Your RV is your home away from home. As such, you want to keep it clean and in pristine condition - much like you would your regular home. However, when you are out camping, you tend to become closer to nature than you would on a regular basis, which is fantastic! But this also means you are closer to bugs and pests as well. I’m sure none of us enjoy trying to fall asleep and hearing a fly buzz by, or hoping the snake you spotted outside doesn’t find it’s way in to the trailer...
Fortunately, you can avoid pests in your RV by applying a few tips. Whether it’s fruit flies, bees, rodents, or any other type of pest you’re trying to keep far away fro your trailer, don’t worry. These 5 tips will help you have a stress-free RV vacation!
Invest In A Mesh Screen Door
As-Seen-On-TV products can sometimes be a little questionable, but this one truly works. Magic Mesh Hands-Free Magnetic Screen Door is essentially a mesh door that closes immediately behind you with magnets every time you walk through it. This way, you don’t have to yell “Close the door, quickly!” every time someone comes out of the RV.
All you have to do is hang it up - which can be done in a matter of seconds and requires no tools - and your RV will be bug free! This is also great if you have your pets with you and you would like them to have the freedom to just go in and out of the RV as they please.
You can purchase the Magic Mesh Hands-Free Magnetic Screen Door here.
Take Out Your Garbage Immediately
This one may be obvious, but pests and rodents love garbage the most. If you leave the garbage from your meals laying outside or just in your RV, the pests will find it. Taking out your garbage as soon as you gather it after a meal is ideal to prevent bugs flying around it.
Another way you can avoid pests is, if you have a bigger freezer, freeze your garbage and perishables, especially if you can’t dispose of it right away. All you will need to do is put them in a disposable paper bag, and the rest is done! If you’re doing everything and they’re still not going away, try this tip and you’ll be surprised at how much it helps.
Store Mothballs In Your RV
Mothballs are a great repellent for a lot of unwanted pests. They can be effective in warding off silverfish, moths, snakes, mice, spiders and scorpions, which we can all say we’d rather not have in our RV. Storing these in your RV is a super effective way to keep them out of your trailer, but there are some pros and cons to mothballs.
Do not use mothballs if you have children or pets in the RV as they are toxic if ingested. Mothballs are also very strong and potent in smell, which can irritate some people. For these reasons, only reserve mothballs for serious cases and use them at your own risk.
Diffuse Essential Oils
Now you may be wondering how diffusing essential oils would keep pests out. Turns out that spiders absolutely hate peppermint oil, and citronella essential oil is what is used to make those popular bug repellent candles! You can diffuse these oils all day long to keep the bugs out, or even put them in the crevices of your RV.
If you don’t have an essential oil diffuser, don't worry! Here is how you can use a spray bottle the same way:
Get the essentials, such as:
- A carrier oil, which is usually sweet almond oil or avocado oil (but make sure these are okay to go on your skin)
- 10-20 drops of peppermint oil, citronella oil, and whatever other oil you want to make it smell nice
- A small spray bottle
- Witch hazel or vodka
- Distilled water
Mix all of these together in the bottle and mist it all over your RV so you can be sure that no spiders or pests will come crawling their way in.
Make Sure Your RV Is Hole Free
If you own an RV or are renting yours out, making sure there are no hidden holes or cracks in your mobile home is very important. Many bugs, especially ants and spiders, can find their way in through the holes. So if you don’t have any, then you won’t have a problem!
One way to make sure your RV is all covered up is to do routine maintenance to check for holes and other possible ways critters could get in. You can use a caulk or silicone filler to fill in the gaps so you don't have to worry about unwanted creatures sneaking in.
These 5 tips are very useful in helping you keep unwanted pests out of your RV, especially during the summer months when they're at their peak. You can do a lot of these on your own, meaning you won't have to worry about spending a ton of money, either.
So next time you take your RV for a trip, try one or all of these tips to have a worry-free vacation!
