Pest Control in Your Static Caravan

The summer heat can make pest control in your static caravan a bit more of a challenge than at other times of the year. Here are a few tips to help you manage any pests comfortably.

Clean and declutter
This is the key to nearly all pest control. Unwanted visitors will be much less likely to be attracted and less likely to want to stay in a caravan with no food. Any invasion of uninvited guests is much easier to detect, and then deal with, if floors are decluttered and access to walls and skirting boards is clear.

Remove temptation
This is why cleaning is so important. Ants, for example, are very difficult to completely block from entry into your static caravan. If they find nothing of interest to eat though, they will generally leave and move on to more rewarding pastures. Make your static caravan a desert for them as much as is possible.

Do not store food in your caravan for long periods of absence

Keep food off surfaces, storing it in cupboards and in metal containers as much as possible. Vermin such as mice will happily chew through plastic.

Make sure the void underneath your static caravan is clear of debris and rubbish which can attract vermin of all types.

Build barriers against pests

Block holes around pipes. Gas pipes should have a mesh surrounding them where they enter and leave the caravan. This should be metal not plastic where possible. Try to block all potential access points to four-legged pests in this way. Wire wool is a good and cheap material to use for this, which does deter the most sharp-toothed critter.

Change existing air-vents from plastic to metal. Mice especially, will make short work of plastic air-vents.

Flying insects are the most common pest to cause a problem in static caravans during the summer. If your static caravan is pitched near water or overhanging trees, this can be a bigger problem than for others. There is nothing anyone can do to stop flying insects completely, but some measures will greatly reduce the nuisance and any harm they can cause.

Mesh secondary double glazing and secondary doors are a good addition to keep the flying bugs out. Also, keep an eye on door sweeps and other seals which may become corroded or be eaten through by ants and other pests. Replace where necessary.

There are also many devices on the market designed to attract and kill flying insects. One or two of these immediately outside your static caravan can reduce annoyances significantly.

Be aware that your lights at night will attract many bugs. Try and adopt the rule; lights on, doors and windows shut (or at least secondary mesh shut in the heat of summer). Doors open, lights off.

Pets and other visitors
If your own pets are allowed onsite or if you let out your static caravan to pet owners be aware that of course they can be carriers of multiple bugs. You may want to include, in your post booking correspondence with guests, a polite request to check and treat pets where necessary.

Unfortunately, as in the case of bedbugs for example, your guests themselves can unwittingly introduce unwanted critters into your static caravan. (See this guide to preventing bed bugs in your holiday home.) Again, something in the post booking correspondence may be appropriate to alert them to the danger, while reassuring them of your own high levels of cleanliness and vigilance in these matters.

Evict the pests from your static caravan
If these measures fail, which they sometimes will: As someone once said, ‘nature will find a way’. At this point it is advisable to call in the professionals from reputable, accredited companies, who will be able to rid you of the nuisance pest. They will also be able to advise and help with further prevention.

Always read the manufacturer’s instructions if you use traps or poisons to clear out pests from your static caravan.

Clean again
If you let out your static caravan, make sure you have a rapid turn-over protocol. That way any rubbish or food waste left by guests is quickly removed from the premises and bedding and the like is swiftly laundered.

Some pests do prefer clean surroundings (bedbugs again) and require special measures to help prevent them (like bed leg monitors for bedbugs). That said, a clean static caravan should stay largely pest-free. A good cleaning regime is the single most important thing to aid in pest control in your static caravan.

We hope you have found this a helpful guide to controlling pests in your static caravan. It is not exhaustive but general principles apply. You may need to take different measures for specific pests, such as wasps, for instance. If in doubt, always consult a professional.

This is a marketing article from My Holiday Home Insurance, a specialist provider of insurance for holiday homes, leisure homes, holiday lodges and static caravans. Our team of experienced advisers are always happy to help, so for more information call our Northampton office on freephone 0800 988 0890.

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