How to Keep Ants Out of Your RV (7 Helpful Tips)

Fellow RVers asked this question and our RV community responded with lots of solutions on how to keep ants out of your RV. Here's what they had to say…

If there is one thing that can bug you (pun intended!) in your RV, it’s ants! Ants can be incredibly annoying because where there is one, there are usually hundreds. 

You might walk into your kitchen to find just a few exploring your countertop. Or, you might wake up to a full-blown infestation! 

Recently, we had two different ant-related inquiries on our RV Lifestyle Facebook page. 

The first came from RV Lifestyle member John. He asked the group: “How can I keep ants from entering the RV via water and power lines?”

The second was an inquiry made by Cody. His humorous post was a little more generalized. He asked, “I’m being invaded by ants! Best solution besides a blow torch?” 

Both posts asked about the prevention or solutions to an ant infestation. As always, our RV Lifestyle members had a lot of great advice for these two folks! 

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How to Keep Ants Out of Your RV

Let’s start with suggestions on how to keep ants out of your RV in the first place. One way ants can quickly gain access to your RV is by entering through an opening. 

If you have an open window or any open gaps around slide-outs, water lines, or power lines, this gives ants enough space to squeeze into your camper. So what can you do about it? 

Close the Gaps

Ensure all weather-stripping or gaps are filled and closed from outside access. Check the space around all water and power lines at entry. 

Check for gaps around vents, windows, doors, cabinets that also open to the outside, and slide-outs. 

If you need to fill gaps, use Pamela’s suggestion to spray expanding foam around pipes and holes. Or, you can use one of these 7 Best RV Sealants.

This is a great thing to check when de-winterizing your RV for the upcoming camping season. 

Bug Spray

There were several suggestions to use bug spray. (Be careful using sprays around your water line.) If you spray around the lines and any opening to the trailer, you might prevent an infestation. 

Ruben suggested that you administer the bug spray to all cords at the spot where they leave the ground.

RV Lifestyle member, Kevin, said that Sevin Dust “will help.” He explained that it “can be bought at any farm store. Or a lot of garden centers”. It’s also available on Amazon (what isn’t these days?!).

Another RV Lifestyle member suggested using Ortho Home Defense. 

Clean the Lines

Another great option is to clean the lines once you have already gotten rid of the pests. Sue said, “Use white vinegar to wipe surfaces where they have been to destroy scent trails” since the “elimination of the trail is critical if you’ve already seen them.” 

She then said to follow the wipe down with an “application of Advion around connections and any area with potential for entry.”

Use Powders

RV Lifestyle member Dereck suggested using baby powder. As he put it so humorously, “Nobody likes it.”

And he’s not wrong!

Ants do not like crossing powder of any sort. Baby powder is a non-invasive and non-toxic solution to sprinkle around the spots where the cords touch the ground. 

You can also encircle the campground power box with baby powder. 

Another member does something a bit different but very inventive. She uses ashes from the fire pit to encircle her tires and anything else that touches the ground. 

Not only does she use a natural substance, but ashes are easily found on almost any campsite! What a great suggestion! Just make sure the ashes are completely cooled.

If you prevent the ants from accessing the lines, they will not have a bridge to your RV. 

Sticky Fly Tape

One more possible solution came from RV Lifestyle member John R. He suggested using sticky fly tape. 

Sticky fly tape is a tape that attracts bugs. They land or walk onto the tape and get trapped. 

Depending on your setup, this might be a good solution for you. You can place the tape on either end of the water line or power cords. 

You can also place this at the base of the power box or where the lines touch the ground to prevent the ants from accessing the line. 

How to Get Rid of Ants Once They're Inside

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we still find ourselves infested with ants. So what are the best ways to get rid of these buggers? 

Ant Baits

Several of our members suggested using ant baits, the gel type in particular. 

Erica replied to use Terro baits, and Larisa agreed. Larisa said that for them, nothing else worked. 

RV Lifestyle member, Carolina, said they used “ant baits all over the rig, the gel type…we have pets and can’t use sprays…I did put some by the mounds too.” She finished her thought with, “I absolutely detest ants.” 

Non-Traditional Repellents

Several respondents suggested natural repellents or other products that are not typically thought of as something to repel ants. 

One person suggested using a mixture of cinnamon and water to use to control ants. Mix these two ingredients and wipe them on and around the lines. Many people believe this to be an effective DIY option because ants do not like the scent, so they stay away from those areas. 

Other natural repellents include using borax, baking soda, lemon, and vinegar, to name a few. 

RV Lifestyle members Becky, Julian, and Bridget echoed the sentiment of using natural products. They suggested boric acid, peppermint oil, and diatomaceous earth, respectively, to repel bugs. 

Another RV Lifestyle member, Rochelle, suggested a non-traditional repellent. She sent a link for Avon’s Skin So Soft. This is another product that many people have used to repel bugs in general, not solely ants. 

What About Keeping Ants Off Your Picnic Table?

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Have You Dealt With Ant Infestations Before?

If you have another suggestion on how to keep ants out of your RV, please share it in the comments below! We always love learning new things that help make the RV Lifestyle more enjoyable.

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