RV Pest Control

[Gail Rigney]

Any success in getting rid of carpenter ants in an RV? Our tow behind was lest under a maple tree and became infested with ants. We've bug bombed twice with some success but we still have ants emerging now and then.

[Denny Lane]

Have it sprayed inside & outside by a professional Co like Terminex and leave traps inside the trailer. My favorite is http://www.terro.com/products.php?product=liquid_ant_bait

[Gail Rigney]

Thanks Denny - I've got the Terro set out in the trailer and it seems to be attracting ants at a slower rate than last week. Hopefully they're on the decline - but I'll keep the professional spray in mind before winter storage happens.

[Becky Blanton]

Hi Gail,
I write a LOT about ant control! The most important thing is to eliminate the pheromone trail, the "scent" trail that ants leave for other ants. Use plain old distilled white vinegar or sudsy ammonia and wipe down EVERYWHERE you have ever seen even ONE ant. These single ants are scout ants and they are the ones that leave the trails. As long as they can "smell" that trail, they'll return.

Use bay leaves, or even better, fresh mint leaves - ants HATE minty odors. Once you wash things down with the ammonia or vinegar make a natural ant repellent of citrus peelings and water. Blend orange peelings in a blender and pour or spray it all over the outside of your trailer - including the tires and undercarriage. Another natural remedy is to mix equal parts of sugar and borax. Place the sugar/borax mixture strategically around the trailer in small containers (jar lids work just fine). The ants are attracted to the sugar and carry it back to the mound and within a week or two the borax will kill the ants. One other natural remedy is to use instant grits or cream of wheat. Sprinkle the grits over the mound. The ants will eat the grits and the grits will expand and blow up inside them. The ant traps you can buy commercially work well too. If you have pets DO NOT USE THE BORAX mixture. Sorry. But the other stuff is okay. Hope this helps!

[Gail Rigney]

Thanks Becky - I love your natural solutions for ant control. I've seen Borax work quite well for roaches so I'm thinking it might have the same effect on ants. And I tend to enjoy a bit of citrus scent so I'll definitely try that approach as well. PS - I enjoyed the sample of your publication regarding storage solutions for campers.

[Becky Blanton]

You're welcome Gail. I have a dog and worry about cats and other animals accidentally ingesting anything. I also have an autoimmune disease so any kind of chemical treatments really set it off and I end up covered in hives! Ick. The hives I can handle, the itching I hate!

If the organic doesn't work (I've almost never seen it not work," then try the commercial ant sprays. But if you're patient, they really do a good job! Glad you liked the storage solution book. It was my first. I'm working on others!