ants my my ............. van !!!!

[scorpius]

hi can anyone give some advice we came back from a weekend away

last sunday parked the caravan which is in a compound made from

road chipping and left. when we went up there today to give her

a wash ready for may day we opened the door to find it home to

loads of ants.firstly any ideas as to how they got in ? my wife

came up with the possabilty that they where on the ground sheet

when we packed away last weekend. secondly any good way to get

rid of them we did remove the carpets and hooved it out but

still the odd one was still there.any ideas ???

 

[will2]

Hello a caravan is not a sealed unit.There are vents placed in various locations around the caravan. Any part of the caravan tha comes into contact with the ground will give the ants something to climb up and then get in via any of the vents.

The only way to combat this is finding a way to stop the ants climbing in, eg ant powder around the corner steadies and the jocky wheel.

I'm sure someone else will have a better idea.

Good luck Will

 

[lolly_5087162]

Hiya

Ants hate anything lavender, perhaps you could get some aromatherapy oil and mix with water, pop in a spray bottle and spray offending areas, that may help!

Lolly x

 

[scorpius]

hi thanks for the replys will try some lavender see if that

works. we been caravanning for about 4 years and it the first

time this has happerned.

 

[MikeJE]

We had ant problems whilst in Spain - bought some anti-ant product in the local supermarket and was it good ! ! Those continentals have a rather more robust attitude to such matters. One squirt and it's ex-ants ( probably the stuff is illegal in this country ) so I stocked up. Never had to use it so far touch wood.

Mike E

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Michael,

All products containing pesticides sold in the EU must meet international standards, and will probably have been made by one of the major international homecare companies - like Procter and Gamble, or Bayer.

The formulation might be different if it's intend to kill different species, but in general the only difference is the writing on the can.

Robert

 

[John_5040782]

Hi - For the first time in 40 years of caravanning we've had problems with ants! First noticed them in the battery box then inside the van. Not vast numbers but sufficient to annoy. We bought the van 2nd hand last year and did not notice any until after its winter storage also in a compound made from road chippings!

As a matter of interest can you email me direct at jpeatling@aol.com to compare notes, are you using the same storage compound as us?

As far as getting rid of the ants is concerned I have thoroughly vacuumed and washed as many of the hidden nooks and crannys as possible and then used B&Q Ant and Insect Killer Powder sprinkled in the hiden areas. It is very effective.

John

 

[Rodone]

Markyboy,

Buy a wasp and fly killer aerosol, hold your breath, and fire as much as you can into the van, then close the doors. After half an hour the van will be bereft of any life - let alone ants.

 

[Robtel]

As well as powder you can buy a spray, the effects of which are supposed to last for a while. It doesn't knock down and kill right away but does get them eventually. I spray this directly onto the plastic floor vents and onto any hard floor coverings such as vynil or plastic under seats and beds. It dries completly and you wouldn't know it was there. You can buy this from the likes of B&Q, it also works on other crawling visitors, not just ants. Doesn't make as much mess indoors as the powder.

Robert

 

[scorpius]

hi john the storage compound is in essex guardian secure storage owned by a andrew mantin other than the ants the compound is excellent cossoa gold site

 

[John_5040782]

hi john the storage compound is in essex guardian secure storage owned by a andrew mantin other than the ants the compound is excellent cossoa gold site

Thanks - no it's a different one to us in S Wales!

 

[Robert_374242026]

We had ant problems whilst in Spain - bought some anti-ant product in the local supermarket and was it good ! ! Those continentals have a rather more robust attitude to such matters. One squirt and it's ex-ants ( probably the stuff is illegal in this country ) so I stocked up. Never had to use it so far touch wood.

Mike E

We also had the ant problem in Spain and bought that spray, it lasted for years ,never had anything as good . I do'nt suppose you remember the name of it, it had a black top and the tin was red.

 

[Robert_374242026]

We also had the ant problem in Spain and bought that spray, it lasted for years ,never had anything as good . I do'nt suppose you remember the name of it, it had a black top and the tin was red.

P S do not inhale this spray as it is very powerful.

 

[bear1]

buy an ant trap,about

 

[MikeJE]

We also had the ant problem in Spain and bought that spray, it lasted for years ,never had anything as good . I do'nt suppose you remember the name of it, it had a black top and the tin was red.

Robert,

The stuff I bought came on a plastic bottle with a hand operated trigger spray called " Anti Hormuga " or somesuch. I will check for more details when next at the 'van.

 

[MikeJE]

We also had the ant problem in Spain and bought that spray, it lasted for years ,never had anything as good . I do'nt suppose you remember the name of it, it had a black top and the tin was red.

Robert,

Meant to say in a bottle not on.

 

[vauxhall2]

i have this problem at home ,spray ant powder round the steadies and round the jockey wheel and tyres.it works here.never had them in the van again.

 

[AnnM1]

Ants hate salt! To prevent them accessing the van via the steadies again --- sprinkle salt liberally around the ground.