Big black ants

[Rubber_Ducky1]

My trailer is parked on a seasonal site. What can I use on the outside to TRY and keep black ants from getting into my unit. We keep all food in sealed containers and keep kitchen area clean but those pesky big black ants still come in for a visit. Thanks for any replies.

[GrandpaKip]

At a South Carolina state park, I had sprayed an ant repellent (like Ortho) around everything that touched the ground. We left to go sit on the beach for a couple hours. When we got back, ants were crawling up a broom I had leaned on the camper. The trail went a few feet up and across to the stove vent. They were all over inside the hood and had gotten in the hollow wire run in the wall cabinet. A couple of Terro baits finally killed them off.
Next time I’m at the dollar store, I’ll load up on Comet. And not lean anything on the camper.

[myredracer]

duplicate... (RV.net is acting wonky and I'm getting duplicate posts for no reason.)

[myredracer]

Sprinkle Comet or Ajax cleanser powder around your tires, steps, jacks and anything else that comes in contact with the ground. Readily available in stores.

Borax mixed with sugar in water kills ants. Ants take it back to their nest and kills them all. But you need to keep the ants out immediately and can't wait for a whole nest to die.

We over-nighted at a CG in Bakersfield that was also an orange grove. At check-in, they told us we needed to spread Comet on the ground because they have lots of ants in the area. Of course, they gladly sold us some Comet. :R Woke up the next day and there was nary a single ant anywhere outside. Not the ant season apparently. When we pulled out of the site, it looked like a CSI crime scene investigation with an outline of white powder on the ground!

My son & I once tented at Laguna Seca race track in Monterey. Woke up and found little fire ants crawling all over the inside of the tent. :E I wish we had known about Comet.

[dcason]

Terro works for little sugar ants/carpenter not so much. Check for leaks EVERYWHERE as that might be the problem...they want water/not food. We had them and nothing took care of them until we were forced to bomb the trailer (after fixing skylight leak).

Try several products...not all work but they will happily take your money.

After bombing, I wiped the WHOLE inside of trailer down and soft things (mattresses/cushions were removed before the process).

[CFerguson]

Diatomaceous Earth for the 'natural' solution.
Fipronil (as mentioned above- it always pays to listen to the pros) to do it right. You can find it on ebay and other places on the web. Be sure to follow the dilution directions. 3x times instructions is NOT necessarily better.

[SpeakEasy]

Well, this is certainly timely.

We're at the end of our 6-week trip to Florida. The second week of April we spent 6 nights at a wonderful campground at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Wonderful, except for the fact that while we were there the ants moved into our trailer. We've been battling them ever since. Grrr.

-Speak

[tchil]

One thing to consider if it is carpenter ants is that they are attracted to rotting wood. We had some working their way into our house and eventually discovered that we had a leak in a shower and the wood curb under the tile was rotting. It could be a sign that your unit has a leak somewhere and wood rotting.

[GrandpaKip]

Oh, I also spray around everything that touches the ground with a deterrent found at the big box stores. I keep it in the camper to keep ants out while we are camping and while at home.

[GrandpaKip]

Terro ant bait.
Dust hidden areas with Boric Acid, also known as Croak-A-Roach. Neither works immediately, but will help to kill the queen and the nest.
Vinegar sprayed around will confuse them as they can’t follow any trails.

[hbarker]

Indeed sounds like "Carpenter Ants" we own a pest control company in Texas.
Those little boogers think foam insulation is ice cream, I have seen MAny a rv infested with them . Previous posted suggested bait. It works very very well but not to fast. If you can find a product called Taurus or anything with the active ingredient fiprolil it is very lethal to them and many other ants. The do like food .and sweet stuff.
But mostly are looking to nest in wood that has been previously damaged by water or rot. Good luck with those little monsters ! Dont give up.

[schlep1967]

aftermath wrote:
Not all "large black ants" are carpenter ants. We have them here in the northwest and most of them are not carpenter ants. Take one in to a local agriculture extension office if you have one close. They can identify it. I would not take one in to a pest control office. They will tell you the end is near.

I certainly would work to eradicate them as soon as possible. Have you seen any signs of sawdust in or around the trailer. That would be a sign that they are carpenter ants. Good luck.

Yep, I keep forgetting we have all different kinds of critters across our great country. Here in PA, they are carpenters. I saw them carrying hammer and saws.

[aftermath]

whoops

[aftermath]

Glitch in posting

[aftermath]

Not all "large black ants" are carpenter ants. We have them here in the northwest and most of them are not carpenter ants. Take one in to a local agriculture extension office if you have one close. They can identify it. I would not take one in to a pest control office. They will tell you the end is near.

I certainly would work to eradicate them as soon as possible. Have you seen any signs of sawdust in or around the trailer. That would be a sign that they are carpenter ants. Good luck.