Winter Pest Control Tips for RV Living

Winter time is an interesting time for those of us with RVs. For many, it means taking the RV to warmer climes and making it the winter home. Hardier folks can venture out, brave the elements and try some winter camping. Others put the RV into storage until warmer weather arrives in the spring. The important connection among all these scenarios is that the colder weather that winter brings forces us to alter how we use our RVs. Unfortunately, the same is true for the pests which can plague your RV. During the winter they are also looking for better spots to live and shelter up, and your RV can make the perfect place. Here are some ways to keep pests out of your RV as well as how to deal with them should they make it in. The primary pests you will have to deal with in the winter are rodents. Ants can also be an issue in warmer climates. Other pests like mud daubers, wasps and bees tend to go dormant during the winter except in extreme southern regions. Even there, their activities are usually greatly reduced. In the case of wasps or mud daubers, check your RV in the fall for nests and remove them. That should take care of any issues until spring arrives.

Cleaning in your best bet against unwanted visitors in the winter.

Your best option in dealing with pests is prevention. These critters will get into your RV looking for food, water or shelter. If you can eliminate any of those from the equation you can go a long way to preventing them from getting in and staying. First, make sure you clean your RV top to bottom. Clean out the drawers, refrigerator, cabinets, under the couches, etc. If you have HVAC registers in the floor, take off the covers and clean out the ducting as best you can. These are all places food particles could have collected while you used your RV. If your RV is going in storage, also remove anything that can be used as nesting materials like toilet paper rolls, and things made of soft cloth. By removing any source of food or nesting materials you eliminate much of the incentive for these pests to move in.

Where you park or store your RV can be a big factor as well. If at all possible, avoid long term storage or parking near wooded areas, wood piles, overgrown fields or rundown buildings. These areas often harbor pests and the closer you are too them, the easier it is for the pests to jump over to your rig. Also, when you arrive at a site, take a quick look around and check for signs of ants or other critters before you setup. If you see anything that looks like a problem then see if you can change sites or if the park management can do something to rid the area of the issue.Once setup, rope lights on the ground around your RV can make an effective barrier to rodents or other nocturnal critters. There are some differences in the colors of light different critters can see so covering the spectrum with white light is the best option. Leave them on all night for the best protection. If using lights is an issue, or you are storing your RV and don't have power, then throwing some moth balls around under the RV can be effective as well.