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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(ARA) – Now that winter has arrived, your recreational vehicle (RV) is likely sitting in a covered garage somewhere. Hopefully it’s collecting dust, not serving as a winter home for some unwanted guests.
But unless you’ve taken steps to keep them out, it’s very possible that right now, mice, squirrels and/or other critters are making themselves at home in your home away from home. And you don’t want them there!
Rodents are notorious for chewing through vehicle wiring and plastic and rubber lines. They also leave a big mess behind, defecating on countertops and floors, and even in beds. If you haven’t taken preventative measures to keep rodents out, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise the next time you want to take your RV on a trip.
So what can you do to protect your property?
1) When you’re ready to store your RV for the winter, start by inspecting the underside of the vehicle. Look in all of the corners and crevices, especially where plumbing and wiring enter the RV. If you can see any daylight mice can get in. Fill any holes or gaps you find with silicone or expanding foam.
2) Remove all food from the RV, even things like flour and sugar that are being stored in airtight containers. A hungry animal can do a lot of damage chewing through containers, and even wooden cabinets, to get at food. Also be sure the floors and countertops have been adequately cleaned so there are no remnants of food around.
3) If at all possible try to park or store your RV on a solid surface, like pavement or concrete. Avoid grass, fields or wooded areas.
4) If you don't mind the smell of mothballs you can scatter them throughout areas of the RV rodents are likely to hide in, including storage compartments and the underside. Another option would be to place packets of Fresh Cab in strategic locations.
Fresh Cab is an all natural biodegradable blend of corn cob chips, herbs and essential oils, invented by Kari Warberg, a farmer’s wife who lives in North Dakota. “I was offended at the smell of moth balls, and disliked the staleness we found in our stored implements in the spring, so I came up with a natural alternative in the form of a long-lasting scent pouch. It smells like an Alaskan Wilderness Area and has been proven both safe and effective by independent labs and the thousands of customers who’ve come to depend on it year after year to freshen and protect their property.”
During testing Warberg discovered the scent, which is pleasant to humans, is extremely offensive to mice and other rodents, and will thus keep them away. The product comes strongly recommended by members of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV owner’s association. Tom Freidt, who owns Riverwood RV Sales and Service in Mandan, N.D., has been recommending it for years. “We’ve had great success with Fresh Cab around here,” he says. “Mice are no longer a problem in the wintertime.”
Fresh Cab recently made it through the rigorous scrutiny of the EPA to gain approval to be labeled as a botanical rodent repellent. It’s currently being sold at farm and home stores, hardware stores, implement dealerships, farm elevators and through the company Web site: www.cranecreekgardens.com. There you can place an order, or enter your ZIP code to find the dealer nearest you.
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