Ants

[Hailey]

2016 DS
We camped in a state park for a week and started getting medium sized black ants crawling around the coach. We started with A good name ant trap and didn't see much success, tried another type and still only a couple dead ones. The problem was getting worse and we purchased a spray ant and roach killer and each time we went out for several hours I would spray the perimeter inside and under the slides. This worked much better and we had several dead ones each time.
But we still had more each day, so I started looking for way in. Under the bed where all the electrical gear is I found a hole about 2 " in diameter where the wires exit from and two other places with smaller holes. I sealed them with spray foam and figured I solved the problem. Days later we were still getting a couple a day crawling around and now the seemed to be mostly in the cockpit area. I found that the door trim for both doors have 6 holes at the bottom of the door to allow water to drain out from the front compartment. I was able to stuff foam into the holes and I soaked the foam with spray ant killer.
Happy to say that we haven't seen an ant inside for several days.
I'm told that the state parks don't treat the sites because ants and critters are part of nature - try telling the DW that when they are crawling on the bed sheets .

[Iraqvet05]

We had a steady stream of ants crawling up a stabilizer jack once and the spray killed them but I don't know how there were getting in. Occasionally, we get complaints into the city I work for about ant problems at our parks but we don't treat simply because of the additional cost.

[Grumpy]

If you have black ants(carpenter ants) inside you probably have water intrusion issues. They go after damp wood and paper.

[pconroy]

Black ants don't bug me much (pun intended) but if they were Fire Ants, I'd spare no expense to eradicate them.

I mentioned that I crawled under our Jayhawk with some "Stuff" spray foam and used half the can plugging holes. That said, I'm sure I missed a few holes...

[Jopopsy]

Every outting I bring w/ me a bottle of Ortho 12 month home guard/spray. I spray around the tires, the jack pads, and the wires and hoses right before they arch up towards the coach.

I had Ants in a different camper once - talk about a way to ruin a trip !!!

I also carry that clear bait trap Terro with me. I'll put that stuff down if I see any. If they manage to get in, let them carry death back with them ...

[GeorgiaRV]

Originally Posted by Jopopsy

Every outting I bring w/ me a bottle of Ortho 12 month home guard/spray. I spray around the tires, the jack pads, and the wires and hoses right before they arch up towards the coach.

I had Ants in a different camper once - talk about a way to ruin a trip !!!

I also carry that clear bait trap Terro with me. I'll put that stuff down if I see any. If they manage to get in, let them carry death back with them ...

great advise thanks for sharing!

[t18skyguy]

I have to deal with ants in my rig, but also am a landlord and have to deal with them every year. I have tried many products but I finally tried diatomaceous earth food grade quality. It is harmless to other animals, but when sprinkled on the ground, they walk through it and it gets in their joints and ruptures their exoskelton and they die. It looks and feels like flour, but it is microground coral that acts on them as fine glass crystals. I have killed entire huge colonies with one sprinkled application. Sprinkle it around the campsite particularly if you can spot a colony or trail, or sprinkle it in affected areas in the rig. It is safe for consumption(I don't eat it) but some people do. One important point. Don't breath it into your lungs during application. I bought four big jugs on Amazon.

[jasum]

That does work and you can also buy it at pool stores.........

[BuddyRay]

X2 on the Ortho 12 month. I found it in a battery powered spray bottle with refills. I keep it in the coach. I don't use it every time but if I see even one ant around the the campsite I spray the tires and jacks.

We were coming through East Texas one time and stayed at a state park on a lake across from a coal power plant. Nice place except for the constant noise from the coal loaders and the ants. They got in the RV and there were thousands of them crawling over an in our trash can. It took weeks to get them all our of the RV. That's when we learned to treat all entry points because you can NEVER seal up any RV enough to keep ants out.

[bansai]

I use Amdro ant poison. They carry it home like it's gold and about an hour later the ant bodies start getting carried out of the nest. Solves my problem, and it's almost a therapeutic process for me to watch after months of winter and corporate stress. I'm probably kinda sick.. full disclosure.