Bloody ants!

[blacky]

So it looks like i'm waging war with ants!

(no not you @Antman you go alright )

Seems like the little bastards are crawling up the stabiliser legs, and entering the drains when the van is parked up at home.. Then going everywhere! Theyre only the little black ones so its not too bad, just annoying!

Anyone have a remedy? im thinking of putting plugs into the drains, but i assume they'll just find another way in.. and i always clean the van out, no mess or food crumbs or anything, so i dont know why they are so intent on moving in!

 

[Pace]

As we travel, l'm sure to carry a bottle of ''Antex'' i place it around the tyres and stabilisers and jockey wheel once set up. Pace.

 

[blacky]

thanks pace.. good to know i'm not the only one having trouble!

 

[jed]

So it looks like i'm waging war with ants!

(no not you @Antman you go alright )

Seems like the little bastards are crawling up the stabiliser legs, and entering the drains when the van is parked up at home.. Then going everywhere! Theyre only the little black ones so its not too bad, just annoying!

Anyone have a remedy? im thinking of putting plugs into the drains, but i assume they'll just find another way in.. and i always clean the van out, no mess or food crumbs or anything, so i dont know why they are so intent on moving in!

We buy the 3month surface spray from Bunnings I spray the drop down legs and all around the tires each time we use it ,so far so good but ........we have only had the van for 3months ,however I use this on the patio and it seams to work for spiders and creepy crawlers ,I think it's $12 for 1 litre already mixed which last well over a year ,also heard of people putting talcum powder around legs ?
Cheers

 

[gwadir]

Hi Peter, we learned of the talcum powder trip on our recent trip through the centre and up north, sprinkle around the tyres and legs, works well but needs to be redone after rain, don't know about slugs in the drains? suppose you'd have to use snail baits to get rid of them when you wanted to use the van, didn't realise they ate ants!

 

[blacky]

Thanks @jed.

@gwadir you might be onto something there, i might just go bush and find myself a pet echidna!

 

[gwadir]

Echidna, remember the Antz Pantz ad!!!!!!

 

[Pace]

Echidna, remember the Antz Pantz ad!!!!!!

 

[Bushman]

Lanotec is also your friend for keep bug of all sorts from nesting under the van, it's a lubricate so may collect dust and you may smell Sheepy.
The talc powder works around wheels and jacks, remember to place some where your power lead and hose touch the ground also.

Cut down some plastic containers thats the base of your jacks will if into with about 5 to 10 mm gap around then fill with water about 10mm deep, little buggers wont cross it,
If you have s touring van with standard jacks (Not Drop Jacks) you can buy bolt on pads that do the same thing. Had them on my Eagle, see pic

 

[jed]

You can also cut down a plastic water bottle about 2" high, make up a paste of bicarbonate and icing sugar (has to be icing sugar normal sugar grains are to big ) the ants can't tell the difference and once they feed they fill with gas and the poor little buggers can't fart so they die ,sounds cruel but so is a lethal dose of spray , hope this helps
Cheers

 

[dakky68]

We had a nest in the timbers of one of the drawers in our wind-up. We put it out next to the campfire and smoked the buggers out! We usually just use insect and surface spray and aside from the aforementioned Great Invasion of 2012, we haven't had any problems.

 

[Grano n play]

I'm not sure if it's an old wives tale, but I was always told ants won't climb rubber , so as long as u have rubber feet under your stabiliser legs they won't climb, not sure if it's true, never really tested this theory, but have never had an ant problem. I heard they won't cross water either.

 

[Capt. Gadget]

Same as Pace Antex around the stabilisers etc but don't forget the power cable and drain hose too

 

[BUSH PALACE]

the ol cheap black & gold talc does the trick , even worked on the green ants up in the NT

 

[pomtony]

when we got our 17 it had a light infestation, the previous owner used lots and lots of talcum powder but didnt really do much as they were already in the van, we used ant rid,(the sticky liquid in the small bottle) around the van,also found a 4 pack of bait stations at woolies which we put in places with lots of ant movement, and also lots of ant sand around drop jacks, wheels, (anything that was in contact with ground)
end result is a van free of ants, just need to keep up the outside treatment to stop them getting near the van.
1 battle won but the war is just beggining

 

[Burnsy]

I've noticed a few of the small black ones in the van lately too, I just leave a small cap of ant-rid on the bench.....that gets rid of them!

 

[blacky]

hmm thanks everyone! better get down to the shops and buy some gear. Thanks for all the replies, its always great to learn of other solutions

 

[gwadir]

I still like the idea of the echidna!!!!

 

[blacky]

Update!

I tried a few different things but the stuff i found best was a 3-month spray on ant killer. Works a treat and like i said i only have to give the van a squirt here and there and it'll keep them at bay for months. Friendly for the kids and wifes little mini foxy who has become a caravan accessory evidently. (WTF???)

 

[cruza driver]

Maybe train the foxy to get the ants

Good to hear its all sorted though mate