Ants......ants.......and more ants

Bruce and Bev · Guru

Ants......ants.......and more ants

The Phantom · Guru

Borax, perhaps

The Phantom

Happywanderer · The Master

Sprinkle cheap baby talc around all parts that touch the ground, ants don't like crossing it. (wheels, legs etc)
Or try Crunchy Crawlie, name might not be quite right. Bought in the supermarkets where the rest of the bug sprays are. I have it in my locked storage box, never had to use it yet, but will if the need arises.

Onedodger · Guru

We also had an ant invasion in W.A. this year and purchased some ant rid baits placing them as directed and after a couple of days all were gone.

AntRid is available in most supermarkets.

03_troopy · Guru

Another vote for AntRid

Bruce and Bev · Guru

After a lot of mucking round on the Net, it seems the following recipe is the one used by my dear old mother and still used by many today:

2 x cups of sugar
1 x cup water
1 tablespoon borax (boric acid) which should be available in the laundry part of the supermarket if not in the cooking aisle)

Bring to boil for 3 mins (stirring it) and it gets quite thick. Then bottle.

Place small amounts around 'van or house. Best suggestion was either a jar lid or the top of a plastic milk bottle. Ants will take it back to nest and within a few days the boric acid will kill off the ants

THANKS GUYS FOR ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS - ISNT IT GOOD NOT TO BE ARGUING OVER AVATARS:))))

Cloak · Guru

I cary a pet echidna for such occasions.

No I don't really.

It's a hedgehog with short legs.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Ant sand works. Use it outside the van, close to any ant-holes or along their trails. Its toxic to pets though.

MaryJane · Senior Member

I use Hortico Ant and Roach dust for the home garden. Put it around van legs and have used it successfully in a line around the awning when bull ants wanted to get up close and personal. Think I got it at Bunnings... works a treat

Cupie · Guru

Bruce and Bev wrote:
After a lot of mucking round on the Net, it seems the following recipe is the one used by my dear old mother and still used by many today:

2 x cups of sugar
1 x cup water
1 tablespoon borax (boric acid) which should be available in the laundry part of the supermarket if not in the cooking aisle)

Bring to boil for 3 mins (stirring it) and it gets quite thick. Then bottle.

Place small amounts around 'van or house. Best suggestion was either a jar lid or the top of a plastic milk bottle. Ants will take it back to nest and within a few days the boric acid will kill off the ants

I have used a borax & caster sugar several times with great success.

Always have few lids with the mixture placed in the rear of cupboards & in the ventilation spaces at the outside of the fridge & HWS.

Must try Bruce & Bev's recipe.

Cruising Cruze · Guru

we have a automatic spray can , you can run them 12 or 24 hrs a day
so far so good no creepers of any sort in the van

Cheers John

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

I have found Ant Sand to be the most effective available in supermarkets and hardware stores gets rid of ants within a very short time just sprinkle all around the van on or in the van also the area where you are sitting outside, if it rains you need to reapply as it will get washed away.
Cheers
David

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I started to see these pesky little critters a week ago and sprayed around the edges inside etc and they seem to have gone back to their own home instead of mine.

GaryKelly · Guru

Try them on a toothpick dipped in chocolate.

banjo · Senior Member

Mentioned this here on another ant related thread somewhere, there are two main varieties (many varieties but two distinct types) one type love sugary things and respond well to the sugar borax treatments, but the second type prefer savory, think meat ants.
This second type will not touch any sugary baits.

We had the second type and it took a trip to a specialist and a proprietary spray to reduce and eventually remove them.

I am now paranoid over ants and carry David Greys Ant and Termite killer ( a fairly safe permethrin based liquid) and any sign of ants around the van I spray. It is far easier to prevent than to cure believe me !

We ended up with several nests, not in wall cavities as we don't have any, our van is fibreglass sandwich, but in the water heater insulation, the Truma control box, the toilet hatch door (the only hollow bit on the van wall, our slideout control box, and behind the shower cubicle !

We went through over two months of ant hell !

And as for talc, well the ants in WA ignore it, and walk straight over it ! as a barrier it is next to useless, a Mortein type surface spray is far more effective and residual for several weeks.

Another furphy is ants only come in if there is moisture from leaks etc. we have never had a leak, but we have had ants bloody millions of the little blighters.

villatranquilla · Guru

we had ants dropping onto the roof from overhanging branches so had to resort to a surface spray especially around the hatches- luckily we carry a ladder . Also another vote for using ant-rid inside

Delta18 · Guru

Antex is another useful product available from Bunnings & maybe other H/ware stores too.

Cheers Neil

ps: Hi Barry & Jen.

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.