Bugs and Little Openings

[NS Canuck]

So far, I've only camped in Camp Driveway where bugs are not an issue. However, I've noticed a number of spots where velcro and flaps don't close completely. In addition, the mesh on the new PUP will not be small enough to stop those little tiny black ones that bite like the devil (we call them "no see 'ems in Nova Scotia). Not much I can do about the screens, but there are spots where blackflies and mosquitos can get in. Is there any way to seal that up or is it an issue?

[wavery]

So far, I've only camped in Camp Driveway where bugs are not an issue. However, I've noticed a number of spots where velcro and flaps don't close completely. In addition, the mesh on the new PUP will not be small enough to stop those little tiny black ones that bite like the devil (we call them "no see 'ems in Nova Scotia). Not much I can do about the screens, but there are spots where blackflies and mosquitos can get in. Is there any way to seal that up or is it an issue?

It's a HUGE issue for me.....

I HATE BUGS!!!!!

Having said that :p .....duct tape works wonders for sealing up most of those little cracks, especially around the door.

My God man......move to California.....we don't have those little "no see 'ems". I hate those things......did I tell you......
I HATE BUGS!!!!!
I almost got eaten alive by those things in Fiordland, New Zealand. Haven't been able to stand bugs since. Especially those things.....

BTW.....WELCOME TO PUT!!!!!!

[austinado16]

Does spraying the screens and gapped areas with "Off" help any?  Otherwise, I'll have a mosquito coil burning in the sink!

[trumpet87]

I HATE those little openings. There are many that can be fixed permanently with caulking, etc. and some that will have to have something new put on for each campout.
I woke up one morning last fall when we owned a 99 Coleman Mesa and there were YELLOWJACKETS, and I'm talking 8-10, flying around the top of our bunk (just ours, not in the kids bunk, thank goodness). They were crawling all over the canvas roof over our bed and some were flying. I liked to s*** my pants!!! I don't know where they got in, but there was a nest of them somewhere real close to our camper. Went and told the S.P. manager and they came out and sprayed all the holes in the ground that looked like a possible nest. I will NEVER camp in the fall again without having those little crevices sealed up!!!  :yikes:

[flyfisherman]

My Starcraft has some velcro attachments, like at all four corners where the the tenting meets the bottom hard section of the camper and on each side of the door. Had to replace some velcro strips that lost their adhession to the metal. So, first order of business when setting up in bug season is make certain all the velcro attachments are made and the canvas at all four corners are zippered closed. There was quite a discussion here on this board some time back on the merits of safety pinning one of those laundry anti-static trips onto the screen of the camper door that seems to help shoo flies & skeeters when the door is opened and closed. But try as you may, there seems to always be a certain amount of pests that find their way inside. Since I spend a lot of camping time down by the riverside, mosquitos at night (and flies by day) are a way of life. Along about dusk, while still doing outside activities, I'll give the interior of the PU a few sprays of a Glade insecticide that I found to be effective and pleasant to use. By bedtime the noticeable effects of the spray are gone and so are the pesky insects.

Of course, those of us over here on the eastern seaboard are little tougher to such things as compared to some of our western wimpy counterparts ~ don't want to mention any names and everybody knows I don't mean to cause any trouble or anything ....



Fly