Squirrels - !!!!

[Madcol]

So I was camping for the first time this year about a month ago and as it was getting dark the first night I heard a squirrel chattering from what felt like directly under the floor of the trailer. I made noise in the trailer, went outside to try and find the little (moderator edit) but it seemed to be gone. A fellow camper told me he had seen a squirrel running along the top of my tires. I couldn't find any evidence of new holes underneath.

Fast forward to this past weekend and early Saturday morning we heard what sounded like someone running around underneath the floor, and again heard the loud chattering. I went outside and sat till the little (moderator edit) showed itself, again sitting on top of one of the tires. I taped up the holes I saw on the steel frame of the trailer. When it was getting dark that night, I saw the squirrels coming back, managed to kill one. Another one came and I managed to scare it away for a while but it eventually made it up onto a tire on the opposite side of where I was standing. It was getting dark so I lost track of it. No sounds that night of it running around underneath and no sound the next morning.

I inspected underneath and again, no new holes to be found. I am seasonal and my trailer remained in the park through the winter. My neighbour has two bird feeders which attract multiple squirrels.

So, to finally get to my point, I will be plugging up every hole I can find with spray foam and hardware cloth. Any other suggestions? I have read that mothballs can repel squirrels too.

Last resort...a pellet gun but really don't want to go that route in a family campground.

I hate squirrels!!!

[mark5w]

Mark sure you get either the Dow GREAT STUFF Pestblock Insulating Foam or the Touch 'n Foam Mouse Shield Foam Sealant. They will eat through the regular foam.

[travelin texans]

At Tractor Supply they have Ramik Green in a 4lb bag that deters all types of rodents above & below ground. Our 5er has been stored this past winter in an area known for ground squirrel & pack rats, I've scattered that stuff twice under/around our 5er & no sign of any critters getting in. It's worth $20-25 for a couple bags to try it.

[SeanRN]

Normally once you are using the RV they leave unless they have babies inside. I mix up peppermint oil and distilled water, about 50/50 in a spray bottle and spray the underside of the RV, tires, floors along the rails. Keep shaking the bottle and spraying. Seemed to work. They don't like peppermint and it smells better than moth balls.

The best deterrent for winter storage is a very thorough cleaning and removal of all food, soap and pray they go to your neighbors camper.

I have been seasonal camping for more than 15 years. The worst year was when we put decon inside. They collected it under the mattress. I used screen/hardware cloth around all inside holes where water or power came in or out. They were in the ceiling of that RV and I had to trade it. Even if you plug all holes you can see, there are still holes in the frame where the slide room(s) go in and out. I'm going to have to get that stuff from Tractor Supply as a preventative measure. Good luck.

[JEH412]

I've always used steel wool and caulk for smaller holes around pipes and wires and steel wool and spray foam on larger openings. We've had just one mouse, and he came in through a pipe chase I missed when I went through the new trailer that fall when we bought it. The pipe I missed was behind the stove and took a lot of contortion through the adjacent cabinet to seal it! Fortunately, that mouse made it's winter home in the bottom cabinet drawer and we saw no sign that he went beyond that. Of course, it was the drawer with all the kitchen towels...

[Silverhilldude]

Can't speak for squirrels but had similar problem with mice. I tried repeatedly diff methods to get rid of them but they kept finding ways back in. The area between black tarp cloth on bottom of trailer and the floor is critter heaven and after wasting $$ and countless hrs I finally ripped the tarp off and insulation and took it to a place that spray foams homes and RVs. They covered the bottom with about 4" of foam and now there are no cavities or places for any creature to go. Been a year and no sign of any mice anywhere. Bonus is waay better insulation value, floor feels warmer in cool.weather and my trailer could prob float on a lake if I wanted to use it as a boat. Ha ha. It is a pricey solution but a final one. No regrets.

[terryjo]

We have had our fair share of squirrel problems. Mostly with our old 5th wheel. They loved running in the ceiling at 3 am! Only one problem with the Crossroads. One got up into the hitch and the front nose. We set a sticky pad on the hitch and while sitting outside we heard a bunch of racket and a squirrel with a sticky pad stuck to his side come running by us. We got a good laugh and wish it was on video! We used "Critter Ridder" and sprinkled it around the trailer and tires. You can buy it at hardware stores or Amazon. Also, we have 2 plugged in Ultrasonic Pest Control units. One inside the trailer and one in the underside storage area. These only work if you have electricity to the trailer. Just this last week we were camping and had the door open and screen shut. I was in the kitchen and heard something and a squirrel was crawling up the screen door. He was half way up when I scarred him away. Luckily he didn't ruin the screen door! They are fearless! In our old trailer we had a squirrel inside that didn't want to leave the way he got in so he ate a hole in the screen of a window. We were out and about and came back to find a huge hole in our screen. We could write a book!!! Good luck!

[Heritagehei]

Don't waste time with mothballs, they made a nest on top of mothballs in the air intake on my truck.

[JEH412]

Originally Posted by Silverhilldude

Can't speak for squirrels but had similar problem with mice. I tried repeatedly diff methods to get rid of them but they kept finding ways back in. The area between black tarp cloth on bottom of trailer and the floor is critter heaven and after wasting $$ and countless hrs I finally ripped the tarp off and insulation and took it to a place that spray foams homes and RVs. They covered the bottom with about 4" of foam and now there are no cavities or places for any creature to go. Been a year and no sign of any mice anywhere. Bonus is waay better insulation value, floor feels warmer in cool.weather and my trailer could prob float on a lake if I wanted to use it as a boat. Ha ha. It is a pricey solution but a final one. No regrets.

That's an excellent solution!

[Woody]

My only bad experience with squirrels was in Cades Cove campground in the
Smoky mountains a few years ago---we finished breakfast on the picnic table
and closed up the Coleman stove and went on a hiking trip----came back later
and yellow ribbon was wrapped all around the table----a squirrel had been
trying to get me to feed him and I would not do so----I guess he got upset
while we were gone and chewed a hole in the propane gas line to the stove
----a camper called the rangers about a gas smell and they cut off the propane
tank, needless to say I have always cut off the propane tank no matter how
long I plan to be gone. ---- One more thing "New Camper" shows up on my
name area, I do not know how it got there or to change it---I have been here
since 2005.