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exdesertdweller's avatar
Apr 28, 2014

indoor insects.....OUCH!!!!!!

Hello there fellow rv'ers. Got a spider problem I need help with. Normally I'm used to spiders and snakes as you can tell by my user name, but things are getting out of hand! Normally I don't complain about the occasional bug/mosquito bite. However...like I said,things are getting out of hand. In the past week I have been bitten (painfully) by indoor spiders of some kind four times. These are class "A" spider bites, the ones that are painful, swell up, and if scratched will erupt into painful blisters. Now before I am attacked by you many nature lovers let me say I'm all for live and let live but when I get attacked for no good reason, minding my own business, I'm going to protect myself and the ones I love. Which brings me to my question....how? I bought a rig that is shall we say mature in age by about 20yrs. My wife has cleaned and sanitized this unit with in an inch of it's poor life. However we continue to have these bites. Do I hire an exterminator...witchdoctor or what?
Please help,

18 Replies

  • Our pest control tech said that for spiders you must put out bait that they eat. I would call a pest control company. Sears pest control in Florida was once a year and they guarantee their service. If you see another bug, they will come back at no charge.
  • Dave H M wrote:
    I would go to Lowes, home Depot, etc and get the right quantity of the premixed stuff with the nozzle on it for indoor use and treat the thing myself and see how that works out....


    Be VERY careful using that type of product in a the small confines of an RV. It is very toxic to pets and humans. I wouldn't suggest using it.
  • I would go to Lowes, home Depot, etc and get the right quantity of the premixed stuff with the nozzle on it for indoor use and treat the thing myself and see how that works out.

    It always has for me.

    Are you sure it is spiders and is not some other creepy critters that are hanging out in the bed?
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Go to a Vet, You know, the kind that treats dogs and cats.. They have some bug bombs there that make the ones you find at Wal*Mart look like bug candy.

    Follow directions.. Get all the fur kids outside the RV, Cover all food, open doors and drawers and so on, TURN OFF ALL IGNITION SOURCES, Close vents and windows and set off 2 of them for a good size RV, just one in a small trailer,, Exit, close door AND LOCK IT from the outside.. Come back in 2-4 hours, Open door and latch open, Open windows and turn on Fantastic Fan.. Leave, come back in 1 hour and enjoy bug free house.
  • Hello there fellow rv'ers. Got a spider problem I need help with. .... My wife has cleaned and sanitized this unit with in an inch of it's poor life. However we continue to have these bites. Do I hire an exterminator...witchdoctor or what?Please help,


    Vinegar and coconut oil. Mix in a spray bottle. Spiders GONE!....and your RV will smell like a tropical vacation.

    Also I would buy some Sevin and sprinkle it around your entire RV. Also make sure you sprinkle it around each and every cord and hose coming from the RV. This was the only product that kept my RV free of insects when parked in Florida the bug capital of the world.


    Only buy the 'dust' one NOT the granules as they can be toxic to pets.
  • First you have to kill their food supply so they will go somewhere else. This is more difficult than it sounds with all the hiding places they have. Normal poisons will reduce them but not eliminate them. Like said hire a professional and ensure they are using real (approved) poisons for all that you have and not green stuff. Green stuff is great if you do not have a serious infestation. Once you get them cleared you can go to green stuff to keep control. Expect it might take a professional at least 2 trips over 6 months to get a good control.
  • I asked an rv dealer about the same issue. He said its all part of nature and people need to expect it. Well....if that's whats to be expected the TT would have been back on Craigslist real fast. Obviously I didn't agree and started looking closer at the TT. There were several places that were poorly sealed. The shore power cord is a ladder that welcomes anything to come on in. There was a huge hole in the box that the cable gets shoved into. I sealed where the cord comes out of the box and all the edges. On the outside I cut a piece of sponge with a slit in it to fit in the plastic cavity that the power cord goes through. When I pull the cord out I place the sponge around the cord and in the plastic cavity. I used foam in a can to seal everything then I used the fumigant cans inside.
    We have had no issues with spiders or anything else and my wife can spot a paint drip at 50 yards. There were a couple mosquito's because of going in and out the door but that's normal.
    Look around everything and assume everything is open. Look inside the compartments and water heater and furnace, vent stacks that end up allowing entrance to the interior. I used a can of foam on a 24 foot Jayco TT and I consider this unit to be very well built.

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