Ants !!

[Dopalgangr]

I don’t have any ant issues. It’s these damn stink bugs that keep getting in my Precept. Any thoughts on those? They get into everything and I’ve noticed that they have been secreting black tar like substance on things.

[BCx213]

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

And I don't mean Uncle's wives.

I always laugh at mouse threads because I always mouse-proof and haven't had them in 34 years of owning an RV trailer. But this year is different - we have ants.

Jayco 195RB - 2015 model.

The wife saw a few inside so it required a little investigating. I saw a few on the outside of the trailer and one on the roof.

I only see 2 possible points of entry - a small crevice on the bottom of the door / screen frame, and a possible opening on the roof vent above the side mounted AC.

All the exterior vents - HW heater, fridge vent, furnace - were screened from day one. They can't get in there.

Any comments, suggestions? TIA.

I have heard baby powder works...

[steveb285rks]

I decided to leave out the sticky mouse traps after sealing up the camper holes. They work well at catching spiders, ants, and other misc bugs.

[RogerR]

You didn't say what kind of ant. Small red put out Andro or similar baits. Big black ants are sometime carpenter ants and then the alarm goes off. They may be living in wet wood in your frame and require a really thorough inspection.

On stink bugs. there are traps including one where you put a light over soapy water and the are attracted to the water and drown. I have a couple of traps that I put way out in the back yard with commercial attractant and they fill a bucket after a week. Just keeps them down, nothing will kill them all.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by RogerR

You didn't say what kind of ant. Small red put out Andro or similar baits. Big black ants are sometime carpenter ants and then the alarm goes off. They may be living in wet wood in your frame and require a really thorough inspection.

Actually I did.

A thorough inspection of the trailer is done twice per year anyway, and I'm quite confident I don't have any rot.

We believe we destroyed the ant hill I previously talked about, and the only possible entry point was sealed (around the AC). Over the weekend we only had 2 ants inside, one of which was in the toaster. I always thought it was food smell that lured them in.

All ground contact points have already been treated, as per everyone's suggestions.

Time will tell - be back in 2 weeks.

[gypsmjim]

OK, here's an update....

The wife is livid. Still finding 5 or 6 ants a day.

We believe we destroyed the nearby ant hill, but there are still ants around. We see a few on the roof and trailer sides at any time we look. Don't see any on the undercarriage.

ALL of the ground points (wheels, jacks, etc) have been saturated with Terro. Possible entry points at the AC and back door have been sealed.

We have a tree overhang, so we assume they are coming from above, though I see no ants on the tree trunk. The issue is....where are they coming in?

The wife sees most of them on the ceiling, but with a greater abundance at one side window. My examination of the window shows that it is tight. Its not under the awning, so when it rains we see no water entry.

For those that didn't read the entire thread, we have no pull-out power cord and no leaks or rotten wood.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

We have a tree overhang, so we assume they are coming from above, though I see no ants on the tree trunk. The issue is....where are they coming in?

They could be living in the tree. I had an oak tree that was infested inside.