Thwarting wasps and mud daubers

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

They are a bit pricey, but Camco makes great bug screens for the refrigerator vent hatch (Camco RS600) and heater exhaust (WH200; I think it’s intended for the water heater air intake louvers; storage use only for us, not for travel or camping).

Here is a pic of the mounted WH200. It fits perfectly - the springs are a little fun to put on but most of the Camco furnace screens are hard to install. I had to really stretch the springs and use a pair of needle nose pliers to get them mounted but I doubt that it is going to come off by itself. I am impressed that it fits just wide enough to clear the screws on the vent - the screw heads help to keep it in position.

Thanks Dave!

[cpaharley2008]

I could not see good enough to mount mine, so it sits.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Just when I think I've out-smarted Mother Nature by ridding our trailer of wasps and mud daubers, now birds are trying to nest up under our propane tank cover! The problem is, I like birds. Just not up under our propane tank cover.

They will also nest inside your spare tire cover. Check there as well.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

They will also nest inside your spare tire cover. Check there as well.

The wasps will beat them to it! Will pet flea collars really ward off wasps? If so, I might throw one of those in there....

[The Quilting Lady]

Moth balls will help for a while until they melt. I like the lavender scented ones.

[Kountrykamper]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

The wasps will beat them to it! Will pet flea collars really ward off wasps? If so, I might throw one of those in there....

Flea collars will work and so do moth balls as mentioned above. I use to sprinkle moth balls around around the trailer when we had one of those metal carports years back and never had any wasp nest near there. It dont take a lot of them but you will have to add more every couple months.

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

Here is a pic of the mounted WH200. It fits perfectly - the springs are a little fun to put on but most of the Camco furnace screens are hard to install. I had to really stretch the springs and use a pair of needle nose pliers to get them mounted but I doubt that it is going to come off by itself. I am impressed that it fits just wide enough to clear the screws on the vent - the screw heads help to keep it in position.

Thanks Dave!

Got my WH200 today!

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Next, how to protect the A/C and various vents on top?

Has anyone found good solutions to protect everything on the top of the trailer from bugs during storage? I found a "Camco 45398 Vinyl Air Conditioner" that may take care of the AC (http://a.co/2g7MgBr) Can someone verify this fits the AC on my 2017 5.0 TA?

Now I'm looking for covers for the refrigerator vent on the roof, and the gray and black water tank vents on the roof. Perhaps the existing plastic covers for these items are easy to remove and tape and plastic sheeting can be used to cover the holes for storage (I haven't been able to get up there yet to check this).

FYI, I'm storing my trailer in covered storage, however not indoors.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by ThomasG

I found a "Camco 45398 Vinyl Air Conditioner" that may take care of the AC (http://a.co/2g7MgBr) Can someone verify this fits the AC on my 2017 5.0 TA?

The ADCO 3026 you link is close and might even work, but ADCO officially recommends the 3016 for the Dometic Penguin II low profile AC used by Escape.

ADCO sizing chart:
AC Covers, RV Air Conditioner Covers, A/C RV Covers

www.amazon.com/3016-Conditioner-Penguin-Dometic-profile/dp/B00LUVXOVK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1504900553&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=adco+3016

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

The ADCO 3026 you link is close and might even work, but ADCO officially recommends the 3016 for the Dometic Penguin II low profile AC used by Escape.

ADCO sizing chart:
AC Covers, RV Air Conditioner Covers, A/C RV Covers

www.amazon.com/3016-Conditioner-Penguin-Dometic-profile/dp/B00LUVXOVK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1504900553&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=adco+3016

Thanks much!

[richardr]

Has anyone had problems with wasps or other insects getting into the trailer through the drain holes? I looked at the ones in our Escape 21 and a wasp could easily fit through them.

Is there a liquid that could be sprayed or squirted up through these drain holes to discourage insects?

[gbaglo]

What are the insects going to do in there?

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

What are the insects going to do in there?

In Texas, we have mud daubers (or "mud wasps")...a name commonly applied to a number of wasps from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae that build their nests from mud. They will clog up any orifice they can find.


Fred M.

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by Red Dog

In Texas, we have mud daubers (or "mud wasps")...a name commonly applied to a number of wasps from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae that build their nests from mud. They will clog up any orifice they can find.


Fred M.

We had them nest on the fan in our previous trailers air conditioner.
Turned it on and the whole roof was vibrating. I pulled the cover and worked them out. Ever since I have cut pieces of Hotshot no pest strips and tie wrapped them inside the cover of the air conditioner and the spare tire and the propane cover. They work about 4 months and I have not had the usual surprise of daubers or worse guinea wasp. The other areas I use the Camco screens on.
I did have to get rubber plugs for the electric brake housings as we had guinea wasp nesting in one of them.

We could take some of the stick on material used to repair window screens and place it over the holes on the bottom side. I did not think about them nesting there but given a opening they will use it.


One thing I discovered is the Camco vent screens for the lower refrigerator vent mess up the airflow badly. If I have them installed the ARPrv controller I use will cut power to the fridge circuit board when I am traveling on the highway. Remove the screens and it works fine. My solution was to pick up a second vent cover and use the one with the screens at home and when using the trailer swap to the one with no vent screens.

[The Quilting Lady]

We have spent hundreds of dollars fixing our hot water heater on our former trailerbecause of mud dauber's building hard clay nests up in our water heater and hundreds of dollars to repair a pool heater pump outside our home because of them. We use the Camco screens and also Lavender scented mothballs.

[richardr]

I was just up looking at my roof top fridge vent. There appears to be a lot of space for wasps to get inside and hang nests from the inside of the cover, (just like they do under the eaves of a house). Has anyone had a problem with this?

I'm considering fastening screening over the fridge vent, under the cover, but I'm concerned that it will alter the characteristics of my fridge cooling, which for now appears to be doing quite well. Any thoughts on this?

[Fox hunt]

Never had that issue I'm in the PNW

[Kountrykamper]

Sprinkle a few moth balls around the trailer if it is keep outside and you will have no more problems with wasp. I sprinkle about a dozen around every month in the season.

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by richardr

I was just up looking at my roof top fridge vent. There appears to be a lot of space for wasps to get inside and hang nests from the inside of the cover, (just like they do under the eaves of a house). Has anyone had a problem with this?

I'm considering fastening screening over the fridge vent, under the cover, but I'm concerned that it will alter the characteristics of my fridge cooling, which for now appears to be doing quite well. Any thoughts on this?

Not yet but I did have the nasty surprise of them building a nest under the trailer coupler. When I operated the latch they got me.

I have though about trying to make a covering like the ones used for air conditioners.

[thiggins]

I put a couple of pieces of screen behind the plastic covers. I can't see that it would impede any airflow. It does the job.