Meet the Pest
Nothing seems too offensive about a fly… at first. They don’t sting and they buzz away pretty quickly with a swat of the hand. The problem with flies is the absolute disgust factor. Flies come from maggots – tiny, flesh-colored worms that breed off of all things rotting. Flies are found near garbage and dog dirt, and without fail, they land on your food or drink, bringing with them every microscopic germ they stepped on.
Flies are distinguished from other types of aeronautical pests by their single set of wings. From the point of being an egg to growing into adulthood, the common housefly takes just 12-14 days, with an expected life of 15-30 days. The warmer the climate, the better the breeding ground for a fly. A fly is bred from an egg, followed by a larvae stage as a maggot, and then the pupal stage. After that, it develops into an adult fly, with the ability to carry over 100 types of diseases that can infect animals as well as humans.
Bed & Breakfast
Flies are generally drawn to rotted food and plant life combined with a warm environment. Garbage cans, dishes laying in the sink, and plates with leftover food that never
made it to the sink are great sources of food for flies. Flies invite themselves to outside barbecues and picnics largely because they are constantly seeking another source of rotting animals or plants. The fact that your diet soda smells nothing like rotting weeds or an animal carcass only lends to the annoyance factor surrounding the seemingly low intelligence level of a fly.
Unfortunately, the next time you notice a fly taking a nibble of fruit salad or a swig of diet cola, you can be assured that it is leaving behind no less than any of the over 100 diseases that they have been known to carry. And before you attempt to crush the living daylights out of it, remember that the only thing worse than a live fly on your food is a dead one.
Quit Bugging Me
One way to quickly reduce your exposure to flies is to reduce their breeding opportunities. By following a few tips, you can exterminate your immediate fly population:
- There’s a reason fly swatters were invented, but being able to kill a fly with one is tougher than it looks. You will also need to pick up some sanitizing wipes to clean up the mess if you happen to get lucky enough to nail down an unsuspecting fly.
- Invest in a UV light that is commonly known as a bug zapper. There are indoor and outdoor versions, depending on where your primary fly issue exists.
- Place sticky fly paper strategically. These hanging pieces of tape can appear unsightly if you are planning to host a party, but they can do the trick for immediate issues.
- Move garbage containers away from entry areas to your home.
- If you are a pet owner, pick up the dog dirt piles stacking up in the backyard, placing the remnants in a plastic bag that can be sealed before tossing it into the garbage can.
The hotter and more humid the climate, the faster a fly farm will expand. Pest control for flies can be a difficult issue if a homeowner is not aware of the source of their flies. The garbage is a quick and easy target, but if there is some uncertainty of the fly breeding source, consulting an exterminator may be the only option.
Good Riddance
Fly swatting is a great option if you have a lot of energy, but if you never remove the source of the fly breeding, you will always have a fly problem. By changing some household habits, you can easily implement do-it-yourself pest control measures:
- Completely rinse and clean soda cans, food cans and other containers heading for the recycle bin
- Toss food garbage into sealed bags and store in your freezer until it is closer to your designated garbage pick-up day
- Take your kitchen garbage bags out as often as possible
- Empty the garbage disposal frequently
- Switch your pet food from canned to dry food
- Utilize plastic garbage containers that have lids that can be sealed
- Seal entry points such as holes in window or door screens
There are also insecticides designed specifically for flies. These products are often toxic and are generally not something you want to spray regularly inside your home; however, they are effective for initial elimination of a fly population in conjunction with making some of the household changes that will reduce house fly breeding grounds.
Summary
At one point or another, we are all victims to pesky flies and all their germs. Knowing how to get rid of flies and what method will work best depends on where your flies are concentrated. By taking just a few precautions, it is easy to make your home less inviting to a fly population.