grab a couple bottles of johnsons baby powder and put a ring around your bus, this will keep the little buggers away!

we had some bad ones up north one year so what I did was to sit down and write out a very stern note to them telling them, in no uncertain terms, that their continuing occupation is unwanted and unless they vacated the premises within 24 hours stern measures would ensue!

I placed it on the floor of the cupboard and had no further trouble!

And that should give u that ring of comfidance.

ps i use powder to but dont tell Davo

heres a couple of recipes I found on the net, these are designed primarily for the household but can be scaled down for van use!

Repellent plants

Catnip, pennyroyal, peppermint, sage, and spearmint. Tansy which is often recommended as an ant repellant may only work on sugar type ants. These are the ones that you see marching into the kitchen.

Barriers

Sprinkle leaves and flowers from sage, mints or tansy around the outside of your house or plants that are bothered by ants. These plants can also be used as a living barrier for ant control, bearing in mind that they are invasive in their growth habit and using cuttings from these plants as a barrier is more effective.

Vinegar sprays in and around the hose foundation will repel ants. Keep way from the soil and concrete. Lemon juice concentrate can also be used: mix 50/50 with water and spray.
Ants will not walk through a line of talcum powder or chalk dust. Diatomaceous earth may also be used as a barrier in and out of the household.

Using a silica areogel/pyrethrum spray applied to the base of plants like eggplants and peppers can control fire ants from girdling the stems and killing the plants. This is a good barrier as it stays "put."

Caulk all cracks and crevices in the building to deny them access. Be sure to use high quality pure silicone caulking as these are less likely to shrink or crack once applied.
Distribute cucumber parings as a repellant. Cucumbers contain a compound known as "trans-2-nonenal" that repels ants as well as ****roaches!

Try sprinkling some of those instant grits around the nests. See what happens!

For fire ants: We recommend Spinosad or try this: Pour half a cup of Epsom salts into the nest and all around it.

hope this helps a little???

I know it's not the kindest way of dealing with ants, but it's a better long-term treatment to get at the colony, not just to keep them out, but to make them relocate to anywhere else but where you are.
They do take the borax bait back home to share with everyone at home.
The other treatments may keep them out of the van/house, but the little buggers will find a way to you undies, meat, sugar, nuts or biscuits.
The talcum powder won't work if you have lots of contact points with the ground through ropes, pegs, annexe walls and skirts.
I used grease on the chassis and contact points years ago on another van I lived in near Pt. Adelaide. We were parked in a shed so we didn't use the annexe. Less contact points.
Whichever way you choose to go, good luck. They're very smart little critters.

Thanks for all your suggestions guys, I will try and see which is the best solution for us to use.

The talcum powder is out as we usually only stay in one place for a couple of nights, depending on Trevor's work, so that would mean a truck load of talc.

Thanks for all your help, as usual a very helpful group.

Sandy

I am typing it up now Dave, will let you know how they respond.

my letter was very crude but I am sure you could come up with a much kinder version, I probably hurt too many little ant feelings and ruined a couple for life, if you could put up a "framework of suggestions" as to the nice way to ask our little six legged mates to pack up their overnight bags and leave it would be much better

but remember not too nice or they will just laugh at you!

ah "grey nomads" with six legs, have ants, will travel!!