We bought add-on bug screens for the furnace exhaust when we picked up our new Big Country. Only had it on the road for 2 weeks the first year...and when we went to use the AC, there was a big racket. Took it in for service, and got it back today with the explanation that mud dobbers had built a nest on the AC fan blade while the trailer was in storage; the initial clatter of the AC was throwing off the large nest, but the residual on the blade caused it to wobble...more noise. Service advisor told me that he's seen mud dobbers in water heater exhaust, refrigerator exhaust, etc., and that at $109/hr labor it's usually cheaper just to replace major appliances when mud dobbers come to roost. Does anyone make finer screens for AC and other heating vents...or does some one have some simple fixes? Only thing that comes to mind is some metal window screen....
Bug Screens?
- Thread starter djmeisel
- Start date
Use Moth Balls
We put a few moth balls on the bottom ledge of the water heater, just inside the metal door. I also have a small net bag of moth balls tied inside the bottom frig vent. The smell goes up and out the top vent. We have never had a problem with mud dobbers by using the moth balls
We put a few moth balls on the bottom ledge of the water heater, just inside the metal door. I also have a small net bag of moth balls tied inside the bottom frig vent. The smell goes up and out the top vent. We have never had a problem with mud dobbers by using the moth balls
Thanks for your replies. The mud daubers got into the AC unit on the roof through the louvers in the cover. Having gone to that work, don't know why they picked the fan blade to build their nest on. Bought some metal screen and mounted inside louvers on refrigerator and other side vents and made a pull-string canvas bag to cover the AC when in storage.
fivernine
Active Member
Also flea collars
Joe and Vicki Kieva, who have the column RV Insight in Highways magazine, addressed this in a seminar at the Rally in Perry two weeks ago. They reported that flea collars are also a strong deterrant (or maybe they just kill the little critters) for wasps, mud daubers and spiders. According to them, spiders are attracted to the smell of propane and will soon set up housekeeping anywhere that the odor is present. But flea collars will keep them out. I haven't tried it, but it's interesting.
Joe and Vicki Kieva, who have the column RV Insight in Highways magazine, addressed this in a seminar at the Rally in Perry two weeks ago. They reported that flea collars are also a strong deterrant (or maybe they just kill the little critters) for wasps, mud daubers and spiders. According to them, spiders are attracted to the smell of propane and will soon set up housekeeping anywhere that the odor is present. But flea collars will keep them out. I haven't tried it, but it's interesting.