Ants ants and more ants

[jdurnwald]

Originally Posted by Big-Foot

We had the same thing happen when we stayed in the State Park in Cedar Hill (now known as Ant Hill) Texas not long after the floods a couple years back.
We now bring Diatomaceous Earth with us and put a nice barrier around the tires, jacks and anything else touching the ground.
It took us WEEKS to get rid of them from the inside of our RPod camper. They got into a LOT of our food that we thought was sealed up. I killed easily a thousand of them just with my thumb and forefinger as they marched along their trails... Lessons learned - Tupperware for almost everything. Don’t count on unopened boxes of cereal, flour, cookies etc. to be impervious to these buggers... Bring Terro Ant Baits with you... Be really careful if you have children or pets...

Thanks for the tip! I had not heard of Diatomaceous Earth but it sounds like what I wanted - a non toxic powder barrier outside.

And Whiteoak Creek Campground in Eufala Alabama will forever be known as the p*ss ant capital of the world.

[Big-Foot]

Originally Posted by jdurnwald

Thanks for the tip! I had not heard of Diatomaceous Earth but it sounds like what I wanted - a non toxic powder barrier outside.

And Whiteoak Creek Campground in Eufala Alabama will forever be known as the p*ss ant capital of the world.

You’re welcome...
Diatomaceous Earth is some interesting stuff - and there’s even a “food grade”... It doesn’t work on all bugs, but most.
Happy Camping!
—
Edit
—
DE works, but not immediately like some poisons. Cinnamon sprinkled around will also chase ants and roaches away. Dollar Store or online....

[macdaddy1111]

I buy gallon jug of home defense at lowes

I spray everything, tires, lifts, around cables, water hoses.

Dang thanks were dropping out a tree one time in SC on a lake, had to spray th roof.

I also have ant paste I get from my bug man. rare we ever get them now since i spray like a crazy man!

Fruit flies my other enemy! ha

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by macdaddy1111

I buy gallon jug of home defense at lowes

I spray everything, tires, lifts, around cables, water hoses.

Dang thanks were dropping out a tree one time in SC on a lake, had to spray th roof.

I also have ant paste I get from my bug man. rare we ever get them now since i spray like a crazy man!

Fruit flies my other enemy! ha

Watch a video on line for the fruit flies. It takes a plastic cup, saran wrap and a rubber band to build. Toss in the trash when done or wash it out and save it for later use.

[Ozark Traveler]

When we think there may be an ant problem we will at least put down some Borax under and around the tires and jacks. Don't forget the electric cable, water hose, and TV cable. I have been told that when the ants ingest the Borax they cannot excrete it. (cannot poop so they pop, so to speak?) Does the Borax now rank along with hammers and dynamite?

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by The_Breeze

Call me curious but, how'd we go from things that crawl to things that fly? Guessing you made the connection somewhere. So let's hear it...

Hope all is well

My AADD has been acting up..,

[pavemike]

Originally Posted by jdurnwald

Thanks for the tip! I had not heard of Diatomaceous Earth but it sounds like what I wanted - a non toxic powder barrier outside.

And Whiteoak Creek Campground in Eufala Alabama will forever be known as the p*ss ant capital of the world.

We have been using diatomaceous earth for a while now. Had a bad ant problem at the storage site. I put DE around the tires and they didn't come near it anymore. While camping, I put it around the tires and any part that touches the ground such as water hoses, sewer hose and electric cord. I first bought the bottle of DE so I can puff spray it, now I buy the large bags and refill the bottle. Also reapply after a couple of rain storms. Love this stuff.

[marine6805]

When we stay at Timber Lake Campground in Brandon Mississippi we "always" have ant problems and learned from the locals that a good dose of kitchen cleanser (Comet, Borax, etc.) around all stabilizers, tongue jacks, and hose/cables on the ground does the trick.
That is the only place we have required a defense mechanism for ants and always stop by a local grocer on our way towards Brandon. We have stayed there a total of 3 times . . . .only have about 58K hitch miles.
It really does work to for a relatively inexpensive cost!

[dkoldman]

Ant's !!!! Are yall talking about real Ants!!!! are you kidding me? Been on this site about a year now and no post I ever read talked about Ants. When we camp in our tent we always sprayed the grass in front of the tent doors, but never had Ants in the tent.

But for OP, sounds like that Terro is the real deal, I have never used but will give it a try. When I have known Ant presence; I have always used Amdro https://www.amdro.com/all-products/fire-ant-bait

It works very well and it kills everything. I just sprinkle a little on the mound. This Terro stuff may cost more because I can kill hundreds of mounds with one container of Amdro. But I like to try different things.

But for future, I will pack a 1 gallon spray container and my Amdro; so I will be ready just in case. Isn't enough to worry about with RV than to have to add Ants to the list

[Eljay]

Some locations are more "ant-prone" than others. For instance, we won't even stay in FL at a location without a concrete pad, which helps a little.

Two things we learned the hard way:

1) Watch out when you park to not come in contact with any tree branches or bushes. We parked with a few leaves of a beautiful oak just barely touching the roof - and a gazillion ants marched in from above.

