Carpenter ants and a dog butt.

[Jonol]

Scrapper

I gues, if you check the vaseline line on the cable every 2 days your OK!
HA!HA!

[ProfChuck]

Yes, the "Home Defense" spray really works well. You can use it inside and outside of the RV and once it is dry, it is safe for pets and children (just don't spray it on your edible plants). We had carpenter ants in our barn in a wood storage area and these things ate through about 10 sheets of strand board and made nests in it (they were all stacked together). So, in your RV, a lot of times you have floors made out of strand board or plywood, etc. and those carpenter ants are just enjoying dinner and homemaking in all that delicious wood. You can also use the ant tabs that have the ants bring the food back to the queen ant and kill her (and the colony). Don't mess around with these guys. They can do some real and expensive damage to your RV. Blast 'em with every thing you've got and really check your RV for damage.

[kittlecat]

I ended up with an infestation of carpenter ants in my TT the summer of 2015. Do not know where I picked them up and did not find out why until I learned my TT had a hidden leak that had turned it into what my sister jokingly said was a mobile smorgasbord or buffet. The ants were so completely out of control I had to call a professional in while we were in an RV park in Traverse City MI to come and bomb the inside of the TT and completely spray from top to bottom the exterior of the TT. We evacuated with the cat for 3-4 hours and when we returned, there was no odor or residue (still wiped down food surfaces). Long story short: the ants were eating my TT up because of the unseen, unknown leak. It was not until 5 months later, during the winter when the TT was at the dealer for repairs, that the damage from the leak was discovered. The TT was totaled as a result of the water damage and I learned a valuable lesson for myself: there are many different ants and they are all unwanted but the carpenter ants are very destructive and they are often present when wood is wet. I hope to never have that experience again.

[Wolverine 1945]

We had some type of flying ants here last month,,, they filled the Oriole feeder & the Hummingbird feeder ???

[cdog7201]

well I love this sight but it can have some scary stories .But thanks folks for the stories to alert others of your troubles it helps the newbies to keep from having the same problems . what you do for others will come back to help you at a latter date. God Bless

[18CrewDually]

These carpenter ants move fast and at night. We camped with our prior tag-a-long and that night I witnessed the ants coming down a dead oak tree, up the trailer jack, down the frame and under the front sheathing. I went to the office and they sold me an 8$ can of spray. The next morning a grounds keeper came out and put down a white powder around the tree.
Well we started seeing these ants inside. When my daughter found them in her bunk weeks later I knew we had a problem. We made sure there was no food for them and I baited and sprayed.
Finally, one night around 2a.m. I observed the ants following the same path leaving the camper. This time with workers carrying little white eggs nearly 160 feet along the top rail of a stockade fence to my stack of 8x8 timbers. They found a new home and I let them go. Atlas they were out of the camper.
I found it in totality to be very intriguing.

[MacGumbo]

Spent 3 nights in SC and carpenter ants nested somewhere in our TT. You could see the occasional one running to and fro but could not find the nest. Put up with it for two weeks. Bought the ant bait shown below and in less than 3 days they were gone. I left the baits throughout the inaccessible areas of our TT.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052EINNK...d=GK9RR6Z7N2JC

[Itsthetwoofus]

Buy at Walmart or ACE or anywhere that sells Ortho products stuff called Home Defense, comes with pump spray or battery sprayer.
Will not harm your pets but will keep all spiders, ant's and other bugs out. Spray around doors, water and poop hoses and tires. Outside and inside. Will not stain or leave marks on anything and make your life bug free. Great stuff.
Respray outside after rain.

[Mdaniels4]

Originally Posted by thatguy

From what the locals are saying, there is a bumper crop of carpenter ants this year. Maybe the rain after a few dry years. IDK.

Yeah. We noticed them too this year. First time in twelve. Something changed. None in the camper yet thank goodness. Looks like I'll be a spraying. My wife knocked over the wood pile about 2 weeks ago. I figure she disrupted the nest. Gotta burn all that for sure.