell got stronger, as the days went by..........rat nest discovered!! EWWWWWWWW!
I'd try glue traps as well as the conventional ones, if you don't want to use poison. Don't think you'd have much problem "hammering" them, after all the damage they've done to your OB!!
Good luck!
Darlene


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

As a side note (but related)...

We had mice in the house this past winter (coming from the garage). I went to buy some traps and found some newfangle plastic ones that I can't recommend enough. They look sort of like a short fat clothespin.

You bait it and just press down on the top to set it. Squeeze the clips together to release the dead bugger.

I tried the glue things and they're useless IMO.

If you have the ability to check the inside of the trailer every few weeks cure might be better than prevention in this case.

And, remember, they can't resist peanut butter!


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

BoaterDan said:


> As a side note (but related)...
> 
> We had mice in the house this past winter (coming from the garage). I went to buy some traps and found some newfangle plastic ones that I can't recommend enough. They look sort of like a short fat clothespin.
> 
> ...


That's exactly the type trap I use. I have some live traps as well. My son didn't like me killing the mice. He would catch them and let them go somewhere else. I stopped this practice when I found out mice can find their way back from a mile away!

Mouse clean up continues....


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Our dealer, Pontiac RV (Illinois), told us about using Bounce dryer sheets to repel mice. They said to use the original Bounce sheets, not any of the newer ones with the fancay aromas, like "Springtime Fresh," etc. They also said to plug all openings (like the shore power cord opening) with steel wool, to prevent mice from entering.

We've used Bounce sheets for several years, in our Outback, and also in our old Pop-up. We've never had a problem with mice. But then, we've always had our trailers parked on concrete or gravel lots, with no grassy areas nearby. Maybe we've just been lucky!

Here's a link to Pontiac RV's website: Pontiac RV

I'm not advertising for them, but click on the "Service Tips" link from their home page, and then you can click on various links to view short videos. "Tip #5 - Rodent Repelling" is where they talk about the Bounce sheets.

Mike


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Scoutr2 said:


> .....I'm not advertising for them, but click on the "Service Tips" link from their home page, and then you can click on various links to view short videos. "Tip #5 - Rodent Repelling" is where they talk about the Bounce sheets.
> 
> Mike


Yup - those are the very same "Dryer Sheets" which we use and which, apparently, didn't keep the mice away


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## Kenstand (Mar 25, 2004)

Sounds like Bounce dryer sheet sales will be down this fall.


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## 4ME (Sep 11, 2006)

Sounds like you need a snake!
To swallow the mouse....
who swallowed the fly....

I don't know why!


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## j1mfrog (Jun 6, 2004)

I'll probably still use them. I'm a creature of habit.


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## outbackgeorgia (Jan 28, 2004)

Here is what works, believe me I have sealed avery nook and cranny and they still get in. Even put screens at the end of the frame rails in the back. Screen over the furnace intake/exhaust is a must.
VICTOR Electronic Trap.

Four "C" cells and put the trap about anywhere in the camper. I used the Rat trap as I did not know what I was dealing with.
ZAPS them electronically, no mess, just toss them into the woods, etc.
Peanut Butter works best.

This works, cost about $40, but well worth it.

Dave


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## biga (Apr 17, 2006)

We live in the country and get mice/rats in anything that they can hide in. The best thing we have found are Hawk Bait Chunx. I put 3-4 under my house, in the attic, and in all my outside buildings to control them. I have not found any dead ones inside. I do find them outside (I think it makes them thirsty), and my dogs leave them alone. I have not had to put anything in the OB yet, but I need to do some preventative planning.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

When I have to get "rid" of mice and/or rats, I use the tried and true spring traps. I bait them with the aforementioned peanut butter, but with a little "twist"

Some rodents are so cleaver that if you just put the peanut butter on the bait holder, they'll lick it off without setting off the trap. What I do is get a very small piece of paper towel, throughly impregnate the paper with the peanut butter and then place the paper under the clip of the bait holder. I then press down hard on the clip to firmly attach the paper.

When the rodent finds the "prize", it will lick the peanut butter, and then decide that maybe it should take the remainng paper back to the nest. Paper makes good nesting material. One tug on the paper and 'nite 'nite rodent.

It's never failed to work.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

j1mfrog said:


> I'll probably still use them. I'm a creature of habit.


So will I. After all, the camper smells so nice in the spring.