2) Pet food will bring them quick if your pet is used to just grazing at will. We couldn't feed our dog outside, without having ants within a minute or two, and we couldn't leave the food down for our dog if he wasn't eating. We had to seal up what he didn't eat and let him eat more later, or there was a major invasion.

[MLP]

Ajax or Comet around jacks and tires. Spray the power cable and water hose where they contact the ground with Raid. No problem.

[Laco]

Another trick, is to use comet powder around all ground contact points, jacks, tires, water hoses, drain lines, electrical, etc. They, the ants, will not go through the comet, so goes the legend. I have also heard that diatomaceous earth will work too.

[FrankMor]

This is for Fire Ants, but works on all kinds. It is totally safe, and works very well.

Fire Ant Killer

From Texas A&M research

For an even more effective way to get rid of fire ants, drench the mounds with a citrus oil and soap solution, a combination that’s repeatedly proved effective. In controlled studies conducted by Texas A&M University entomologists, fire ant mounds still showed no activity nearly a month after the researchers had drenched the mounds with a mixture of 1 1∕2 ounces of Medina Orange Oil, 3 ounces of Dawn liquid soap and 1 gallon of water. A compound in citrus oil, d-limonene, breaks down the ants’ exoskeletons and causes them to suffocate.

Cheap and safe

Frank

[Soldier Girl]

I've been invaded four times in the past yr & a half of fulltiming. I've used the same method of Diatomaceous Earth around my rig (reapplied if it rains) & then Terro baits, as someone else mentioned, inside my rig where my dog can't reach. They're basically gone overnight - and I truly get invasion levels of ants! Happy hunting!

Originally Posted by jdurnwald

Thanks for the tip! I had not heard of Diatomaceous Earth but it sounds like what I wanted - a non toxic powder barrier outside.

And Whiteoak Creek Campground in Eufala Alabama will forever be known as the p*ss ant capital of the world.

[Soldier Girl]

I get houseflys since I landed for an "extended" stay here in the shutdown of California. Fly swatter & old fashion fly paper hanging from the ceiling keeps them at bay, but not for good. Everytime I open my door to let my dog out, they make a run for my rig...sigh

Originally Posted by macdaddy1111

I buy gallon jug of home defense at lowes

I spray everything, tires, lifts, around cables, water hoses.

Dang thanks were dropping out a tree one time in SC on a lake, had to spray th roof.

I also have ant paste I get from my bug man. rare we ever get them now since i spray like a crazy man!

Fruit flies my other enemy! ha

[Soldier Girl]

Yep, Borax is a nuke level of attack - be careful if you have pets! I used to use it in my Army barracks against Texas sewer roaches. Some guys say it works on Camel Spiders (I haven't tried that). I know families from El Savador who apply it in German cockroach infested apartments in big cities, they literally poor it around their baseboards after their babies are all in bed, & then scrub it up w/a bleach solution every morn before the kiddos get up to play. They all swear by it...

Originally Posted by Ozark Traveler

When we think there may be an ant problem we will at least put down some Borax under and around the tires and jacks. Don't forget the electric cable, water hose, and TV cable. I have been told that when the ants ingest the Borax they cannot excrete it. (cannot poop so they pop, so to speak?) Does the Borax now rank along with hammers and dynamite?

[Soldier Girl]

I'm not certain if I remember correctly, but I think amdro can only be used outside bc of how toxic it is. Big Bend Natl Park had to fight EPA for permission to kill fire ants in the 2019 camping season after the ants finally reached the Chisos Mountains. It wasn't until a few folk had to be transported to hospital that they got permission. Then they made us camphosts waste an entire day sitting through a pesticide safety seminar - but that stuff truly works! It jus takes a few heavy deployments over about six days per hill to wipe out both the nest & queen...

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Ant's !!!! Are yall talking about real Ants!!!! are you kidding me? Been on this site about a year now and no post I ever read talked about Ants. When we camp in our tent we always sprayed the grass in front of the tent doors, but never had Ants in the tent.

But for OP, sounds like that Terro is the real deal, I have never used but will give it a try. When I have known Ant presence; I have always used Amdro https://www.amdro.com/all-products/fire-ant-bait

It works very well and it kills everything. I just sprinkle a little on the mound. This Terro stuff may cost more because I can kill hundreds of mounds with one container of Amdro. But I like to try different things.

But for future, I will pack a 1 gallon spray container and my Amdro; so I will be ready just in case. Isn't enough to worry about with RV than to have to add Ants to the list

[jdurnwald]

Thanks for all the ideas! For the flying critters that get in the coach, this is a fun way to get them and not make a mess - https://www.amazon.com/Bug-A-Salt-2-.../dp/B01M173US6

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by ducksface

That's pretty old school.
It's all about propane or acetylene now.
A nice satisfying 'whooouuuummmmmoooosssshhh! Sound.
No digging.

If you use a water cracker the hydrogen and oxygen makes it all organic.
Gophers like it too.
There's even a franchise available.
It just pisses off a badger. Don't try on a badger.

A little slow on the uptake. I've been busy. Holy crap. That's funny

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

We use propane on wasp's nests...
You crack open a canister, and stick the business end into the hive.
After about three or four minutes: replace it with a tooled-up newspaper that is burning nicely...
It rains flaming wasps for a really long time!

Fire flies?