RV Pest Control: DIY Pest Control
09-18-2015
Author: Blog Editor in Education
By Stephanie Mayberry
In my last RV Pest Control post I talked about how to tell if you have a pest problem. In this segment I am going to discuss how to tackle those problems the right way. My husband is a pest control professional with more than 20 years under his belt. Since I have been married to him I have learned more about insects and pest control than I ever cared to learn. It has come in quite handy though, my cozy little travel trailer is pest free. Now I will pass his pro pest control secrets on to you.
Ants
I can’t stand ants. I am not afraid of them or anything, they just drive me nuts. When you see them trailing on your counter or across your wall, the first thing you want to do is find out how they are getting in. Don’t squash them or anything just yet, do a little detective work first. Once you find the point of entry, try to follow it out to the source – the nest. Now you see the big picture.
Address the entry point first. You want to secure it; make sure it is sealed. Some people use cinnamon to naturally repel ants so you may want to sprinkle some at the entry point. Now you only have the indoor population to contend with. Getting rid of ants in your RV is no easy feat. Don’t despair though, you can evict those little critters.
If there are a lot, you can vacuum them right up. Now that won’t kill them, but you can use it to transport them outside and away from your home.
Another good way to get rid of them is to put some water in a spray bottle, add a few drops of dish soap, shake well, and spray the ants. Then you just wipe them right up. Once they are gone wipe the entire area where they were trailing with a Clorox wipe, lemon juice, or vinegar to remove the pheromone trail.
Roaches
Roaches are the worst! I loathe them more than I do ants. They are filthy, disease ridden creatures and I don’t see their place in this world. However, they are here and we just have to learn to deal with them. This is my husband’s advice.
Roach bait is a good solution because the poison is slow acting. Daddy roach will grab some and carry back to the nest where mamma and the babies (and cousins, aunts, uncles) will lap it up. Now a good portion of the population has been poisoned. Way to go.
Some people use a solution of borax and water, but if you have children or pets this is not recommended. While the borax is safe, you can’t be too careful. If you do decide to use it, mix 1 part sugar to 3 parts borax. Sprinkle it in the areas where you have seen activity – usually cabinets and drawers.
Using insecticide from the store might get rid of roaches at first, but they can become immune to the chemicals. If you have more than a few here and there, you need to go with the DIY pest control option below. Even then, you need to spray every 28 days – the average breeding cycle for roaches. Roach traps also work but keep them away from children and pets; they can cause serious injury. If you have quite a few roaches, haul out the vacuum and suck them right up. That will get them out of your RV, just make sure you empty your vacuum far away from your car and RV, making sure there are no riders when you bring it back in.
Mice, rats, and other rodents.
Prevention is the best way to deal with mice, rats, and rodents in your RV. However, if you get an unwanted visitor, traps work. Sure you have to deal with a sometimes mangled little body, maybe a little blood and guts, maybe even some unsettling sounds, but that is a great alternative to poison. With poison you have no guarantee that they will die outside and then you are treated to the smell of rotting flesh wafting through your RV. Yes, traps are better.
Mosquitos
Mosquitos are interesting creatures. The female is the blood collector but she actually feeds on nectar from flowers just like the male. She collects blood and uses it to nourish her eggs. So that’s my bit of trivia, do with it what you will.
There are several ways to keep mosquitos from bothering you outside and keep them away from your RV. There are some traps that generate Co2 which is what attracts mosquitos to animals and humans. It is also why you may notice a lot of mosquitos around when you fire up your propane grill. When propane burns it produces Co2. OK, second bit of trivia. I told you I have learned more about insects than I even cared to learn.
These Co2 producing traps draw the mosquitos and then trap them. If you are on less than about an acre though, this probably won’t work well because it will draw the mosquitos right to you. If you do use it, place the traps far away from your RV.
Citronella candles are pretty effective for repelling mosquitos. Place them along the perimeter of where you will be, just outside your awning or whatever the area is.
If you use pesticide, spray areas where there is dense vegetation and/or constant shade. That is where mosquitos like to hang out. If you are going to be in the area for 10 days or more, be prepared to spray again. Mosquito larvae reach maturity in 10 to 14 days so even if you manage to slay mom and dad, in a couple of weeks the babies will be out probably seeking vengeance.
Fans are another way to keep mosquitos away. If you have a large fan you can place it at the edge of your awning, letting it blow horizontally. Mosquitos are terrible at flying and the constant breeze will knock them off balance. They will avoid the area as a result.
Gravid traps also work quite well but you want to place them far away from where you will be. Try to place them in shady areas or where there is dense vegetation. Most of what they trap will be the females – the little blood suckers – and they aren’t as costly as Co2 traps. They are also better for smaller areas but also work well in larger areas.
DIY Pest Control for you RV
My husband recommends DIY Pest Control if you want to get effective pest control product and take care of matters yourself. The company has very reasonable prices and the website is easy to navigate. You just read the list on the left hand side, choose the critter that is giving you grief, and find out what you can get to send him and his friends packing.
If you feel you have a situation that is getting out of control, this is a great place to get products that really work.
The best way to control pests is by prevention. If you don’t make your RV hospitable to insects and pests they aren’t likely to come-a-calling. In my next installment I will talk about how to prevent pests in your RV.
As always, if you have any questions or if there is something in particular you would like to see addressed, drop me a line or let me know in the comments.
In my last RV Pest Control post I talked about how to tell if you have a pest problem. In this segment I am going to discuss how to tackle those problems the right way. My husband is a pest control professional with more than 20 years under his belt. Since I have been married to him I have learned more about insects and pest control than I ever cared to learn. It has come in quite handy though, my cozy little travel trailer is pest free. Now I will pass his pro pest control secrets on to you.
