Sewer Flies

[Edward Buker]

So this is a new subject and not a good one.... sewer flies.  Last summer we experienced something we had not seen in our years of camping. I did a search when we started having the problem and found it to be a somewhat common occurance. I believe that it was related to being in a campground with a septic type system with tanks that got pumped out regularly, like once a week or so, but maybe not. The problem can also come from another "infected" motorhome. Kind of like the movie Contagion...

What happens is when you go to flush a fly or two might come out and you think you are seeing things. But then it will happen again and the life cycle continues in your holding tank. We finally were finally able to eradicate the problem with chemicals, filling the tank, and running the flushing system repeatedly. It was not easy street to get rid of these pests so it would be better by far to prevent the issue. The flies are attracted to fecal matter from great distances and will go down the vent stack and lay eggs in your tank. The flies develop and then the cycle continues. When there is one in the motorhome flying around you will go on the hunt given where he has just come from...my guess is that they do not wipe their feet.

On my list of things to do this spring is to add screens to both of the tank systems roof vents. If you have the Camco vents with four prongs and the pull caps (one of mine is and I am changing the other out) you can buy screens from Camco which will prevent this issue. Do yourself a favor and buy some screens...

http://www.rvpartscountry.com/4ProngFlyingInsectScreen.html

I'm a little curious if anyone else has run into this or am I just "the lucky one".

Later Ed

[Bill Stireman]

We encountered the problem this year for the first time in Florida.  I took care of the problem by purchasing some very, very fine plastic screening on the internet from an Army Surplus web site.  I wrapped the screen around the sewer vent on the roof and sealed it with duct tape.  Problem solved.  I did not screen the gray water vent as they have no way of getting inside the coach through the drain pipes as long as the traps have water in them.  It was very unpleasant to have those little flies in the coach knowing where they came from.  They liked to crawl through the refrigerator door seals and accumulate at the bottom of the frig.  Ugh.

Bill Stireman
'04 Monterey Laguna
400 HP Cat
'11 GMC Sierra 1500 crew for our tow

[Edward Buker]

I feel your pain....we know these flies cover Vermont to Florida on the eastern shore and I read someone in Texas and Colorado had the issue so I guess they are everywhere. We never leave our drains open except during draining and flushing so I have to believe they most likely come down the vent stack. They are an extra special camping experience when you are hosting guests...

Later Ed

[Keith Moffett Co-Admin]

Same problem in Wa. state as well.
Keith

[Steve Adams]

We all need to get one of these! Fly problem solved!!!!!  http://www.bugasalt.com/

[David T. Richelderfer]

My RV dump into the city sewer system at my house has flies in the Summer.  I didn't see flies when I dumped a few weeks ago.  I grew upon a farm.  I'm pretty sure those flying critters are not sophisticated enough to distinguish between cow poop, horse poop, pig poop, or human poop.  They just go for it.  Ohhh... I take that back.  We had pigs... lots of them.  I think those flies particularly love pig poop better.   lol    And remember, we humans are much like pigs, especially so in the digestive system.  And pigs are as smart as many humans too.

[Richard Cooper]

We all need to get one of these! Fly problem solved!!!!!  http://www.bugasalt.com/

I have an electric fly swatter .....got it on sale for $5 at Walmart.  Looks like a tennis racket and works great.  Press the button and touch the inner screen to the fly, bee, whatever and it electrocutes 'em.  Works great so far.

[Edward Buker]

Liked the bugasalt and the electric flyswatter. I picked up my screens, primed and painted some new Camco vent units and installed them today. One of the old units was brittle and crumbled in my hand. The automotive paint should greatly reduce the sun damage to the plastic. The screens fit very well and are made of stainless steel. Had to dig off the old Dicor, that is never much fun but it is done. Photos if anyone wants to hunt these parts down to prevent hunting down flies. If you have units that look like these it would take just a couple of minutes to incorperate the screens. I had some twist off cap unit on one stackmade by Watco causing me to replace the whole unit.

Later Ed

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Ed,

That should keep the little buggers in the tank. :-)

Larry

[Bill Stireman]

That Camco screen looks too course to keep out those little flies.  We first used noseeum screen sold by Home Depot on our vent but they crawled right through that screen so we got some very, very fine screen online and that did the trick.

Bill Stireman
'04 Monterey Laguna
400 HP Cat

[Edward Buker]

Bill,

These were flies, not gnats. They were just a little smaller than regular house flies and had some green coloration if I remember right. Same you would see on animal fecal matter outdoors...... They would not get through that screen...

Later Ed