Flies are disliked by most people. Seeing these pests hovering on or near your food and drinks in your home or outside is an unwelcome sight. Flies, on the other hand, number in the thousands. Some flies are capable of biting, while others are only annoyances. Furthermore, flies have been linked to the transmission of typhoid fever, dysentery, diarrhea, and food poisoning.

 

The house fly, little house fly, blowflies, flesh or latrine flies, fruit flies, and stable flies are all common flies found in and around homes. Bottle fly species are also common in some parts of the United States. Stable flies, unlike other species of nuisance flies, can bite.

 

There are numerous methods for fly control if you have a fly problem, but how to kill flies is not always the same as how to get rid of flies in Chicago.

 

Understand your adversary.

Fly control methods for these pests differ depending on the season. Techniques for removing flies that work in the summer are not always effective when the weather turns cold. Furthermore, opinions on the best ways to get rid of flies differ.

 

The fact that fly populations tend to skyrocket during the summer is consistent. Eliminating fly breeding grounds is one of the most effective methods of fly removal. Here’s how to get rid of flies outside in the summer, according to Philip J. Hamman of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service:

 

“Because flies feed and lay eggs in areas with food odors, such as garbage cans or dog kennels, cleaning these areas eliminates the problem. Control low fly populations by applying a residual insecticide spray to surfaces where flies congregate. Some aerosols fly sprays containing synergized pyrethrin, tetramethrin, or resmethrin are available for quick knockdown and killing of flies but no residual control (also called SBP-1382). These are suitable for quick results and safe use around people, pets, and food before or during picnics and outings. Other flies may be temporarily deterred from the treated area by these insecticides.”

 

In the winter, Hamman recommends properly sealing cracks in your home’s walls or flooring, screening entry points, and considering the use of a fly-repelling spray insecticide. Overwintering flies will seek out entry points so that they can hide in wall voids or attics until the weather warms up.

 

Callers should be screened

The most effective methods for keeping flies out of your home are to clean and maintain outdoor garbage cans and pet foods, as well as to ensure that windows and doors are properly screened. W.S. Crenshaw and F.B. Peairs wrote a fly factsheet for Colorado State University Extension that emphasizes the importance of these methods in fly control. Take note of their slightly different perspective on the use of insecticides, particularly indoors, where they mention insecticide-resistant flies, which is likely why they recommend an integrated attack:

 

“Sanitation practices that eliminate breeding areas are critical to controlling filth-breeding flies like house flies and blowflies. Clean up spilled animal feed and manure and remove or cover garbage. Screening and other exclusion techniques can be effective management tools for a variety of indoor fly issues. To keep flies out of your home, caulk or cover all openings. This should be done before flies enter buildings. Cluster flies, for example, are rarely found indoors until late winter and spring, but they do enter buildings in late August and September. Insecticides should only be used as a supplement to other pest control measures. Insecticide-resistant flies are causing serious problems, and many fly populations are now difficult to control with insecticides. Spot treatments applied to high fly activity areas are the most effective. For example, flies that congregate in dark corners can be kept at bay by applying repellent to these areas. Treat upper stories of building exteriors for cluster flies immediately before the flies move indoors for the winter. Permethrin is the most used insecticide for fly control and is widely available.”

 

To get rid of fruit flies, limit your access to water sources.

Insects, like humans, require water to survive. Reduce the supply of that valuable liquid to avoid fruit flies taking over your bar. Begin by emptying the ice wells at the end of each shift. After the night’s final round of glassware has been cleaned, drain all bar sinks. After draining sinks and wells for the night, thoroughly wipe them down with dry paper towels. Additionally, you should ensure that your drains are cleaned on a nightly basis. Fruit flies will be drawn to your drains by water laced with fruit juices and sweet liquors, where they will feed and breed.

 

Remove the source

A fruit fly infestation is one of the most aggravating fly problems you can have. These flies multiply quickly and can appear to be impossible to get rid of. This is since once inside a home, these flies can reproduce in multiple locations. They are frequently found on or near ripe or rotting fruit, dirty trash cans or recycling bins, under fridges, in garbage disposals, and in drains that do not drain properly. According to Michael F. Potter, an Extension entomologist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, locating the source of the fruit fly problem may require some effort.

 

“Once a structure has been infested with fruit flies, all potential breeding areas must be identified and eradicated. The problem will persist unless the breeding sites are removed or cleaned, regardless of how frequently insecticides are used to control the adults. … Inaccessible potential breeding sites (e.g., garbage disposals and drains) can be inspected overnight by taping a clear plastic food storage bag over the opening. If flies breed in these areas, the adults will emerge and become trapped in the bag. After the source of attraction and breeding has been removed, an aerosol insecticide based on pyrethrum may be used to kill any remaining adult flies in the area.”

 

Prior to using a pesticide or insecticide, fly control methods that employ preventative techniques and breeding ground reduction should always be tried. But, if these methods aren’t working, don’t lose your cool! We’re here to the rescue! One look at the situation by our technicians and flies will run for their lives!

 

Call ATAP Pest Control professionals for assistance in determining the best fly removal method for you and your home. Reach us at (708) 980-0092 to help you deal with those flies!

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