Ants in the van

I'm currently having the same problem. Thinking about putting one of those bomb things in there in case a nest has been started somewhere.

Check your vans carefully. Ants moving in have been known to indicate moisture ingression and wood rot.

Motherhen

Yes we think might have a nest, as even away they are still coming and going, spray wipe seal every container, hope not any water coming in as van was brought only 6mths ago brand new, thanks.
Peter

Hi, The best way we have found to eliminate them is to use a bait that they take back to the nest. Heaps of different recipes, most based on borax to kill them, flour or another carrier & a sweet attractant i.e. pineapple juice.

We have had a recurring problem at home with some of the mother nests 20 metres outside our fence. The best one we are using at the moment is Ant Rid bait stations. For the trespassers from outside we use Ant Rid powder very liberally spread around & in the nest hole.

Can't stop them crawling & dropping from trees, so bait them inside. When the van is stored spread a cheap talcum powder very liberally around anything that touches the ground & with the baits inside you should get rid of them & stop re-infestation.
Bill

Try some liquid Ant Rid it kills them in a couple of days

Twice I have had an ant colony move in. Once in the NT they got into my car. I was driving along and suddenly lots of ants where running up the windscreen roof pillar. Now I had noticed a few ants in the car for the previous week - well more than the odd ant and I had sprayed. This mass movement left me thinking there was a whole colony especially since they where carrying eggs. The next week I was coming home late from fishing in Kakadu and one headlight went out??? I tried everything to fix it but while the headlight itself still worked somehow the power was not. Sent the car to an autoelectrician who found the problem - the ants had eaten the relay. Apparently that was common. Next I bombed the car for the weekend. That fixed them.

Second time I had ants was in WA in my camper. We had set up under some peppermint trees on the south coast for easter. It was normal see lots of those black ants (same type as the NT) going up and down the branches.Well when we got home there was still ants in the kitchen part. At first I thought just a few that had come foraging and surface sprayed. A week later looking in the camper and still lots of ants.Well no waiting this time. Opened every place possible and found the nest in a folded section of roof canvas. Brushed as many as I could and then bombed the camper and closed it up. This fixed them.

If you go out into the bush ants are just part of the fun but they do like to hitch a ride.

Cheers

Serendipity

If you sprinkle cloves around the van, and where you see the ants moving in and out especially, you'll find you'll have no more problems. Good luck.

Don't waste your time with those insect bombs, they don't really get into tight spots very well and they can be messy. You will need to wash bench tops, cupboards ect afterwards and they don't really do a very good job for things like ants.

Although it may take you longer, you are much better off buying a good quality surface spray. Use one of those thin long tubes, that attach to the nozzle, this will allow you to get into tight places. But before you start, be aware of any electrical wiring or other hazards.

Spray it into any gap in the roof area, try and do the whole roof. it may pay to drill some holes in out of sight places, just big enough to allow you to fit the tube in.
Also see if you are able to get some into the walls, between cupboards etc.

For the outside, do a search on the net, there are various home made solutions that may work. depending on weather, liquid or powder or even both. place it around all contact points. It may also help to spray a good quality surface spray around the underside of the van, around the top of stabilizer legs etc. You would need to do this on a regular basis, because the chemical will break down a lot faster.

There used to be a product that was red liquid, it was excellent stuff and worked really well. I'm not sure if it is still available or not, someone else may remember the name of it and if you can still buy it.

Instead of parking the van on grass at home, are you able to put a slab where each wheel would sit and under any stabilizer legs? This would allow you to spot them a little easier as well as form an unbroken barrier.

Regards

Graeme

AS said previously use Ant Rid bait stations.
They can be purchased at most supermarkets and they do work.
The bait is taken back to the nest and it kills the queen and all the others.
We have used them on a few occasions in house, shed and caravan with great results.
They are small squares and are easily placed in a van plus from memory last about 3 months. Also fairly cheap.

Also got inundated with ants 2 weeks ago while down south. Used surface spray whilst there and thought we got rid of them but opened up van when we got home and ants everywhere. Bought a pack of 3 bombs and set two of them off and looked like it did the job.

Decided to set the last one off the next day before doing the big clean up job. Walked past the van and saw heaps of ants coming out of the vents behind the fridge.... Forgot that the fridge surround is reasonably sealed and that was where they ended up hiding.

Sprayed in behind the fridge with surface spray and placed 3 Ant Rid baits around the inside of the van.... So far so good. (Hopefully as we sold it last weekend and new owners pick it up this weekend).

We just keep an open container of vinegar in the van when it's in storage. That keeps them at bay for us.