Summer Is Coming: Do You Know the #1 Campground Enemy?

It's probably not what you think!

It’s hard to believe summer is just around the bend already. Around this time last year, I was living in my RV in Mexico. I worked hard during the day as a contractor training Google’s AI models, and spent nights and weekends chipping away at my master’s degree.

This feels a world away from my current life in Spain.

It feels almost surreal to have come full circle.

But one vivid memory from camping in the summer is the number one nuisance you will encounter. You probably already have a few good guesses, like bears or snakes. But believe it or not, it’s neither of those.

This nuisance has wings and can chase you into your RV. At this point, you’re probably thinking mosquitoes. They can appear at some campgrounds, but not nearly as often as flies.

Yes, flies are the number one nuisance at campgrounds in the summer!

You might think:

Well okay, Alex. Number one campground enemy???
That’s quite dramatic. It’s not like they bite.

Let me hold your [virtual] hand while I deliver this bad news:

They do!

Not only do these winged demons bite, but they are also responsible for carrying a lot of bacteria and spreading viruses and diseases. There’s nothing worse than having a BBQ only to have the flies descend upon you—and your food!—while you’re trying to eat.

Here’s where the flies hang out.

The good news is that some campgrounds have few flies or none at all. If you know where you are most likely to run into them, though, you can at least prepare for the inevitable:

• Ranches & Farms: If you’re camping on or near agricultural areas, especially ones with horses, you’ll likely encounter flies. The flies love the animal manure, and owners don’t always clean this up. Not surprisingly, many campgrounds don’t allow horses. I noticed that flies around ranches or horses tend to bite!
  👉🏽 Examples: Ranches and farms across Arizona and Wyoming

• Water Bodies: Even in the desert, places with lakes and rivers will often have flies. This is all the more likely if people are allowed to fish in these waters. The flies love the fish guts and scales that people tend to leave on the bank or in nearby trash cans.
  👉🏽 Example: Lake Mead, NV

• Humid Areas or Areas With Monsoon Rains: Humid subtropical areas will often have a lot of flies due to the readily available food. Additionally, places in the desert that get a lot of monsoon rains often have a lot of flies, even without water bodies or ranches around.
  👉🏽 Example: Atlanta, GA & Rio Rancho, NM

The good news is that there are also some places where you are less likely to encounter flies. If you head out into the desert away from lakes or rivers, you’ll usually have fewer issues with these flying demon spawns.

There are also significantly fewer flies the higher you go in altitude. For example, I had no issues with flies while camping at Coconino National Forest in July 2024. I also saw none while in Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Park.

How to get rid of [and avoid] summer flies and mosquitoes.

Over the years, I’ve found solutions that have worked for flies and mosquitoes. They’ve helped me enjoy even the most fly-infested campgrounds, or at least made them bearable enough for me to spend the night and be on my way to better places.

I’ll share these with paid subscribers next week.

See you then!