daubers in roof ac

[rolandr47]

Wondering if any one has attached some kind of bug screen or otherwise discovered a fix to keep daubers, etc. out of the roof air unit. I'd imagine this has been covered but may need help finding that topic. Thanks

[Eagle]

I've read about mud daubbers when reading RV forums.

Never had any problem with such an insect .... are they common in the southern states?

Never seen any here in the northern states.

[Travels with Yoly]

They can be quite a problem here in the south. There are years when you don't see many of them and then some when they're all over. Motorcyclists who keep their bikes outside have to deal with them a lot I know. I could go outside right now and take pictures of mud dobber nests on the front of my house although they are abandoned. I keep my pressure washer out in an covered (but open) storage shed and every year before use I have to clean the mud out of the end of the wand. I've also heard that they exist in Texas.

[Eagle]

Did a google search by typing in 'mud daubber screen" and this came up:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_8n9oi638jv_b

Lots of them out there.

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by Travels with Yoly

They can be quite a problem here in the south. There are years when you don't see many of them and then some when they're all over. Motorcyclists who keep their bikes outside have to deal with them a lot I know. I could go outside right now and take pictures of mud dobber nests on the front of my house although they are abandoned. I keep my pressure washer out in an covered (but open) storage shed and every year before use I have to clean the mud out of the end of the wand. I've also heard that they exist in Texas.

Guess I never noticed them when traveling in the southern states.

However, I've seen wasps build 'mud nests' on building in these parts...and so do barn swallows build mud nests under building eves.

[Travels with Yoly]

You are correct Eagle about the mud nest wasps and now that I think about it, that is probably what I am seeing on the house at the moment. Mud daubbers typically build nests in small openings with a vertical orientation. People with boats or anyone storing a device with an engine have issues because most engines and carburetors have a vent tube that allows crankcase pressure to dissipate. These small tubes usually extend downward and the little critters will plug them up in short order. Anytime an engine starts and runs for a short time and then slowly sounds like it's suffocating and then quits, it's probably a mud daubber nest in the vent tube.

[Eagle]

Seems those little buggers can be a pesky irritant.

[Travels with Yoly]

I've worked on hundreds of outboard motors back in the day and with the advent of four-stroke engines I've seen mud daubbers build a nest between the teeth of a camshaft pulley (on the back side away from the belt). When the engine is cranked, the cam belt rides over the nest and the belt then actually skips a tooth and the camshaft becomes "out of time". If the engine actually starts and runs for a moment, it usually winds up skipping several teeth and can cause real damage.

[rolandr47]

surprised that someone hasn't devised a screen to attach to the shroud, I haven't found anything in the stores, wonder if the screen material used in other screens (frig., etc.) is available in hardware stores?

[Travels with Yoly]

Originally Posted by rolandr47

surprised that someone hasn't devised a screen to attach to the shroud, I haven't found anything in the stores, wonder if the screen material used in other screens (frig., etc.) is available in hardware stores?

You can buy regular door screen at any improvement store (maybe even Wallymart). Fiberglass screen is quite inexpensive.

[Eagle]

I don't know if it works but read on another RV forum by several that placing a dog flea collar or a large piece of one in the frig vent, the water heater compartment, under the A/C cover, etc. has prevented infestations by mud wasps and mud daubbers.

This article lists the active ingredients in dog flea/tick collars:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=521

[rolandr47]

Thanks folks, good to have something to work with cause it's kind of a pain to climb up and remove that shroud. A dauber nest on a fan blade threw the balance off and cause an awful noise.

[rolandr47]

Well folks, I found a roll of galvanized wire at a locally owned hardware store with a weave that looked the same as that on the factory products made for the frig., furnace, etc. Pretty easy install with 8" zip ties pressed in some square pieces for the bumper caps. Glad to get that job done.

[Travels with Yoly]

Three cheers for perseverance and know-how