What’s worse than ants in your pants? Ants in your campervan!

Two weeks ago I woke up and the bed in the van was crawling with ants. Like everywhere. Under the pillow, in my hair.

The worktop was covered. There was an ant island that had formed in the kettle.

We hoovered up as many as we could and moved higher up the mountain above the treeline. Emptied the van completely. Fortunately no sign of the little buggers having got near the food. Cleaned all the surfaces with  vinegar and chucked loads of cinnamon into the corners.

That evening I discovered more… A cluster at the base of the A pillar and running around below the windscreen within the engine bay. Removed the headlights (thankfully an easy job on a Ducato) and found a load huddled behind the carpet fabric stuff attached to the bulkhead. Again, hoovered up and surfaces wiped down.

Thought we had victory since we’ve only seen the occasional one or two roaming about.

Until last night. Over two weeks later…. Saw a couple poking their heads out from the cab headlining. Removed the A pillar cladding and there were loads again.

Removed the headlights and again they’re were loads. Even found some white fluffy web type stuff that I suspect is/was a nest.

Opened the rear doors and the bike tray and tool drawer were covered.

Pulled up some of the flooring and there were loads of clusters.

So we’re back to square one. Food has been secured. Everything out. Hunting with the vacuum.

I’ve even removed the driver and passenger seats to help gain access to the floor.

Needles to say, I didn’t sleep well last night. Horrible nightmare-esque images of things crawling on my face all night.

Have picked up some hardcore poison…. A spray, some gel and powder stuff.  Going to place it everywhere where we’ve seen them gather and on their suspected routes.

If that doesn’t work then I’m at a complete loss as to what to do.

Dance in your pants is worse…

Isn’t the standard answer pour petrol on and light it ?

A couple of Anteaters should sort it 🐜

I’ve found you have to be fastidious with wiping surfaces down and never leaving food exposed/unsealed… much more so than in the UK for example, In spain, if there is food available, you will get ants, no two ways about it, they will find it.

The scouts leave a scent trail for others to follow if they identify a food source…so one or two is nothing to worry about, unless they detect food!

Have you considered fumigating the van, just in case you’ve somehow got a nest in it.

Have you considered fumigating the van, just in case you’ve somehow got a nest in it.

That seriously might be our next step.

Like I said, yesterday I found a webby, fluffy thing behind the bulkhead insulation. Obviously destroyed it, but can’t be 100% sure there aren’t more.

I’ve found you have to be fastidious with wiping surfaces down and never leaving food exposed/unsealed

We generally are for this very reason. But strangely they’ve not gone after the food.

We think they got into the van from dropping from the tree above us., but then again in the quantity maybe not.

I thought, like spiders, they dislike peppermint or lavender? Just douse the van on every surface and in every cavity…

I had premetheryn spray for my  boots and lower trousers for ticks. Did them in the door way/front step and noticed the overspray did a great job of all the ants/woodlice and other stuff that are in and around the threshold and doorstep. Maybe try spraying some of that around all the sills/doors?

Eldest daughter had them. A 50 50 mixture of white vinegar and water in a garden spray sorted it. Took a few days of re spraying but they never came back.

Sitting in my cosy van, safe from bugs; at least I though I was…  That sounds **** horrible.  I hope you get it sorted.

We had two in the van yesterday.

The scouts leave a scent trail for others to follow

Hopefully the 500km we did during the day, will have broken the scent trail.

The 160km from 1650m up at Gran Sasso down to 300m asl in Tuscany hasn’t phased them.

We did the diluted vinegar on all surfaces and inside cupboards and drawers. GF spread various spices and herbs around the place. Van smelt like a hippy tea shop.

Have placed a few traps around with the gel and they seem to like it. The fools.  But I’m fearful this saga may continue for a while longer.

On the plus side I’m now quite proficient at removing and replacing the headlights, windscreen washer bottle and the panels, lining and chairs in the cab on a Fiat Ducato.

What’s worse? Jack Jumper ants in your caravan, that’s what. Then you would have a reason to be scared. A bite from one of them really **** hurts.

Only once had an ‘infestation’ if you can call it that.

Woke up to see one crawling on the worktop. Squished it, only to open the coffee cupboard to find them in there.

Went out and bought an ant killing thingy from Morrisons that you apparently left lying near them(Its just a little plastic box). They are attracted to it then take whatever poison it has back to the nest where it appears to kill them off.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325201069347?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=EAIaIQobChMI-9uZjP-uhgMVEJRQBh0PuwWKEAQYBiABEgIFpfD_BwE

And that was the end of the problem.

All the ants you saw,wherever they were will go back to the nest, as they are foraging. Back at the nest they get killed by the poison, so you shouldn’t have to worry about finding them anywhere else after administering it.

Antrid – that stuff really works. I’ve only used it when we had a Jack Jumper nest next to the kids’ trampoline right where they put their shoes!

All the ants you saw,wherever they were will go back to the nest, as they are foraging. Back at the nest they get killed by the poison, so you shouldn’t have to worry about finding them anywhere else after administering it.

Given their original nest is about 100 miles away I sadly doubt it.

They’re lapping up this gel stuff and I think I’m going to buy some more of it.

It will likely lead to a lot of dead ants in the walls. Fortunately I designed and built the van so that all the wall panels can be removed without having to remove complete units of furniture, but it’s still a PITA job to do.

12 hrs and no one has said this – Im disapointed

“take off and nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”

The gel is the only thing that really works. Problem is you have to leave them to do their job – it’s difficult seeing a line of ants marching to and from the gel trap without wanting to squash them all!