The Eighth Plague - Fly Remix
Fortunately, a fly infestation probably doesn’t mean your rig is haunted or cursed a la Amityville Horror, but there are a few ways flies can make their way in. While a couple flies aren’t uncommon – you are in the wild after all – an infestation is different. Swarms of the little buggers could be an indicator of a bigger problem or can cause one, after all they aren’t the cleanest critters. Thanks to their unsavory diets, they carry loads of bacteria, such as salmonella and tuberculosis.
Suddenly find yourself with an unwanted party inside? It’s most likely one of five possibilities. Read on!
Numero Uno: They’ve found a way inside and just keep comin’ (and they don’t stop comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ and the don’t stop comin’…) If you keep your door closed most of the time, the problem area might be one of your windows or vents (also check all screens)
The second possibility is a lot grosser: you’ve got something rotting in Denmark.
So your rig is as secure as Fort Knox, time to go hunting for something else. Even if you’re not etymologically inclined (that is, a huge Bug Nerd) you know flies like to find rotting, decaying, dead stuff to munch on (ew) and they don’t just like to eat it, no, that’s also where they’ll have some adult only time and lay their eggs.
So empty your trash cans, scrub them out of any old food matter, empty your cabinets and hunt down anything past its expiry date, and don’t be afraid to grab the Lysol and give everything a really good scrub. Even an old spill can attack these little buzzers.
Possibility number three, your rig has become a maternity ward. Besides decomposing material, fly eggs also need warmth to thrive. Fly larvae (gag) won’t develop into adults in temperatures lower than 23/24°C (that’s 75°F for any weirdos). Your rig or vehicle make for a perfect breeding ground if you keep it warm consistently, particularly any areas that are also on the more humid side like the bathroom, under the sink, or in any nooks and crannies around larger appliances like your fridge. Check out these areas and watch where the flies seem to congregate the most, it might lead you to the baby ward.
Number 4 (sort of)! They come, they eat, they (redacted) they die. The fly life cycle is only about 15-30 days, so they’ll breed faster than you can get rid of them. Heck, a single fly can spawn an infestation of dozens in a matter of weeks. This means it’s easy for an infestation to get out of hand fast, which is why it’s important to go through steps 1-3 as soon as you begin to notice more flies than makes sense.
Finally, possibility number 5, you’re camping or storing your rig in a fly friendly area. This links back to the rest of the points on this list, trash, spilled food and drink, animal waste, etcetera are all valhalla for flies! If there’s a trash can near you that doesn’t get emptied often, or you haven’t picked up after your dog for a couple days, these can all act as big neon welcome signs for flies.
So your best bet is to keep your yard or lot clean and it’ll make a huge headway into deterring flies from coming near. If you’re noticing a lot of flies in or around your campsite, check with camp staff to help you check for fly ground-zero sources. It may be a case that someone else hasn’t been cleaning up after their pet or a trash can has been left unattended.
Well, now you’ve figured out the source but what should you do if your rig is actually filled with flies? How do you get rid of them, I hear you ask.
Thankfully, we as a species are collectively annoyed by flies: conventional (and cheap) control methods like fly tape, traps, and the good ole’ manual fly swatter are super effective! Place tape and traps around your unit and have a swatter handy.
Bug zappers are also very helpful by luring in bugs with warm and bright UV light and zapping them once they make contact – you can usually find them at home improvement stores or online.
In truly severe cases you may have to break out chemical pesticides. Over-the-counter sprays like Raid are helpful for doors, windows, and other potential entry points in your home. There are even pet-safe insecticides for folks who live with furry friends. Recommend not staying inside the rig after you’ve sprayed these though and leave a window (with screen!) cracked to allow it to air out. Be sure to follow any safety warnings on the packaging.
For pointers on other nasty freeloading gremlins like mice and cockroaches check out our Pets or Pests post.