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10-27-2013, 10:24 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 371
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Carpenter ants
Been seeing a few BIG black ants hanging around the inside of the MH.
Exterminator said they most sprays don't work on them.
Anybody have any experience with this type ant.
Thankd
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10-27-2013, 10:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Naples, Fl.
Posts: 1,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bandmbrown
Been seeing a few BIG black ants hanging around the inside of the MH.
Exterminator said they most sprays don't work on them.
Anybody have any experience with this type ant.
Thankd
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Your pest control operator is right. As one with 30 years in the field, I don't want to scare you BUT there is another factor to consider other than killing the ants, and that is: "Why are they there?" Carpenter ants do not have the physical strength to hollow out sound wood. (They don't eat wood but rather use it for nesting.) They can start only in water damaged and weakened wood, at first.
This wood may or may not be in your RV as they will range widely and have satellite nests. But I would check carefully for wet wood (leak) in the RV.
By the way, they can be difficult to control, and it may be cheaper in the long run to let a professional control the ants.
__________________
Camping Rig: 2006 Outback 27 RSDS--
2005 Dodge 3500 - Dually- Cummins
Full time since June 2006
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10-27-2013, 12:12 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Small Town USA , California
Posts: 1,349
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I carry Bug Spray sold at Lowes/Home Depot. If I detect any ants in my campsite I spray all around my tires and jacks. Seems to keep them out of my Motorhome. If campground rules prohibit spraying anything, I do it when the sun goes down.
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10-27-2013, 12:43 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Heading back to Tennessee
Posts: 81
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Get ahead start on killing them now! We got them in our gasser back in the 90's and they will tear styrofoam insulation to shreads, not to mention just being in the way. Don't remermber what made them die but we won that battle, now the DW's coffee creamer attracts sugar ants and I have found home defense works great, but must be reapplied at each new CG.
__________________
CC Inspire 330 2005, Cat powered w/Allison 3000mh cooled by PTO driven fan
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10-27-2013, 01:07 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Thor Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,893
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Someone told me years ago to spread corn meal about as the ants cant digest it and it kills them...Don't know if it was for all ants....
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10-27-2013, 02:39 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Delmar, Md.
Posts: 3,720
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If you're not a full timer and you and the DW can be without it a couple of days, remove any and all food and dishes and set off a couple of Bug Bombs and make sure they're for any and all ants. Of course afterwards you'll need to the through cleaning of the rig and have the structure checked to be sure there's no damage! Good Luck.
__________________
[FONT="Century Gothic"]Douglas M. Morgan RVM96
04 Dolphin 6375 LX W-24 Chassis #434136
"The Journey is our Destination" Delmar, Md. 
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10-27-2013, 05:37 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 44
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Best solution.... go on ebay and buy the gel that kills them. I had MASSIVE infestation in my shed of carpenter ants. I bought the professional gel that was sold on ebay. I comes in a syringe tube. You just leave dabs all over and they find it and eat it and die, BUT they bring some back to the Queen so the entire colony dies...
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10-27-2013, 06:27 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 371
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Ants
Have read good stuff about Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait Gel. I guess that's whatnMark is referring to. Ordered some a bit ago..will report a review.
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10-27-2013, 08:05 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Thor Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Port Charlotte, FL
Posts: 728
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the little sugar ants go after anything that has food stuff. But the carpenter ants look for Wet WOOD and then start nesting. look for WHY they find your unit an attraction 1st. once you determine the entry port you can go about fixing, sealing chemical treating that area. Spray stuff or fogging works only where you can get into the immediate area of infestation. I had a bunch of the carpenter ants in a utility building. why? Over hanging tree branches touching the roof. Once on the roof they found entry around one of the vents were moisture was present. they actually ate a better part of a 2 x 8 joist. So, get under your unit on top of your unit and find a wet place that may attract them. good hunting ed
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10-28-2013, 12:34 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,976
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bandmbrown
Been seeing a few BIG black ants hanging around the inside of the MH.
Exterminator said they most sprays don't work on them.
Anybody have any experience with this type ant.
Thankd
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try Diatomaceous earth from a farm or animal feed store. it works for us and it does not hurt pets. 
Diatomaceous Earth: Organic Pest Control for Home & Garden
__________________
01 WINNEBAGO 35U W20.8.1L 5sp allison SW Wa,. Good Sam, SKP. RVM 198 AMSOIL fluids. BANKS ecm program. SCAN GAUGE II w/ Ally temp. 2 LIFELINE GPL-6CT AGM Batts on their sides. Michelins, TST tptts. K&N panel air filter. AERO mufflers. TAYLOR plug wires. ULTRA POWER track bar. KONI fsd shocks, toad '21MB GLA FWD on dolly 
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10-28-2013, 08:28 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Norfleet, Florida
Posts: 188
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Another extreme pest showing up is the "Tawny Crazy Ant". They don't bite, but infest homes and offices (nesting in walls), love anything electronic, and will drive out fireants! They also don't respond to typical ant sprays.
We had a huge infestation at work - IT, Lower basement. The maintenance guys srayed but it took several days to kill them all.
These ants don't move in the thin regimented lines other ants do (following the predecessor's pheromone trails), they move randomly and are tough sometimes to catch and squish!
They are spreading in the southeast.
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10-28-2013, 12:11 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stuart, FL
Posts: 117
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We fought carpenter ants for almost a year...sprays, bombs, powders...we could knock them down, but not out. In Vermont we called a professional...they trapped some, inspected the bodies so they knew exactly what they were dealing with, then set out traps in the coach and the bays. Two weeks later...all dead...two months later, still no sign of them. The owner of the company told me the product they used was a new product that was only available to the industry...previously you had to find the nest and treat it directly.
Good luck...as previously noted, they will eat the heck out of your foam insulation.
Jim
__________________
Pat and Jim Makely, Stuart,FL
2003 Journey DL, 330 Cat
2007 CRV, Roadmaster Bar and Brake
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11-02-2013, 09:09 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Michigan
Posts: 684
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dog Folks
Your pest control operator is right. As one with 30 years in the field, I don't want to scare you BUT there is another factor to consider other than killing the ants, and that is: "Why are they there?" Carpenter ants do not have the physical strength to hollow out sound wood. (They don't eat wood but rather use it for nesting.) They can start only in water damaged and weakened wood, at first.
This wood may or may not be in your RV as they will range widely and have satellite nests. But I would check carefully for wet wood (leak) in the RV.
By the way, they can be difficult to control, and it may be cheaper in the long run to let a professional control the ants.
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They got into a neighbors house behind his vinyl siding. They were eating/ nesting in the particle board. It was water soaked from not having a drip edge above the garage door brick molding!
Stano 
__________________
Winter Home- Arcadia, Florida
USN Vietnam Veteran 1967-1971
DAV Lifetime Member
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11-04-2013, 08:19 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DAN L
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D.E. is also available at most swimming pool supply stores ... it's used in a D.E. type filter. It's very effective for fleas and bedbugs too ... also for armadillos (dump some in the hole).
__________________
2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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