Ants
I can’t stand ants. I am not afraid of them or anything, they just drive me nuts. When you see them trailing on your counter or across your wall, the first thing you want to do is find out how they are getting in. Don’t squash them or anything just yet, do a little detective work first. Once you find the point of entry, try to follow it out to the source – the nest. Now you see the big picture.
Address the entry point first. You want to secure it; make sure it is sealed. Some people use cinnamon to naturally repel ants so you may want to sprinkle some at the entry point. Now you only have the indoor population to contend with. Getting rid of ants in your RV is no easy feat. Don’t despair though, you can evict those little critters.
If there are a lot, you can vacuum them right up. Now that won’t kill them, but you can use it to transport them outside and away from your home.
Another good way to get rid of them is to put some water in a spray bottle, add a few drops of dish soap, shake well, and spray the ants. Then you just wipe them right up. Once they are gone wipe the entire area where they were trailing with a Clorox wipe, lemon juice, or vinegar to remove the pheromone trail.
Roaches
Roaches are the worst! I loathe them more than I do ants. They are filthy, disease ridden creatures and I don’t see their place in this world. However, they are here and we just have to learn to deal with them. This is my husband’s advice.
Roach bait is a good solution because the poison is slow acting. Daddy roach will grab some and carry back to the nest where mamma and the babies (and cousins, aunts, uncles) will lap it up. Now a good portion of the population has been poisoned. Way to go.
Some people use a solution of borax and water, but if you have children or pets this is not recommended. While the borax is safe, you can’t be too careful. If you do decide to use it, mix 1 part sugar to 3 parts borax. Sprinkle it in the areas where you have seen activity – usually cabinets and drawers.
Using insecticide from the store might get rid of roaches at first, but they can become immune to the chemicals. If you have more than a few here and there, you need to go with the DIY pest control option below. Even then, you need to spray every 28 days – the average breeding cycle for roaches. Roach traps also work but keep them away from children and pets; they can cause serious injury. If you have quite a few roaches, haul out the vacuum and suck them right up. That will get them out of your RV, just make sure you empty your vacuum far away from your car and RV, making sure there are no riders when you bring it back in.
Mice, rats, and other rodents.
Prevention is the best way to deal with mice, rats, and rodents in your RV. However, if you get an unwanted visitor, traps work. Sure you have to deal with a sometimes mangled little body, maybe a little blood and guts, maybe even some unsettling sounds, but that is a great alternative to poison. With poison you have no guarantee that they will die outside and then you are treated to the smell of rotting flesh wafting through your RV. Yes, traps are better.
Mosquitos
Mosquitos are interesting creatures. The female is the blood collector but she actually feeds on nectar from flowers just like the male. She collects blood and uses it to nourish her eggs. So that’s my bit of trivia, do with it what you will.
There are several ways to keep mosquitos from bothering you outside and keep them away from your RV. There are some traps that generate Co2 which is what attracts mosquitos to animals and humans. It is also why you may notice a lot of mosquitos around when you fire up your propane grill. When propane burns it produces Co2. OK, second bit of trivia. I told you I have learned more about insects than I even cared to learn.
These Co2 producing traps draw the mosquitos and then trap them. If you are on less than about an acre though, this probably won’t work well because it will draw the mosquitos right to you. If you do use it, place the traps far away from your RV.
Citronella candles are pretty effective for repelling mosquitos. Place them along the perimeter of where you will be, just outside your awning or whatever the area is.
If you use pesticide, spray areas where there is dense vegetation and/or constant shade. That is where mosquitos like to hang out. If you are going to be in the area for 10 days or more, be prepared to spray again. Mosquito larvae reach maturity in 10 to 14 days so even if you manage to slay mom and dad, in a couple of weeks the babies will be out probably seeking vengeance.
Fans are another way to keep mosquitos away. If you have a large fan you can place it at the edge of your awning, letting it blow horizontally. Mosquitos are terrible at flying and the constant breeze will knock them off balance. They will avoid the area as a result.
Gravid traps also work quite well but you want to place them far away from where you will be. Try to place them in shady areas or where there is dense vegetation. Most of what they trap will be the females – the little blood suckers – and they aren’t as costly as Co2 traps. They are also better for smaller areas but also work well in larger areas.
DIY Pest Control for you RV
My husband recommends DIY Pest Control if you want to get effective pest control product and take care of matters yourself. The company has very reasonable prices and the website is easy to navigate. You just read the list on the left hand side, choose the critter that is giving you grief, and find out what you can get to send him and his friends packing.
If you feel you have a situation that is getting out of control, this is a great place to get products that really work.
The best way to control pests is by prevention. If you don’t make your RV hospitable to insects and pests they aren’t likely to come-a-calling. In my next installment I will talk about how to prevent pests in your RV.
As always, if you have any questions or if there is something in particular you would like to see addressed, drop me a line or let me know in the comments.
You might also like these related articles!
Comment
adminAugust 8, 2016 | 10:39 AM
Hey Dsearer! This blogger has a whole blog all about getting rid of those pesky no-see-ums! Check it out: https://www.mobilerving.com/blog/save-yourself-getting-rid-of-no-see-ums
dsearerAugust 7, 2016 | 02:54 PM
Great article! Since you addressed mosquitoes, do you have any suggestions for keeping no-see-ums at bay? (They are tiny black biting insects that we see around hot springs and other camping areas.)
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