Keep the Bugs Out

A Simple Tip to Help Keep Ants Out of Your RV

I was reading through one of the RV forums recently and came across an interesting discussion about keeping bugs out of your camper, especially ants.

Fortunately, we haven’t had much of a problem with them—at least not yet—but since we’re planning to spend more time camping in the South this year, it definitely caught my attention.

One RVer shared a simple trick that has worked well for him. Everywhere his RV touches the ground, he sprinkles a light ring of Borax around the tires, stabilizer pads, and landing gear. The idea is to stop ants and other crawling insects before they find a way into the RV.

It’s certainly an inexpensive approach, but Borax can be harmful to pets if it’s ingested, so it’s not something I’d be comfortable using in every campground.

Instead, I plan to use a pet-safe insect barrier around the wheels and landing pads. A quick spray or light application around those contact points should help discourage unwanted visitors while being a little safer for campers traveling with dogs or other pets.

Of course, no bug prevention method is foolproof. Keeping food sealed, cleaning up crumbs, and avoiding standing water around your campsite will also go a long way toward keeping insects outside where they belong.

If this simple routine helps us avoid an ant invasion, it will take only a couple of extra minutes during setup—and that’s time well spent.