Ants!

[JoArt]

This weekend we went out hook-up camping and it was over a hundred. When we got back to our trailer, turned on the lights and AC. I found ants! yuck.
They were all over the fresh fruit and cookies. Double yuck!
Anyway I was wondering what folks are using to keep them out of their A-frames?
Thanks.

[gondrej]

A COE campground we frequent has an argentine(sp) ant problem. These ants do not bite or sting, but they will get into your food. As part of setting up camp, we put ant granules around anything that could be a point of entry for the ants - around all tires, jacks, hoses and cords. And, we are very careful with leaning anything against the trailer.

[MontyPP]

Repellent sometimes works. Maybe ant spray.

[Wayne Joan]

We were warned about ants last winter in Alabama and were told to apply Comet w/bleach around the trailer and especially, where any thing touches the ground - tires, jacks, power cords. water hose etc. It seemed to do the job.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Wayne Joan

We were warned about ants last winter in Alabama and were told to apply Comet w/bleach around the trailer and especially, where any thing touches the ground - tires, jacks, power cords. water hose etc. It seemed to do the job.

Sounds like Meaher State Park in Mobile!

For us (fifth wheel, not aframe), we hook a hose up to an ant killer and spray our site with specific focus to anything that touches the ground and the camper.

If ants are inside, we'll use Terro bait traps and a eco-friendly spray for killing on sight.

[myredracer]

We did an overnight stay in Bakersfield last summer and when we went to check in, the office said they have an ant problem and you need to do something to keep them out. They sold Comet and you had to spread the powder around tires, jacks, pedestal and anything else that touched the ground.

OMG, we expected an army of ants overnight like out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, but when we woke up the next morning, nary an ant to be seen anywhere. You could see where all the other RVs had come and gone - looked like a crime scene investigation with the outline of white powder on the sites... Wrong time of year for ants maybe as all the oranges on the trees in the CG were still green.

[Carla]

The campground where we camp in San Diego close to my daughter at college has ant infestation. We carry ant spray and aluminum steam table pan lids. When we pull in we set out the lids to drive onto and set jack stands and tongue wheel onto, then we spray all those surfaces and the power cord with the ant spray. Does the trick.

Crazy part about those ants is that we don't leave any food out in the trailer, only in the fridge, we don't eat in the trailer and we don't carry water onboard if we don't have to. But there was a solid, thick black line of them marching through the trailer the first time we learned about the ants. Dunno what they were going after.

[ben31]

Wherever we camp, I put Sevin Dust around anything that touches the ground. Tires, jacks, cables, hoses, ANYTHING that touches the ground gets this sprinkled around it. For the cables and hoses, you just need to sprinkle some at the point where it leaves the ground to go up to the RV. Also, make sure you don't have limbs, grass, or anything else touching your RV, since the ants will use that as a highway. Mice supposedly don't like this stuff, either so it should help with keeping them away, also. The only thing is, every time it rains, you need to check the areas to see if you need to add more. Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. have the three packs. It is a must to keep the pests at bay!

We have tried sprays, traps, baits, etc. and nothing works like this stuff!

https://smile.amazon.com/Garden-5-Pe...qid=1504102363

[JoArt]

Well yesterday went to store to purchase comet to sprinkle around the outside of trailer. This method seems like it wouldn't hurt the environment or us too much. Thanks for the tip.

[jflarin]

If the ant made a nest in your trailer, be nice to them, don't kill them with spay.

You have to feed those. They are your guest, aren't they? So make a batch or boiled water and sugar to make a syrup (there are receipies on the internet) and while it cools down, add about 10% of borax powder. You find that in the clothes soap isle.

Then you put a few once of the syrup in soda cans where you saw the ants. Normally, I put the can on its side where you saw ants and make a little mess while putting it ther. Of course the ants see the mess, and just clean it up and go clean whatever is in the can...

After they emptied my cans, those ants are so happy that I fed them that they don't come back...


jf

[Pooneil]

I carry a can of ant and roach spray and treat the ground around the tires and jack on an as needed basis. Fortunately the parks I've been to do not have a special problem with ants so I only have had to do this when there is a colony in the campsite.

[JoArt]

Thanks everyone for their ideas on getting rid of ants. I am ready for our next adventure with my comet.

[Wayne Joan]

Originally Posted by JoArt

Thanks everyone for their ideas on getting rid of ants. I am ready for our next adventure with my comet.

Make sure it is "Comet with Bleach"

[JoArt]

Thanks for the tip about what type of comet to use.
I purchased the non-bleach type. I'll look for one with bleach.

[Midnight Rider]

Thanks for the tip, I bought some at Lowe's. Looking forward to testing it out!

[CedarCreekWoody]

I use a commercial ant spray and apply it around everything that touches the ground and any trails that I see. This is a strong product, for exterior use only.