By Cheryl Probst
The next time you’re buying a flea collar for your dog or cat, throw one in for your RV. It could save you from having to spend money on repairs to your rig’s propane system.
Wasps like the smell and sweet taste of propane, and will turn the pilot light areas in the refrigeration and water heater compartments into their next home. If too many wasps move in, their condo will clog up the pilot light area and the system won’t work. When the propane is turned on, it could result in not only frying the wasps but also the RV wiring, meaning a potentially expensive service call to the repair shop.
This is where the flea collar comes in. Cut it in half and lay each half on the bottom of one of the compartments. Wasps don’t like the smell of flea collars and will congregate elsewhere. Replace the flea collar whenever you get a new one for your pet. Turning off the propane when the RV is in storage will also lessen the likelihood those pesky critters will invade these compartments.
Other solutions, such as commercial wasp traps to keep wasps out are available. If wasps have already invaded these compartments, one-shot solutions to get rid of them include dousing them with a cup of soapy dish detergent in water. Wasps reportedly like the smell of beer better than they do propane, so place a half-full can of beer in the compartment. The wasps will crawl into the can to get at the beer and drown.
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