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05-27-2020, 05:47 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,091
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Ants !!
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.
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05-27-2020, 05:52 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Connellsville
Posts: 22,681
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I get them from the power cord believe it or not. I still have my factory cable setup on mine and they climb right up and in through the plastic door. This time of year, I just give the cord and the ground around a shot or two of bug spray. Eventually, I'm going to add a cord disconnect to eliminate that point of entry.
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05-27-2020, 06:00 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3,828
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I have never had that problem but from what I have heard you have to "powder" around anything that touches the ground. Tires, landing gear, stabilizers etc. That might mean the power pole also.
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05-27-2020, 06:04 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,091
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midnightmoon
I get them from the power cord believe it or not. I still have my factory cable setup on mine and they climb right up and in through the plastic door. This time of year, I just give the cord and the ground around a shot or two of bug spray. Eventually, I'm going to add a cord disconnect to eliminate that point of entry.
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We have a fixed port - no door and no point of entry.
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05-27-2020, 06:05 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,091
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CAG
I have never had that problem but from what I have heard you have to "powder" around anything that touches the ground. Tires, landing gear, stabilizers etc. That might mean the power pole also.
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That sounds like what my plan was. What "powder" should I buy?
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05-27-2020, 06:10 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3,828
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsmjim
That sounds like what my plan was. What "powder" should I buy?
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Ant powder or diatomaceous earth. Messes up the exoskeleton critters.
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05-27-2020, 06:11 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3,828
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsmjim
We have a fixed port - no door and no point of entry.
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About a foot of some sort of grease like vaseline will stop them dead on the cable.
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05-27-2020, 06:18 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,091
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CAG
About a foot of some sort of grease like vaseline will stop them dead on the cable.
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We don't have a pull-out shore cable. There is no hole for the power cable.
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05-27-2020, 06:24 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,424
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I started using the Pest spray on the tires, stabilizers and the tongue jack. If it touches the ground I give it a quick spray once the campsite is set up. I don’t let the cord touch the ground and I give the pedestal post a quick spray too. At home I do a “once around” every couple months in the ant season as well. We stayed at a campground once that had the huge black ants that fall from the trees. That’s a whole different subject lol.
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05-27-2020, 06:26 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Newburgh
Posts: 6,307
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Terro ant bait is some of the best out there. They make a granular version that you can sprinkle outside but there is a liquid that you can place inside at various points. Only downside is it takes a few days to work.
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05-27-2020, 06:27 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Mapleton
Posts: 4,341
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any tiny crack or crevice will do. Most will come to sweet baits that include borax and take it back to the queen and kill the nest. Takes 2 to 4 days to work but is the only long term one I have found. Sprays will help but rain or dew will remove it and back to killing them.
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05-27-2020, 06:28 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,091
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Screwby
I started using the Pest spray on the tires, stabilizers and the tongue jack. If it touches the ground I give it a quick spray once the campsite is set up. I don’t let the cord touch the ground and I give the pedestal post a quick spray too. At home I do a “once around” every couple months in the ant season as well. We stayed at a campground once that had the huge black ants that fall from the trees. That’s a whole different subject lol.
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You might be on to something there. We ARE in the woods and they are the biggens.
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05-27-2020, 06:38 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,424
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsmjim
You might be on to something there. We ARE in the woods and they are the biggens.
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Yeah we kept finding them in the trailer and I realized they were coming from up top. I went up the rear ladder and big ole black ants everywhere. I think they were either coming in a roof vent or crawling down the sidewalls and then coming in somewhere lower.
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1999 Suburban 2500 4x4
2016 Jayflight 23RB Elite, Fiberglass, Polar Package
400w Renogy RV solar kit w/ Bluetooth, 100w Renogy solar suitcase
430 amp/hr 6v battery bank
1000w Renogy hard wired inverter
2011 F350 Lariat, DWR 4x4, 6.7 turbo diesel
2017 Open Range, Mesa Ridge 374BHS
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05-27-2020, 07:06 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Where ever the boss says we're going.
Posts: 15,949
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If they are the "black ants" check for leaks too since they go after wet wood. Comet or Ajax also works around the tires and leveling jacks as a deterrent if you have little ones or pets and don't want to use any poison.
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05-27-2020, 07:32 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Inland Empire, California
Posts: 1,987
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Had ants get into my unit once fairly early on. Had it parked on my cement slab next to the house. I had the stabilizers extended that one time. After that I never dropped the stabilizers and never had ants return. I do keep the power cord off the ground when plugged in.
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Jim
Retired electronic technician (45 years in the field)
2017 Greyhawk 29W (solar & many other mods)
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05-27-2020, 07:35 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Edgewater
Posts: 390
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I've used this with good success. It's supposed to be safe around pets. I bought it at Tractor Supply. You can also use borax but I'm not as comfortable with it around pets and kids. The Terro liquid baits work well inside the camper where they can be put out of reach for kids and pets.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...b?cm_vc=IOPDP2
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Jim Davis
2018 Hummingbird 17RK
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05-28-2020, 04:00 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Dallas
Posts: 4,281
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We use Bayer Advanced at home and at camp. While we where at one camp ground I noticed a train of black ants crawling up both corners of the front of the camper an on some of the stabilizers. Sprayed those corners top to bottom an the stabilizers an never saw another ant on the camper for the next 3 days we where there. No residue either. We also spray it around the back door at the house because of black ants gettin in lookin for water an it keeps them out for months.
It"ll kill what you spray then keep them away.
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Tight Lines and accurate shots
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05-28-2020, 05:47 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: --
Posts: 2,392
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midnightmoon
I get them from the power cord believe it or not. I still have my factory cable setup on mine and they climb right up and in through the plastic door. This time of year, I just give the cord and the ground around a shot or two of bug spray. Eventually, I'm going to add a cord disconnect to eliminate that point of entry.
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I do the same. I spray my tires, leveling jacks, sewer hose, power cord, etc. with some ortho home perimeter bug spray.
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05-28-2020, 06:06 AM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: washington
Posts: 14
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put some cheap foot powder around everywhere something touches the ground. Jacks tires wires. they will not cross it.
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05-29-2020, 06:10 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: McKean, PA
Posts: 1,071
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Beware of "Big Old Black Ants"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Screwby
Yeah we kept finding them in the trailer and I realized they were coming from up top. I went up the rear ladder and big ole black ants everywhere. I think they were either coming in a roof vent or crawling down the sidewalls and then coming in somewhere lower.
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If you find "Big Old Black Ants", they are most likely carpenter ants and they live in wet wood so you likely have a leak and a rot problem. They will create tunnels destroying the structure. Most ant baits won't work on them. You have to eliminate the wet wood. Carpenter ants spread by generating a lot of queens which leave the nest and fly to surrounding areas, so they don't need touch the ground to get on your RV.
Before trying anything you should figure out what type of ant you are dealing with.
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