Many house pests, including carpenter, pharaoh, pavement, and argentine ants, can reach inside RVs (recreational vehicles) when you have parked them inside the house.
How to Get Rid of Ants in RV Walls? You can get rid of ants in RV walls by sprinkling diatomaceous earth or boric acid, fixing the cracks and damages, properly storing food, and cleaning the floor and appliances. You have to keep trash bins clean, erase ant trails, and use poison or traps and foggers in addition to parking them away from trees.
These insects do not need an entrance like a door to enter the vehicle as they can sneak through tiny holes and narrow spaces through stabilizer jacks or close to vents.
You can keep ants away by using natural repellents or chemical sprays on the infested areas for quick removal, as they can contaminate food or cause annoyance.
Use boric acid or borax
Boric acid is a commonly available ingredient in homes that can be used to prepare effective baits against insects. However, it is highly toxic for insects and interferes with ants’ digestive systems.
It is usually slow acting and remains inside their stomach for a few hours or days, which makes it perfect to use as these insects transfer it down to the colony members.
Moreover, transferring food to the nest mates can sometimes be problematic for the colony’s survival if the foragers have consumed a toxic compound.
Mix 2 tablespoons of borax powder with 8 to 10 tablespoons of powdered sugar and spread it close to the wall to attract these pests. It takes only 24 to 48 hours to kill hidden ants behind the RV wall.
Fix cracks and damages
Small cracks and broken seals in the camper walls can provide an entry route for the tiny insects to get inside the vehicle from outdoors to fulfill their needs.
Weather stripping gets detached over time and facilitates entry of ants crawling on the outer surface of the RV, in addition to small gaps close to power and water lines.
In the same way, open windows and gaps around vents need to be closed to keep them away from reaching inside the vehicle and hiding behind RV walls.
Sometimes, a damaged wall made of particle fiberboard, plywood and wood paneling can also attract insects because they like to chew through wooden surfaces.
So, it is better to replace the broken or damaged walls and fix the cracks to close the entry points and protect the vehicle’s interior from pest attacks.
Park away from trees
You have to deal with insect attacks when you park the vehicle close to vegetation or grassy ground where tiny insects are commonly present.
In addition, some of these insects choose trees to build permanent nests and create mounds near the roots of the plant or live on the stems and leaves close to aphids.
It is easy for them to climb onto the vehicle and make their way inside by climbing from branches of trees touching the vehicle’s roof if a tree is at a close distance.
You can avoid the attack of insects on the RV walls that can provide hidden spots for these tiny creatures to live inside by parking vehicles in areas or little or no vegetation.
Proper storage of food
Most probably, ants can reach the interior of an RV if the scouting insects have located a food source inside the mobile home kitchen, as it can lead to the formation of long trails.
The presence of food crumbs on the kitchen floor or close to the sink can attract these insects, in addition to dirty appliances like an oven having fresh stains of food spillage.
You have to keep the food stored in airtight containers to keep it out of reach of insects as they can detect its odor from outside of the vehicle and make efforts to reach inside.
Put mint or basil leaves
The use of repelling things can be an effective approach if there are a small number of insects inside the vehicle and only foraging workers are strolling for food.
Accordingly, you can put fresh mint leaves close to the infested walls to control the incoming insects and remove those living behind walls.
The strong odor of mint and basil leaves can irritate these ants and affect their chemical trails because these leaves have a stronger odor than pheromones.
So, put around 10 to 15 leaves on the floor, preferably close to the walls; that can take a little bit extra time but gives better results in removing these annoying insects.
Use an ant fogger or spray
You can find a large number of commercial ant-killing products to deal with these crawling insects. These sprays contain toxic chemicals in diluted form, usually boric acid or other insecticides.
Spray the toxic solution on their trails or get a fogger to spray on the narrow gaps and holes to restrict their entries. These chemical solutions are fast acting and remove these insects quickly.
Some pepper or red chili sprays can also work on some species as the strong odors repel ants away from the desired spots that can RV walls when spraying them on walls.
However, you have to be careful while spraying it because these chemicals can cause skin irritation and need to be handled carefully. Wear a mask and gloves while handling the spray bottle.
Furthermore, allow proper ventilation after spraying as the fumes need to be evaporated to avoid the inhalation of toxic compounds.
Apply diatomaceous earth
Food-grade diatomaceous earth can kill ants due to the toxic nature of the powder. However, it can be used to create a repelling boundary around the vehicle and is considered an ideal solution to get rid of ants.
It causes the drying of insects’ exoskeletons and removes moisture from their bodies. You can sprinkle it on the possible entry points or over the walls if there is an infestation.
Moreover, it can be responsible for massive killing because these insects will die if they have accidentally touched the boundary and powder remains attached to their bodies.
Keep trash bins clean
Some people do not bother emptying and cleaning the trash bins and keep them filled for many days. Food particles like peels of vegetables and fruits are nutritious for insects.
Dirty trash can become the source of their attention and a problem for you because a large number of worker ants begin to move inside when scouting insects leave a signal for food.
It becomes challenging to deal with long ant trails, so it is better to deal with the problem before time and clean the bins frequently.
You can avoid keeping them inside the vehicle and throw trash outside in the bin present outdoors. It can help get rid of these nuisance pests as they will not reach behind the walls.
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