Pest Prevention & Control in Campers
Ants: these little pests can make life miserable. To prevent them, spread a little borax or Comet with bleach around tires, jacks, water line, anything that enters your camper. This works great if you are camping for one or two days. Another great tip is to spread petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or some sort of lubricating grease on about the last two inches of the water line and power cord (easily wiped off with a paper towel). Ants just can't navigate over this sticky substance. Camping for several days??? Spread cornmeal around areas that show ant activity. Another idea - Terro is a commerical product available at Walmart or other similar stores.
Squirrels: They just love those LP hoses. What they don't like is cayenne pepper or Tabasco. Not sure how long Tabasco works, but worth a try. Also heard the folowing are effective: Use double sided tape around the hoses and sprinkle cayenne pepper over the tape; buy stainless steel spring hose protectors (available at some auto part dealers or online); ultrasonic pest controllers that deter mice and squirrels. Warning: don't put poison out as that can be lethal to household pets as well as the squirrels.
Mice: What man doesn't love a woman screaming at the sight of a mouse???? Best deterrent is to keep all food covered and make sure there are no tiny holes in the camper that allow mice to squeeze through. Best way to check is wait for dark, then light up the interior of the trailer, opening cabinet doors then go underneath the trailer and look for slivers of light. Go back to the source and fill with steel wool and expanding sealant (don't overdo). OR, do the opposite and light up underneath the camper, go inside the dark camper and open cabinet doors and look for those slivers of light. Again, fill with steel wool and expanding sealant. Ultrasonic pest controllers do a pretty good job. In some cases, putting dryer sheets into all the recesses of the camper can deter mice and leave the camper smelling nice. Moth balls in a plastic bag with holes poked through work great, but I find a single way to get rid of that stinky moth ball smell except time - lots of time.
