What Are Those Bugs in Your RV?! Common Pests You Might See in Your Rig

If you’re an RV enthusiast, you know that maintaining your RV is paramount to ensuring it’s longevity and peak performance. But what if you start to see bugs in your RV? What kind of bugs are they? Where are they coming from? And more importantly, how can you get rid of them?

Common RV Pests

To a lot of people, all pests look the same because one pest is just as annoying as the next. But there are different types of bugs that belong to the Insecta class of animals that can invade your rig. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Ants – Just like in a brick and mortar home, ants can invade your RV, seeking out food and water. 
• Mosquitoes – One of the most well known pests, mosquitos breed in standing water and can make camping and outdoor living difficult. The bites of females draw human and animal blood, which provides nourishment for breeding.
• Phorid flies – Also known as sewer flies, phorid flies are bugs that can infest your RV black water holding tank because they breed and are born in decaying filth and waste.
• Fleas, ticks, and bedbugs – Similar to mosquitos in that they feast on human and animal blood, fleas, ticks, and bedbugs can wreak havoc in more dramatic ways when they invade an RV. With the ability to hitch rides on you or your pets, fleas and bedbugs can quickly multiply, and if not addressed early, can result in a very uncomfortable and widespread infestation. Ticks, on the other hand, can burrow into human or animal skin and also pass along the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. 

How to Seal and Protect Your RV from Bugs 

To help prevent insects from taking over your rig, be sure to:

• Keep your interior and exterior spaces clean – Don’t leave out food, clean up spills, and store foods that may be attractants to insects like ants in airtight containers.
• Seal nooks and crannies – Some insects make their way in through tiny holes and cracks in your rig so be sure to seal around windows, doors, and other seams in the body of the RV. Also ensure that window screens have no rips or tears that mosquitoes and other flying pests could get through.
• Regularly flush and sanitize holding tanks – To prevent pest infestations, it’s imperative that you keep holding tanks clean by flushing and sanitizing, especially before storing your rig. In addition, consider using an enzyme-based additive to help break down solid waste.
• Check yourself and pets before entering your RV – After a day of outdoor activity, always check your clothing and body for signs of fleas, ticks, bed bugs, and their bites. Use a flea comb on pets to eliminate any potential fleas and make sure pets are up-to-date on and flea and tick medications. 

Other pests such as mice, can also infiltrate your RV, and knowing how to keep mice out of your RV is just as important as other bug prevention steps you should take to protect your rig. 

Have you ever dealt with a pest infestation in your RV before? What methods did you use to address it? Let us know in the comments or contact us today!