Tim


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## jfish21 (Feb 14, 2006)

We Had a small problem as well late fall. At christmas I was storeing the DW gifts in the 
storage compartment and they got in to a bag. also found 1 dead in the waste basket.








so we put some of the oringinal bounce sheets all over and in every place we could,
when I check about a 6 weeks ago or so there was no new signs of them. So I,m hoping 
that it work.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

I have mice every year snooping arond the house, I put poison in the front and back of the house in the crawl space and up in the attic every year. I put 1 in the garage and 1 in the pellett storage shed. I set a trap in the kitchen where the cable comes into the TV ( cover plate never made it on ) thats where they come in so....SNAP...get them every time. Why put the plate on, then they will find another way, this way I get them every time.


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## mik0445 (Jun 5, 2006)

biga said:


> We live in the country and get mice/rats in anything that they can hide in. The best thing we have found are Hawk Bait Chunx. I put 3-4 under my house, in the attic, and in all my outside buildings to control them. I have not found any dead ones inside. I do find them outside (I think it makes them thirsty), and my dogs leave them alone. I have not had to put anything in the OB yet, but I need to do some preventative planning.


I thought mice _were_ hawk bait!


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## gerrym (Oct 23, 2006)

I used bounce sheets under the hood of the sleds after my father decided to store bird seed in an open container in his large shed. Before bounce sheets -big time mice problems, after- none.

Also put about 6 bars of Irish Spring soap (highly scented- don't know if they sell it in the States) in the boat which is stored outside. Learned this from the 93 year old neighbor before he passed on- never had a problem- used the same bars for 5 years.

Used the steel wool on my old PUP trailer.

No mice in the Outback yet , but it's only 3 days old.........................

Will try the steel wool, bounce, moth balls and a few Irish Spring this fall just to cover it all.


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## Sigearny (Aug 20, 2005)

Pete,
Sorry to hear about your problem. I store my OB at a friends place and I have always put decon on top of the wheels as around the hitch and under the sink. I see they have chewed on the poison on the wheels but never inside. Hopefully they're all DEAD.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)




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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I gave up on the old-style spring traps after one of them little rascals licked the peanut butter off 5 times without triggering it.

The new plastic ones have worked flawlessly. They're simple to use and don't snap your fingers while setting!


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## wicandthing (Jul 11, 2005)

4 cats - no mice


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## photosal (Nov 16, 2004)

We've used the Bounce sheets also. Sorry to hear they don't work!!! But we also throw moth balls UNDER the rig. Smells slightly inside the rig while it's parked over them. But smell stays with the parking space. We don't smell it at all when we're camping.

We also use the steel wool, particularly around the front jacks to prevent entry into the storage space. The only time we had a mouse was when we forgot the steel wool trick after we parked in a campground.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

gerrym said:


> Will try the steel wool, bounce, moth balls and a few Irish Spring this fall just to cover it all.


Yep. I think this will be our path to erradication NEXT winter!!! (save for the moth balls....too many inquisitive dogs who will eat ANYTHING!)


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

wolfwood said:


> [Yep. I think this will be our path to erradication NEXT winter!!! (save for the moth balls....too many inquisitive dogs who will eat ANYTHING!)


Yes, no poison or mothballs. We happen to LIKE our dogs, and they too will taste anything.


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## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

I was afraid to look after reading this thread but I cleaned out the Outback today . . . dryer sheets everywhere. No damage BUT found a chewed plastic bag along with a few mice droppings . . . it left everything else alone but am fairly sure they were mice droppings. So did the dryer sheets work or didn't they? A mouse may have got in one drawer but didn't stay. Hmmmmm. . . At least I'm grateful.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Took me a while to find but since the discussion was back...................


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## TurkeyBranch (Mar 12, 2009)

skippershe said:


> Ewww Jolly!
> 
> That really bites
> 
> ...


I hope you didn't use tainted Peanut butter to trap them.


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## Compulynx (Oct 15, 2008)

See those eyes. They are focused on my Outback, Let any critter (mouse, snake, bird, or lizard) try to get near it, and Sox makes mincemeat of them. Wish she liked mud daubers ....










C


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

I busted this myth last year as well...Found a mouse nest made of dryer sheets.


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## swanny (Oct 31, 2007)

bet you didn't get any_ static_ from that mouse.


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

And, when I found them, they had a clean, fresh smell!


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