Moths and Flies

Syd

Not sure where to put this, but here goes...

Our first trip of the year was to one of our favourite lakes, just ended yesterday. Normally, you get some bugs that get in because the screen door opens and closes. No big deal - this is what fly swatters are for. This trip however became the Amityville Trailer!!!

Every evening we (ok...me) would do the bug hunt. We are not worried about those tiny noseeum types because there is not much to do about them, and they are not multitudes. On a typical trip, we might have to swat 2 or 3 flies, maybe chase out a moth. This time at night it was 5+ flies and one night 10+ moths. We had camped last fall at a place where I joked about the amount of flies being horror film quantities. But we only had to get rid of 4 or 5 a night and that was that.

This trip, in the mornings, there were suddenly 10+ flies inside that wanted out as the sun came up. Where did they come from? I have no idea. Our last morning there were at least 10 flies behind the blackout screen in the door window, a screen that was never down (I heard the flies and when I pulled the screen down they startled me). And every morning we would have a handful of moths too. Now I know moths can hide in small places, but flies?

Then last night, after we got home and I went out to close the trailer for the night, there had to be at least 20 to 30 moths all trying to get out. That is a bit extreme.

Has anyone else had this happen?

When we got the trailer, the fire extinguisher was not on the door. There are holes where it was originally located and where someone tried to relocate it in the same place on the door. I should fill those holes, but have yet to do that. This week! Do you guys think that maybe flies might have gotten into those holes? Could explain the flies in the door window?

Mickerly

The holes don't have to be very big. And I recommend using as little light inside the trailer as possible. We covered the outside light by the door with yellow "tail light repair tape" to move the color away form the blue of the LEDs.

Slackers

It may be even worse.  For all the flies inside you could have something dead under a bench or some pocket and these are newly emergent pests. I don't have a theory for the moths. 

Marceline

Have you turned out all soft stuff (blankets sweaters etc) to ensure that the moths aren’t feeding on something in your trailer?

Syd

So it turns out that there is a bit of a moth invasion happening in parts of Alberta. I believe it is because of the slightly drier than normal spring we had. But there have been far fewer moths since we have had a few days of good solid rain.

As for the flies - There are no more flies in the trailer. It has been sitting in our backyard for the last few weeks, and since the Amityville incident while camping, there has hardly been a fly to swat. Again, as with the moths, looks like the dry spring we had.

Thanks for all your replies to my very silly post!

Tabmanic

We keep a couple of these on hand, they work great for the small bugs and mosquitoes!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088X15NM7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

SLJ

Won't help finding the source but we found this little USB rechargeable handheld vacuum works great for getting all the little critters out at night. The short extension without the brush on it allows you to zip right down the ambient light strips behind the panels and keeps the ceiling clean of squashed bugs. https://amzn.to/3Pr2Led

pthomas745

There are always threads about this as the season's warm up and things start flying around.  Back a few years ago, there were bug "brushes" that were to be installed by the window screens.  The screens in the trailers are really cool looking, but...they are not secure in any way.  Many solutions have been brought out: larger "bug nets" over the windows, using various bug sprays.  I use permethrin on my screens.  And, this isn't really the trailer's fault: I don't think I ever camped in any of the fancy tents I used to own that did not have flying things inside.

Here is a search for "Bug fuzz" that has lots of threads with all these sorts of solutions.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bug+fuzz+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=APwXEddxSGBU2AjJ6exllCRv9Nhi-sqg3A:1687720153432&ei=2ZCYZJGEGtX2kPIP-pCVyA8&ved=0ahUKEwjR1ObBj9__AhVVO0QIHXpIBfkQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=bug+fuzz+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQA0oECEEYAVCECFjRMGChOGgEcAB4AIABRogBmwmSAQIyNZgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#ip=1

@Photomom famous No-See-Um Window Screen Tutorial

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/3569/no-see-um-window-screen-tutorial/p1