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esox07's avatar
esox07
Explorer
Jun 07, 2021

ANTS

Background info:
2011 K-Z Sportsmen CLassic 19BH trailer.

I rented out my camper this past weekend to a couple with a young daughter. I went to pick up the camper and when I went to open the FW tank drain under the bunk bed, I see a bunch of insects scurrying around on top of the white water tank. My eyes were not adjusted from the sunny outside yet so I couldn't tell what they were, but first though some kind of roach. Anyway, I closed the lid and waited a bit for my eyes to adjust and opened it again and they turned out to be big black ants. Maybe a quarter inch long. There were dozens of them. I went outside and sure enough, there were a some on the ground below the water storage area. Now, I had never seen any of them at any point in the past in my camper. I had opened the tank cover to close the drain valve before the rental and did not see any and if they were there, I am sure I would have as many of them as there were. So, I assume the infiltrated the camper during the rental which was just two nights.
When I got home, I broke out a can of insect killer spray and sprayed the snot out of the whole area under the bunk which houses the Hot water tank, fresh water tank water pump and 30 amp electrical cord. They immediately started scattering and dying. I am sure there were well over 100 I could see dead. There were a few I found outside the tank storage area and I killed them. That was yesterday. Today, I went back in to check and noticed a couple out in the open and under things like the waste basket. I checked all the cupboards and other storage areas and didn't see more than maybe one in any of them. I didn't see any live ones in the tank storage area. So, I am hoping I killed off the colony and the few I found today were just stragglers. I will keep checking periodically, but should I be worried? Should I bug bomb the camper? What would you suggest I do if I continue to see them?

Here are some photos after I sprayed the water storage area.



  • Yah. sorry about the photos being so big. I don't know how to replace them now. I don't see an edit option.
  • Consider yourself fortunate that is the only problem with your rental.

    If you moved the RV then they will die off. Ant spray and bait rarely help for me. A good dose of bug killer on everthing that touches the ground can deter them. But best to find the nest and soak it with the bug killer. Once you get the queen and future queens they are done.

    And take the hint and fix your pictures.
  • I don't think it is necessary to use a bug bomb inside the TT, too messy and excess residue might prove harmful to dogs and/or cats. Spot spraying might be needed if ants are still a nuisance, we have had similar episodes a time or two over 3 decades of RVing and try not to overuse bug spray as it lingers. Can happen to anybody, I don't think renters had any idea this was going on, glad yo were able to discover it early enough to contain them.
  • If you got their DNA, can you come up with a Covid Vaccine for the little bastards.
  • Plz make the pics just a bit bigger. I can almost make out their DNA.
  • Lol, is this the first time you've ever dealt with ants?

    It's obvious you have/had mice, so hard to believe this is a stretch or real issue.
    I wouldn't have sprayed them an made a big mess under there. That's what ant traps and ant bait are for.
    They're ants. Kill em and get on with life!
    And no, I wouldn't bug bomb the camper.

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