Ants!

[Belbein]

We camped this weekend at a place that had a plethora of sugar ants. They found us, though we always practice good food safety. We only have a few ants, but I can see that this could actually be an issue if the ants can get in. So: anybody know how they get in? And what do y'all do about them, beside a Mexican Hat Dance?

[noreen&sal]

We have had good luck using boric acid-sugar mixture on a couple of cotton balls in a jar cap. The hard part is finding boric acid, but no problem on line. The formula: 3 cups warm water, 1 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of boric acid. What happens: the army of ants will carry the mix back to the queen. So don't vary the mix because you want the workers to live long enough to get to the queen. Sal

[noreen&sal]

Also, on how to keep them out. Sprinkle Comet cleanser powder under anything on the ground, tongue jack, tires, hose. slinky etc. Sal

[Protagonist]

When I camped at Lake Seminole in May 2013, the campground had an infestation of Argentine ants. The camp hosts recommended spreading Comet cleanser around the tires and other points of contact with the ground, and suspending the freshwater hose and shore power cable so they didn't touch the ground (and putting Comet around the service pedestal as well). I went a step farther and put Comet around the feet of the picnic table as well to keep ants off my dinner. Worked like a charm. Oh, and the hosts also advised to make sure we weren't parked where tree limbs would touch our camper, which is good advice even when you're not doing a "Last Stand at the Alamo" against an ant infestation.

I think Comet contains Borax. But one advantage to Comet over the Boric acid is that due to the blue color, you can tell if there's still enough there with just a glance. If rain or air conditioner drips or whatever causes it to wash away, you can easily tell when it's time to add more.

[jcanavera]

Worst ants we have run into was in the Kissimmie Fl area. Happened both times we camped there, once in a pop up and the other in our SOB travel trailer. After a long day and evening we come back to the trailers and find ants crawling inside. After inspection we find that they gain entry by climbing up anything touching the ground. Water hoses, electric cords etc. As noted by others we learned to put a circle of stuff around anything that touched the ground.

I've never encountered this anywhere else that I've camped. It must be a specific species of ants that seem to be in that central Florida area. Destin, St. Augustine, Talahassee areas all seem to not have them.

Jack

[GAStreamin]

It happened to us at Florida Caverns Sate Park recently in Marianna FL.

[AtomicNo13]

Call me crazy....
Whenever we get ants, I put a whole abaca do with an end cut off on the ground behind the trailer. Somehow overnight all the ants will be drawn out, then you can tow like hell to another spot!

You can also try the sacrificial marshmallow outside as you make camp. It's like a coloring book in church for kids, keeps em busy!

[AtomicNo13]

Should read avacado

[Belbein]

I wonder if there's a biodegradable replacement for Comet that could be used instead.

[Bigskyrider8]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Call me crazy....
Whenever we get ants, I put a whole abaca do with an end cut off on the ground behind the trailer. Somehow overnight all the ants will be drawn out, then you can tow like hell to another spot!

You can also try the sacrificial marshmallow outside as you make camp. It's like a coloring book in church for kids, keeps em busy!

That's just to funny!!

[nvestysly]

I previously used boric acid around the tires, where the water hose and electric cord touch the ground, the stabilizer pads and the tongue jack. It worked great but the cost added up quickly and I had to reapply when it rained.

I subsequently began using Ortho in a gallon jug and a spray wand. With this product I simply spray the liquid on the appropriate trailer parts near where they touch the ground so I don't actually apply it to the soil or grass. It seems to withstand a small amount of rain but not a downpour. Since I'm using it per the instructions I haven't felt the need to look for a "green" alternative.

The Ortho product works well for us. The one gallon container lasted well over a year. The only time we have ants is when I forget to apply the liquid.

[pappy19]

If you have a male dog or a friend/neighbor with a male dog, just have them cock a leg on your tires and around the trailer, no more ants.

[StreamNTyme]

in Ala. we got infested. My daughter said cinamon but i am not patient enough to wait..definitely Comet works! But that is after the fact. They had a path up some wires and climbed into the fridge compartment. We put out traps and sprayed, of course keep everything possible off the ground, anything left on the ground, surround by Comet. When we returned home we set of a bomb in the rig to make sure we had no little leftover ants.

[Protagonist]

Or you can go to west Texas or southwest Oklahoma and pick up a horned toad, which isn't a toad at all, but it feeds on ants. When I was a kid in Oklahoma, it was amusing to find a horned toad, and drop it on top of an ant nest. The bugger would eat and eat and eat until it got too full to move. The ants couldn't do anything to it because its hide was so tough. Dropping one in your Airstream should do wonders for your ant problem. But you would be faced with the problem of recycled ants in the form of horned toad droppings…

[streaminwild]

The horned toad are in So. California as well. Hard to find but easy to catch when I was 10. I'm sure in 45 years and 150lbs later they are very quick and hard to catch. So much for evolution.

[jnerges]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Should read avacado

The wife and I were searching hi and lo for an abaca. We thought it was an exotic sausage.

[jnerges]

Originally Posted by pappy19

If you have a male dog or a friend/neighbor with a male dog, just have them cock a leg on your tires and around the trailer, no more ants.

Does it have to be a dog or will any male do?

[NJtoNC]

Originally Posted by Belbein

I wonder if there's a biodegradable replacement for Comet that could be used instead.

Fossil shell flour - diatomaceous earth - is a great alternative. OMRI approved for use in organic farming, we keep a 50lb bag on hand. We put in on and in chickens cats and dogs, and its safe for human consumption. Will kill bugs outside (fleas ticks mites) and inside (intestinal parasites). It cuts them up. Even the fire ants hate it. It won't kill them but will keep them at bay.

Re horned toad - will they eat fire ants?