If like me you build most of your RimWorld colonies underground, chances are high you’ve encountered an infestation or two in your time. An insect hive, or a RimWorld infestation, will spawn in any area below an Overhead Mountain within 30 tiles of a colony structure. Yes, this includes a single piece of wall or a wooden door. You’re probably asking yourself, How to fight infestations in RimWorld? Let’s explore your options.
RimWorld Infestations: Tactics and Techniques to Beat the Bugs
Like with some real-world insects, a RimWorld infestation seems futile. If it’s too late and they’re inside your base, seal off one room after filling it with wooden chairs and furniture. This room is your new furnace. It’s important to note that this should be the one room closest to the hive spawn or where a breach occurs.
Now, with your pyre ready, it’s time to light the fuse. You can use Molotov cocktails, grenades, or an incendiary launcher to ignite the wooden furniture and create a homemade furnace that soars into the many hundreds of degrees. To fry a bug, it must be around 200-degrees Celsius.
But you’re not done. It’s time to seal the door using a stone wall to ensure they won’t break through quickly, and the heat doesn’t escape. Now, you can sit back and wait as everything within your once-beautiful base burns to a crisp.
Infestation Spawning Factors to Consider
As previously mentioned, an infestation will spawn underground within 30 miles of any structure in your base. But there are other factors at play. For instance, a well-lit base discourages bug nesting, though not completely. It’s also possible to deter infestation spawns by keeping temperatures under -8 degrees Celsius. At -17 degrees Celsius, the chance of an infestation drops to zero.
Insect-like Behavior Drives the Hive
An infestation consists of insectoids, including Megascarabs, Megaspiders, and Spelopedes that spawn near a hive to defend, attack, and chase unfortunate pawns nearby. These insects, on top of their overly-violent behavior, will also randomly dig at surrounding rock walls to expand the hive center.
The next time you build underground, remember to take precautions now that you know how to fight infestations for yourself. If you’re unlucky enough to encroach upon a newly formed hive, it’s time to light the fires and escape with your life.
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