How to Get Rid of Ants in the RV

RV’s love the outdoors and enjoy nature. But, some parts of nature should stay outdoors. Occasionally some of the remote places we travel have us near wooded areas or sandy soil and that can sometimes lead to uninvited guest in our rolling home.

We have even found ourselves parked directly on top of an enormous ant colony. This is a situation that is no fun at all, and I recommend avoiding it if at all possible.

However, if you do find yourself parked where ants live, you will probably also find yourself sharing your home-on-wheels with the little buggers. Because it’s not very likely that you want the ants in your RV, you will also probably find yourself looking for ways to get rid of them.
Related Read: RV Pest Control: Signs you might have a Pest Problem

Here are a few tips and tricks we have learned that help keep ants at bay when we’re staying where they live.

Spray the Jacks

First and foremost, you’ll want to keep more ants from coming into your rig. The first thing you can do to prevent this is to use an ant spray to spray down your jacks, water hose, and electric cord. Basically, anything that touches the ground should be coated in ant spray.

Sprinkle the Comet

Next, you can add an extra line of defense by sprinkling Comet cleaner around each one of your jacks. Because the ants won’t cross the bleach-based cleaning powder, the circles will keep the little pests even further from your camper.
Related Read: The Green RV: Chemical Free Cleaning Products

Seal all Food

After blocking more ants from entering your RV, make sure the ones that are already in there can’t find anything else to eat. You can do this by sealing all food in airtight plastic containers or even gallon-sized zipper bags.

Take it Outside

By taking your garbage outside and sprinkling Comet around it as well, you can keep the ants from using your garbage as a food source as well. Even when storing it outside, be sure to take the trash out at least once a day just to be on the safe side.

Pull Out the Peppermint Oil

Finally, you’ll need to do what you can to get rid of the little pests. Peppermint oil is fairly effective when it comes to repelling ants, so by putting pure peppermint oil on cotton balls and placing them around the trailer or motorhome, you may be able to get rid of some.

Use Your Cornmeal

That said, it’ll probably take a bit more than peppermint to fully rid your RV of ants. Therefore, cornmeal is the way to go. Sprinkle the stuff in a couple of places around the RV as bait for the ants and allow them to take it back to their colony. When they eat the cornmeal it will expand in their bodies, causing them to die.

Hopefully these tips help you get rid of any ant infestations you experience. However, if these tips don't seem to be working, you may want to invest in a bug bomb or two in order to get rid of the pesky things. This is because ants, like any other pest, can cause some serious damage if left unattended to. Therefore, you will want to get rid of the little guys as soon as possible.