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imq707s's avatar
imq707s
Explorer
May 08, 2017

Best way to control ants in TT ?

We don’t have any issues with spiders, roaches, or any other types of bugs……but it seems like we’re always picking up ants from either different campgrounds, or home.

I usually pull everything out of the camper and hit everything with some good bug spray once a year (that takes care of any spiders or other bugs)…..but I’m trying to find a good way to deal with the ants.
No matter how clean and picked up everything is (we don’t keep any food in the camper when it’s not being used)….it seems like there will be the random ant crawling around on something.

What’s the best way to prevent/control/kill ants while out camping, and while your camper is sitting idle and not being used for a few weeks? I don’t really want to use spray all of the time in the camper….too much of a risk of getting it on cooking utensils and the dishes. What other methods work to control ants? Ant Bait? Ant traps?

9 Replies

  • Ant baits work for me. Toss a couple into out of the way places, and forget about it.
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    The storage lot where I store my trailer has problems with multiple kinds of ants. I don't spray inside the trailer and do all of my control outside of the trailer. I spray anything that will touch the ground with Ortho Home Defense a couple times a year. It dries hard and doesn't wash off very easily. It creates a barrier of pesticide that repels bugs. The bugs that actually cross the barrier pick up the residual residue and die. I haven't had ant or bug problems inside the trailer since I've started doing this.

    It's possible that you're not picking up new ants, but carrying a colony around with you. I've had good luck with Terro Liquid Ant Bait. It's a sweet bait that the ants eat and share with each other. It takes 2-3 days for the ants to die so that gives them plenty of time to share it with the remainder of the colony. It's nice because you don't have to figure out the location of the nest to get rid of the problem. The ants do all of the work for you.
  • I put Terro liquid baits in out of the way places. I wouldn't spray the inside except as a last resort. I do spray around the bottom of the tongue jack, tires and stabilizers wherever we go.
  • This is way too easy, but it does work. Simply set out some Citronella candles (not lit) inside your camper when you close it up. No bugs will want to enter it. I promise. Very simple. Then when camping, you can burn them outside to keep mosquitoes away. I leave 2 of them open in the camper when not in use all the time. Been doing this for the last 20 years.
  • FrankShore wrote:
    This is what I bought on the advice of forum members here:

    Get Rid Of Ants


    X2 - We use this at home, too. Be sure you get "food grade" rather than DE meant for swimming pools.