Get Rid of Pests in Your Cabin
Keeping pests away from your cabins can be a challenge. Whether they are furred, crawling, or flying, here are a few tips for keeping your cabins pest-free and a welcoming place for you and your guests.
Typical Pests Found in Cabins
From rodents to other furred invaders, you also might encounter spiders, snakes, mosquitoes, fruit flies, fleas, ticks, Asian lady beetles, boxelder bugs, wasps, and hornets. You are also likely to encounter any other bugs in the landscape surrounding your cabin.
Signs of Pests in Your Cabins
Pests like mice, raccoons, opossums, and skunks love the shelter that your cabin gives. Squirrels, rabbits, and birds also love to make your cabin their home, especially if it is unoccupied during the winter months. These pests love to come out at night. One thing you might notice is droppings or scat around the floor or on top of rafters or beams.
If you have insects, the first thing you might notice is when you see one. If you have insects, such as termites, carpenter bees, carpenter ants, and wood borers, you might find little 1/2-inch holes around the outside of the cabin, particularly under the eaves.
Wood borers do their damage at night, and you might hear them chewing or gnawing. If a woodpecker seems particularly fascinated with your cabin, it probably hears insects inside the wood and wants a tasty lunch.
Getting Rid of the Pests in Your Cabin & Campsite
If you already have rodents or insects inside your cabin and at your campsite, you can try several methods to get rid of them. If you have rodents or other small animals in your cabin, the best way to get rid of them is to trap them. Ensure that if you do catch-and-release, take the animal far enough away that it will not return.
If you have an insect infestation, Borax, boric acid, and diatomaceous earth are some of the more popular methods for getting rid of them. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, and boric acid is a refined form of it. Diatomaceous earth is the broken shells of fossilized ancient sea creatures.
Boric acid works for many insects that groom themselves, like cockroaches. When they ingest it, boric acid disrupts their digestive system. Diatomaceous earth works by causing small cuts in the exoskeleton or the digestive tract when the insect ingests it. It also causes them to dehydrate. Both these options are available as a fine white powder. The key to using them is to make sure that you use a fine dusting and not so much that you can see it, or they will just walk around the piles.
Borax and boric acid kill insects, like spiders, cockroaches, ants, and mites. Diatomaceous earth (DE) works on all these insects and works on fleas, ticks, crickets, and bed bugs. Both these options are deadly to bugs, but they are safe to use around dogs, cats, and humans.
How to Keep Pests Away from Your Cabin & Campsite
One of the best ways to keep rodents and furred pests away from your cabin is to keep it clean. If you do not provide them with food or water, they will likely move elsewhere. You should also make sure to seal up any openings or cracks where they could get in.
Placing wire mesh over openings and holes is an excellent way to keep them out. The chimney is a common way for animals to get into your cabin. When it is not in use, it is a good idea to seal your chimney with a metal chimney cap. Vent covers are also available, but if you use a plastic one, make sure to inspect it regularly to make sure nothing has chewed through it. To keep out smaller insects, make sure to caulk any cracks in doorways or the floor.
Keeping your cabin free from pests of any kind takes vigilance, but with this info, you can tackle most pest problems on your own without the help of a pest control professional.
