Bugs

[AKwanderer]

So I was going through my mh, getting it ready for me to full time when I noticed some water up in the bunk area. So I pull out the bed that's up there and I see there is a significant amount of water. So I dry it out for a few days and I notice some little black bugs crawling around on the veneer. I decided to peel up some of the warped veneer and a bunch more started crawling and jumping around. So I was wondering if any of you might know what kind of bug this could be and if a fogger will kill them. They are about the size of a gnat but don't appear to fly much or hadn't grown wings or something. Any suggestions?

[Martind4]

No matter what they are, I'd want them dead, and as soon as possible. Catch one or two in a bottle and find a county extension agent to help you identify what it is.

My guess is that any sprayable insecticide would kill them.

Good luck, hope they didn't do too much damage.

[Ernie n Tara]

I think I'd be worrying about where the water came from, not the bugs. Inferring that this is a Class C, they are infamous for leaking in the area over the cab.
Ernie

[ksg5000]

Whatever you use to clean up the water mess will likely kill the bugs. If it were my rig I would focus on where the water is coming from -- how to plug the leak - how much damage the water intrusion has done - how to mitigate mold issues - how to repair/replace stuff damaged by water. No offense intended - just an opinion.

[AKwanderer]

Alright, so I found the leak was coming from the rear roof and running foreword to the bunk. I ended up putting two coats of rubber roof sealer on and went over every crack and crevice with a some silicone caulk sealer. As for the bugs, turns out they were pretty resistant. What ended up finally killing them was 2 7000 foot fumigators inside, one underneath, and 4 aerosol foggers around the outside in a fairly small shop. Sure I'm going to have to clean for the next week but at least my bugs are gone

[ronspradley]

I am no expert on sealing leaks but if you look around this forum you will not see one thing good said about silicone caulk as a sealer. DICOR, ETERNABOND. And others. What is your roof made of? How far is the leak from where it shows up at the bunk? Different products for different roof types................good luck..............ronspradley

[Blaster 22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronspradley I am no expert on sealing leaks but if you look around this forum you will not see one thing good said about silicone caulk as a sealer. DICOR, ETERNABOND. And others. What is your roof made of? How far is the leak from where it shows up at the bunk? Different products for different roof types................good luck..............ronspradley

I agree that silicone is not good. Find a marine store, their stuff is built to last harsher conditions than we see in our MHs.

[AKwanderer]

Well I may of spoke too soon, after going over some cracks I missed with some caulk I killed about 5 of them. After getting kind of nervous I went right inside, started playing with the seams, and bugs just started pouring out! I'm going to have to get an exterminator or something now.

[BichonLover]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. After you sort out the leak issue, you should have your MH tented and fumigated by a licensed, experienced exterminator.

A friend of mine somehow developed a severe termite infestation in his MH about ten years ago. He had his MH tented and fumigated with Vicane, just like is done with houses. The tent remained on his MH for a full three days and destroyed the termites completely. It also destroyed numerous spiders, ants, and assorted other critters he didn't even know were in there!

[Wayne M]

I'd personally fumigate first, then fix the leaks. With the cracks still there the fumigation process should reach into those cracks. Sealing them may give a temporary relief to the critters until they eat their way out again.

Good luck.