Fly Infestation

[Carol_5041131]

We arrived at our van in Cornwall last week and on opening the door we were met with a swarm of huge flies !

When I opened the floor cupboard between the cooker and fridge more flies flew out and on further investigation we found flies in the cupboard and under the cooker.

I am very fastidious about checking that no bugs are in the van whenever we leave it to come home so I am sure that there were none there when we left the van mid July.

As we spent the next 4 hours killing flies both inside the van and in the awning I thought that they were coming out of the two vents behind the cooker and fridge into the awning.

We repeatedly sprayed (after rushing to local shop to get the last can of fly spray) and swatted for the rest of the evening and had a rubbish nights sleep as although the spray isnt toxic it certainly gave us sore throats and headaches. ( we stayed out of the van when sprayed and let it clear through windows).

Has anyone else had this problem ? This was a first for us in 8 years caravanning.

Would getting vent covers for the two outside vents (for when the van is stood up empty) help ?

Any suggestions would help. I found it very unpleasant finding our van full of flies and cleaning all the insides and crockery, cutlery, glassware in case they had had flies on them took up a lot of precious 'down time' hours.

Mollymoo

 

[jewells1]

Hi,

Are you sure there was no fresh food left in the van, something may have got in & died?

The fly lays its eggs on dead meat etc, the eggs hatch into maggots, which turn into ("casters", dormant maggots), these then hatch into flies.

john

 

[Carol_5041131]

Hi John

Yes that was my immediate thought and I argued with my husband on that point - the whole dead thing, maggots etc but we searched the entire van (and I am very fastidious about clearing van out each time we leave it) and I am convinced there was nothing left in the van.

In fact I clean the van inside out when we leave it and it could be put on display for sale it's that clean and shiny. My husband thinks I go too far but it's a thing I have to do ! Same as I clean my house from top to bottom before we go to the van.

We only keep food in two places, the fridge and one overhead cupboard and neither of those had anything in them when we left the van in July. Also no evidence of flies in either of those places when we arrived at the van last week.

When we sprayed inside and shut the door and stood in the awning the awning filled with flies and as I was swatting I felt that they were coming from the vents area into the awning.

There was also no smell of anything dead or decaying when we arrived as I was so convinced that something must have got in and pegged it for the flies to want to force their way into the van in the first place.

Carol

 

[forestgump]

may find somthing later could be small mouse that flys will pick it clean ,hens no smell

could be spilt sugar .i use raid spray

 

[Guest]

My feeling is that the quantity you met suggest that there is sopmething somewhere for them to feed on. It is possible there isa dead mouse or other small mammal behind the fridge, unfortunately removing the fridge is the only sure way to check. Similarly behind the cooker. Once whatever it is has completely been eaten, then the flies will have no further reason to infest your van, although that is not very comforting I admit. Spraying is only likely to have a temporary effect. Similarly blocking the vents will only help while they are in place.

The other suggestion that comes to mind is that have you ever had plants in the van? The compost in many plants is often a breeding ground for types of flies, and they can appear from nowhere. If you are brave, then try a short length of hose poked as far under the fridge/cooker etc and then suck and sniff deeply the end of the hose. If you faint, then you have a problem.

 

[Bigfoot]

We had this many years ago in our old sprite. There was nothing in the van to attract them, they were just massing together to hibernate. When the van warmed up they all came out ...Hundreds of them. I used to put a Vapona block in the van but they've been banned now. If you open all the windows outside you may find many more gathered together between the perspex and the van. Wait 'till it's really cold then brush them or hoover them out. They will get in through the roof lights as well.

Happy Swatting!!!

 

[Dustydog]

These sound like Cluster flies. They are harmless but look far worse as a group than they really are. We've had tehm again recently in the loft . They enter and settle in the top air brick of the roof eave. We use "Raid" spray . Leave it 12 hours , repeat then Dyson them up the next day.

I doubt very much it has anything to do with leaving perishables in the caravan. Just one of natures things .

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[KeithJ]

Carol

This may not be the cause of your problem, but maybe worth mentioning. We had a problem with our waste container a couple of years ago in Spain. The container was empty and it was a very hot day when I set it up on a site. The heat obviously hatched the flies out and they were all over the van, even getting in through closed roof lights. I even complained to the campsite that the pitch they had given me was infested, until I found out where they were coming from!!

I eventually cured it by spraying bleach in the container.

Keith