TheSamba.com :: View topic - Bug-Bomb Your Vanagon?

Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:31 am

Hey! We are new vanagon owners (85 pop-top) and are looking to potentially bomb our VW to get rid of any insects. Can anyone suggest whether this is a good/bad idea, and if anyone has done it what did you use?

Thanks

Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:54 am

I would not bug bomb it. If you have a bad infestation, perhaps if you have a garage, you could open the van and bug bomb the garage. Those cans are for a large room. Enclosed in the van, the residue would be on everything. What type of infestation do you have.

Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:31 am

Thanks - we are not sure if we do, but we have found maggots and cricket/grasshopper parts several times under the van after we have driven away - someone suggested bombing it but we have never used a bug bomb and dont want to mess up the vanagon . . . Sounds like some good advice re residue

Thanks for any other thoughts!

Mon Sep 15, 2008 2:50 pm

I find chilling my van to -30* F in the winter for a few weeks each winter keep the bugs at bay :lol:

I'd just remove anything that is easily removable and vacuum all that I could, if there were still lots of bugs around I'd try some bug repelantaround the suspect areas.

Mon Sep 15, 2008 2:59 pm

Take a pie pan,put about 1/4 " of ammonia in it( after setting it flat onfloor).leave everything inside open and leave van in the sun for at leas one full day.no spiders no insects etc.let air out. droppings under van can come from spiders and wasp nests,get that every where here.dont care for the bombs as they coat everything inside with their "stuff".

Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:27 pm

I took a commercial grade electric weed blower to Madam Helga after I picked up some "bugs" on a camping trip.
That leaf blower lets loose an 80 mile per hour stream of air and nothin and I mean nuttin could survive that.
Tie down or remove anything you want, plug one in turn on the switch and hold the F on.

Grainger has em for about $100.00

Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:23 pm

Throw a few geckos in your van and close it up. They will gobble up your bugs in one night. Leave 'em in there...when the bugs are all gone, the geckos will leave your van.

Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:01 am

You guys are so helpful - Many, many thanks from a VW Newbie

cheers, Mark

(Any other tips and ideas, please let me know!

Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:26 am

Once you have the bugs (and other vermin) cleared out, stuff a few Bounce drier sheets (I use unscented) here 'n there. Does a pretty good job of keeping the population at bay. And smells a whole lot better than mothballs.

Kinda makes you wonder if the drier sheets are safe for us, doesn't it?

Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:53 am

I had an ant infestation a few months ago, a little spray here and there, and a few of the bait stations in the corners for a day or two, and they were gone. Prompted me to address the point of entry, a gap I had left around my new propane plumbing.