Ants! Ants! Everywhere!

[Aufgeblassen]

OK, I exaggerate.  But we've had a variety of RV types over the years and have ants in the past, but today they are worse than ever!  They are medium size black ants. Fortunately they are not fire ants and do not bite.

We keep our RV at an RV resort in mid south FL in which we own the lot (about 70 miles from our house on east coast), and visit for a few days every week or two, year round.  The RV (a small class C) is on a big concrete slab.  When I visited today, we had quite an ant infestation.  :-\

Since mid morning today, I've been spraying ants with glass cleaner (they die eventually) that keep appearing on the right side of our couch (fortunately vinyl) and the wall next to it, whilst I sit on left side.  They seem to be coming onto RV crawling on tuckers, electrical cord, and water hose.

Thanks for your help!

Any ideas how I can eliminate them, and prevent them from returning??? 

 

[Back2PA]

Amro ant bait around the edge of your pad should do the trick

 

[Aufgeblassen]

Amro ant bait around the edge of your pad should do the trick

Do you mean Amdro?  But that (I thought) is just for fire ants.

 

[Back2PA]

Do you mean Amdro?  But that (I thought) is just for fire ants.

Yes sorry typo. I believe they have varieties for all ants. I've used it in the past with success

 

[Wi1dBill]

Diatomaceous earth which is used in swimming pool filters.  Sprinkle it around tires, electric cord, jacks, sewer hose anywhere the little buggers can crawl up or over. It is poisonous to them. Also to many other bugs that have what I believe is what is called an exoskeleton.  Reapply after a rain and don't get carried away with it  a narrow light band about 2" wide is needed around the tires.  I carry a gallon jug with us all the time. I purchased it for the local pool dealer.  A note: like everything else, California says it can cause cancer, so you been warned.  Never had our dog bother with it but like any other bug killer, if you have pets, maybe you should keep them away from that area.

Wi1dBill

 

[ChasA]

Terro ant baits. Put one where the ants will find it, then leave them alone. They will take back to their nest and kill the entire colony.

 

[Rene T]

I made up my own concoction. A 10% mixture of sugar to attract the ants and 90% of some Borax

 

[StarDancer]

Diatomaceous earth which is used in swimming pool filters.  Sprinkle it around tires, electric cord, jacks, sewer hose anywhere the little buggers can crawl up or over. It is poisonous to them. Also to many other bugs that have what I believe is what is called an exoskeleton.  Reapply after a rain and don't get carried away with it  a narrow light band about 2" wide is needed around the tires.  I carry a gallon jug with us all the time. I purchased it for the local pool dealer.  A note: like everything else, California says it can cause cancer, so you been warned.  Never had our dog bother with it but like any other bug killer, if you have pets, maybe you should keep them away from that area.

Wi1dBill

Actually, food-grade 35% diatomaceous earth is what should be used.  It was very inexpensive.  I bought it at Star Nursery for $29.95 plus tax, a 50-pound bag.  The food-grade is safe around pets and humans.  I've been using it for years...it will kill exoskeletal insects like ants, roaches, spiders, etc.  It will kill the parasites we all have inside of us--I know, yuk, but true--especially if you have pets.  A tablespoon in four ounces of water, gulp it down.  Just tastes like earth (duh). 

And you can use it to deworm your pets, mix it in their food.  Note:  unsafe to inhale it and, of course, don't use when it's windy.  It even killed bed bugs, sprinkled a little between the mattress pad and the fitted sheet...bye bye bugs.  (Someone had visited me and put their suitcases on my bed.  Most hotels are infested.) 

The regular earth can be used too, but I like the safe stuff.  I don't have to worry about my dogs and so many other uses.  Easy to find information about it online--pretty amazing stuff!

 

[SpencerPJ]

Go to Lowes, buy some insect killing granular that you put on yard, when you leave to go home, spread around area, when you come back, they will be gone.

 

[Dan de La Mesa]

StarDancer's advice aligns with my own research, except that I was told that the swimming pool type of diatomaceous earth wouldn't kill ants, that only the food-grade type would work. I found a 5-pound bag in the garden section of Walmart, and considering how long it lasts, it isn't expensive. You need dust only a light layer (I use a small paint brush) to keep the ants away. A 50-pound bag would last me into eternity and beyond. The additional advantage of buying food-grade diatomaceous earth is the safety of use around pets and humans, as StarDancer points out. I also use it around the water containers in my outdoor aviary, where the ants totally avoid anywhere I dust, and the birds ignore it. If you're not wanting to actually kill the ants, just dust around the area you don't want them to go -- they'll avoid it. But if you leave them a path, the little geniuses will find it.

 

[RVRAC]

In my experience with those things you spread around is that if it rains a lot on a given day, you need to re-do it after the area dry.

 

[rbTN]

Diatomaceous earth which is used in swimming pool filters.  Sprinkle it around tires, electric cord, jacks, sewer hose anywhere the little buggers can crawl up or over. It is poisonous to them.

Diatomaceous earth is not earth, nor is it poison. DE is actually the skeleton of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. How it works is the sharp edges of the diatoms cut/damage them exoskeleton of the bugs which causes them to dehydrate and die. No poison, but not healthy to breath for those same reasons. It does work well if the target insect will have to crawl through it or contact it in some way.

 

[RVoorhis318]

Home Depot or Lowes sells Yard Guard ti works great and so do the granules. Inside you can spray with a 30 day residual around the perimeter and under the sinks and counters, once it dries it pet safe but only then. Read up on your choices and email the manufacturer for an MSDS that will tell you everything you need to know regarding the product and product safety. Sounds like carpenter ants, they like wood and moisture... Good Luck

 

[Aufgeblassen]

Update!  The morning I went to unhook power & water to take RV in for an oil change.  Doscovered a buttload of ants on power cord.  Then I had a breakthrough idea!  I can route both water and power w/o having either one on the ground.  I took up slack of both on a luggage rack on back of unit.  Hopefully this will make a huge difference.

 

[Wi1dBill]

Still can crawl up the post and water spigot up you're slowing em down.

Wi1dBill

 

[Henry J Fate]

I do the same as Rene and it is more effective than anything I have ever store bought. It allows you to adjust the potency accordingly and the little critters bring it home to mommy which wipes her out too. It is very effective.

Mix the Borax with a a good amount of sugar and work in just enough water to get a good firm but fluid mix. You can use honey which is a little more expensive. Set aside a container to keep the mixture. Use small pieces of cardboard dipped in the mix and throw it around and under the RV. Eventually it is found to the critters delight. They then develop a tummy ache and go home for mommy to take care of it. That's the end of that.

I use nothing but Borax and never experience an ant problem for more than 24 hours which is usually the result of not baiting in time. You can usually notice the critters outside roaming around well before they find a path to some goodies inside the RV.

Also... Keep everything in the RV clean and food packaging tight so when they do find a way in they do not get any treats.

The bait is best placed as close to their home as possible. If you find that the ants are still active after 24 hours, increase the amount of Borax in the mix and always stir the mix thoroughly before applied as the ingredients will separate from sitting.