Perfume, cologne, deodorant, chap-stick, toothpaste, gum, anything that smells sweet, flowery, meaty or musky may attract insects and animals. Even a perfumed dryer sheet might make your clothes smell attractive... to something. You can use odors to your advantage, though, perhaps by adding some powdered cayenne pepper to the laundry and using alcohol as a deodorant and adding vinegar to your unscented shampoo and soap. Brush your teeth with baking soda and drink only water or unsweetened coffee. I wonder if there is a tent-safe spray that repels ants and bears????
To keep ants out of my dogs food container i made a circle of cinnamon around the container. Something in the cinnamon makes ants not to cross it and has worked every time i have used it. Cinnamon is easily found at most stores and works to keep ants out of anything and is your best solution to this problem.
I've stayed in places like Tuolumne Meadows, where they will gladly show you photos of automobiles that were ripped open by bears--all to get at that toothpaste or a scented bar of soap, or those loose M&Ms in the back seat...
You could try drawing a line around the tent with a diluted vinegar-water mixture, I think ants would stray away from it if you left a thick enough line in the dirt (or grass). Let us all know what works, because I'm actually getting very curious about this now.
I heard somewhere that making a trail using a dilute formic acid solution would divert ants to wherever the trail led. No idea if it's true or not, but if it is, you could also use the same solution to make ant-grafitti on public buildings. Hmmm...
To stop ants coming into my house I tried peppermint oil mixed with water sprayed around the doorstep ; another time I tried a clove of garlic smeared along the doorstep. Both seemed to work but it could have been a coincidence.
I'm not sure what type of tent you use but I have a double skinned tent with no-see-um-netting so if an ant gets in, (not often), I know that it has been carried in on my bags or clothing rather than just wandering; so its always worth checking before you bring them into the tent.
It depends on how much of a problem you have; I just lick my finger, dab them up and flick them outside.
But if you are in a big open style tent then go for the peppermint and water in a sprayer; At least that smells nice, (Although I actually love the smell of garlic).
I've heard that a line of vinegar or even bay leaves works but I'm a bit sceptical about that.
Discussions
2 months ago
Perfume, cologne, deodorant, chap-stick, toothpaste, gum, anything that smells sweet, flowery, meaty or musky may attract insects and animals. Even a perfumed dryer sheet might make your clothes smell attractive... to something. You can use odors to your advantage, though, perhaps by adding some powdered cayenne pepper to the laundry and using alcohol as a deodorant and adding vinegar to your unscented shampoo and soap. Brush your teeth with baking soda and drink only water or unsweetened coffee. I wonder if there is a tent-safe spray that repels ants and bears????
9 years ago
-Don't keep any food unpackaged and sealed.
-Don't set up a tent on or around an ant pile.
9 years ago
To keep ants out of my dogs food container i made a circle of cinnamon around the container. Something in the cinnamon makes ants not to cross it and has worked every time i have used it. Cinnamon is easily found at most stores and works to keep ants out of anything and is your best solution to this problem.
9 years ago
Can't you get your uncles to keep them busy?
9 years ago
Don't blame me if ants come into your tent, because this is just an idea. You could try putting sugar water in a puddle far away from your tent.
9 years ago
Most importantly, NO FOOD in the tent, ever.
Always cook and eat 50 feet or more away from the tent.
Keeps bears out, too (which is the real reason to keep food far away.)
Answer 9 years ago
Related: No toothpaste in the tent either -- again, because it will attract bears.
Answer 9 years ago
+++++
I've stayed in places like Tuolumne Meadows, where they will gladly show you photos of automobiles that were ripped open by bears--all to get at that toothpaste or a scented bar of soap, or those loose M&Ms in the back seat...
Answer 9 years ago
I heard even flavored chapstick is a problem!
9 years ago
Hire some bigger bugs as "security". But make sure you actually "pay" them.
L
9 years ago
You could try drawing a line around the tent with a diluted vinegar-water mixture, I think ants would stray away from it if you left a thick enough line in the dirt (or grass). Let us all know what works, because I'm actually getting very curious about this now.
9 years ago
I heard somewhere that making a trail using a dilute formic acid solution would divert ants to wherever the trail led. No idea if it's true or not, but if it is, you could also use the same solution to make ant-grafitti on public buildings. Hmmm...
9 years ago
Hello,
To stop ants coming into my house I tried peppermint oil mixed with water sprayed around the doorstep ; another time I tried a clove of garlic smeared along the doorstep.
Both seemed to work but it could have been a coincidence.
I'm not sure what type of tent you use but I have a double skinned tent with no-see-um-netting so if an ant gets in, (not often), I know that it has been carried in on my bags or clothing rather than just wandering; so its always worth checking before you bring them into the tent.
It depends on how much of a problem you have; I just lick my finger, dab them up and flick them outside.
But if you are in a big open style tent then go for the peppermint and water in a sprayer; At least that smells nice, (Although I actually love the smell of garlic).
I've heard that a line of vinegar or even bay leaves works but I'm a bit sceptical about that.
Blah, blah, blah.
Good Luck.