The first time I had an ant infestation in my van, I panicked. It was one of the most disgusting things I’ve had to deal with while living in a van.
This ant infestation started by having my van parked for a few days in one place, while I was away. At this time the ants invaded, and when I returned to my vehicle there were a few here and there, but I didn’t notice anything serious. I didn’t have food, crumbs or anything laying around that may have attracted them.
Then, I found something disturbing. The ants were close to one area, and I lifted some clothing to find a full blown ant nest growing underneath. I mean eggs, ants, the whole deal. And no, there was no food for them to consume, there was no reason I could figure they would be in there.
Unfortunately, I can’t say this is the only time this has occurred. Living in Australia, ants are everywhere! Ants of all sizes and colours.
Eventually after so many problems with ants I’ve constructed a comprehensive guide to dealing with ant infestations in van life. First is how to avoid ants, then how remove them from a van. This could also go for any other type of vehicle. Ants don’t discriminate and will search for a new home anywhere.
Table of Contents
Van Life: How to Avoid Ants
Time and time again, I’ve spend too long searching online why ants come into the van. Everyone seems to have the same conclusion: there’s food to attract and sustain their life in the van. I’ll be the first to say, this isn’t always true.
Ants definitely need food, but they eat everything. They do go wild over a piece of sugary something, but it’s not always that way. In the wild, ants eat whatever they can to survive, and this could be the same in a van.
After multiple ant infestations, I’m sharing how to avoid them in the first place.
Check Where You’re Parking
Don’t give ants the option to use your van as a home. Before parking, take a look around to see if there’s an activity on the ground. If you don’t see ants then take a look out for ant holes in the ground.
This may be more obvious on some terrain than others. In general, living in the Pacific North West, I rarely came across ants to the degree that I do living in Australia’s dry north. Sometimes the ants are so bad in Australia, it feels like there’s no way to escape them.
Parking on top of an ant hill won’t have good consequences. Avoid this to spare yourself the pain of discovering them inside your van. And, after a few hours of parking for the night, take a look around the outside of the van to see if you missed something.
Keep Your Van Clean
I may not have had clear clues as to why ants decided to enter my van, but keeping a clean van will make a difference. Try not to let crumbs, especially sweet ones spill all of over. And, sweep every few days to get rid of any that may be hiding.
Same goes for liquid messes, which are devastatingly easy to draw ants near. Wipe it up, or risk inviting in unwanted guests to your van.
When you do clean up, try to use a natural deodorizer such as baking soda or vinegar. These will break down the sticky materials without using harsh chemicals—it’s also a lot cheaper!
Products to Kill an Ant Nests in a Van
I always try to go for natural only options, especially for an insect spray which might go near my bedside. Since having multiple ant infestations, I’ve done both, with and without insect sprays and haven’t found a good natural option.
For a single ant nest, I like to combine different products to ensure the ants will be gone. Normally, pods and wiping away the ants is enough, but not always (see the directions below on how to deal with an ant infestation).
When you need extra help destroying an ant’s nest, these products are the best. They might be unnatural, but fortunately they do work. And, when used properly they shouldn’t be leaving too much residue around your home.
Raid Ant Killer Baits (Pods)
Don’t be deceived by these tiny pods. They’re one of the best ways to destroy the presence of ants—or so I’ve experienced. Ants are creatures of habit, they find food, consume it and return to that same food source. This is how the pods succeed, by interjecting that circuit with some not-so-friendly ant feed.
This will help destroy any ant nests that may be harbouring in your van. They can just be placed and almost forgotten about. Thanks to the stickies on them, they can also go at any angle. I have them on my wall and floor, however they could also go on the ceiling.
Pro Tip: Put these baits in the path of ants for the best results.
Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray
I don’t like to use chemicals, I really don’t. But, sometimes my bigger focus is getting rid of the ants fast, before they cause more problems, such as spreading. And, especially before I have them walking over my face in my sleep. I just balance all of the options, which is why I only use a spray if it’s completely necessary.
To know when it’s best or not to spray, check out my how-to guide below with three simple steps on destroying ant nests in a van. This spray is way bigger than what you should need for a single or just a few nests, find a place to keep it in your van for emergencies.
Van Life: How to Deal with an Ant Infestation
When the ants come in, you need to get rid of them. That’s what this section is about. Destroying those evil ants trying to nest in your home—the van.
Let me first say, there’s only a few insects I really don’t like, which are mosquitos, flies and ants. I know they have a place, but that’s not in my van.
This is a how-to formula for dealing with an ant nest in a van with three simple steps! Check the products above for what I use to get rid of the ants.
- Find: Where the ants are coming from
Ant infestations generally start with seeing a few ants here and there. When you know it’s more than just a few, start following (without killing them) where the ants are heading to. Eventually you should come across the nest, or at least and area where the ants are creating a home.
- Identify: How Big is the Problem?
Really, this should say “how big is the ant infestation,” but you get it. Depending on how big the problem is depends on what action needs to be taken. And, where it is as discovered in #1.
If the nest is small, or on an easily accessible location it’s possible to just wipe away what’s become of the nest and follow up with the pods. Wiping away most of the mess will kill the biggest problem, and the poison in the pods is a slow acting solution to clear up the rest of those wanderers.
If the nest is big, or not easily accessible is when the spray probably needs to be used in conjunction with the pods. By this I mean, ants will often nest in the crack of wood, under something that can’t be moved or in a tiny locale. This is where the spray comes in to first kill what’s there, when it can’t be reached with your hand or a cloth. Then, follow up with the pods in various places in the van to kill any remaining ants. - Follow-Up: Re-treat or Move on
Killing an ant’s nest sometimes doesn’t end with just a single spray and pod distribution. It’s most important to follow-up in a few days to make sure your attack was successful. By chance, if the first attempt to kill the ants didn’t work, you may need to spray again, if the ants just moved their nest (refer back to #2).
Otherwise, just double check the ants are no longer around, if there are a few stray, follow their path to see if it leads anywhere. If there’s none, then leave the pods for a bit longer just in case, and keep checking weekly for more activity. But the first attack is likely enough and the ants should be gone!
For more van life content, check out how to live a sustainable and eco-friendly van life!
