Flies are the worst. They buzz, they swarm and they fly in your face. They emit filth and they appear out of
seemingly nowhere. As soon as one fly leaves or is killed another one is sure to show up to bother and annoy.
There are over 1,800 fly species (including the nefarious tsetse fly) and many flies bite, sting and carry disease.
This article deals with the common black house fly. It’s main crime is the act of annoyance. Luckily, you can get
rid of house flies rather easily.
Clean Up
A good strategy to eliminate flies is to find out where they eat and where they breed. Flies
eat and breed in the same place -- garbage, waste and organic matter. Flies love to eat and
lay eggs in moist, rotting foods like beef, chicken and fruits. Make an inspection of all your
garbage cans to make sure they are tightly sealed and that no organic matter has leaked out
or dropped to the bottom. Keeping your trash tightly sealed and disposing of it on a regular
basis are key if you are to get rid of flies.
Hey, Close the Door!
Remember what your mother used to tell you? Shut your doors. Not only will closed doors
keep flies away, but you will save on utility bills.
Batten Down the Hatches
Screens and open doors are the main sources of entry to your house. Unlike other insects
that need to eat through wood, crawl under your siding or burrow into your foundation, flies
waltz right in as though they were invited guests. Screen holes can be easily repaired with
screen repair kits available at any hardware store.
No Poop For You!
One of the great legends of getting-rid-or-flies methodologist
fame is the story of hanging baggies half filled with water.
Supposedly, hanging bags of water near entry ways will
disorient and frighten flies because of their motion and light
reflections. No formal studies have been done but the theory
is that hanging bags of water give flies the “willies.” Of course,
are you really going to hang bags of water around your house
in an effort to get rid of flies? Maybe you will. Probably not,
but we really wanted add to the myth.
Get Rid of Flies
Flytraps
If you’ve never seen a flytrap, let me tell
you – it’s pretty disgusting. After a few
days use, a successful fly trap is covered
with dead and soon-to-be-dead flies. That
should tell you something. Fly traps work.
You can make your own flytraps by soaking
strips of paper in syrup, letting them dry,
and then hanging them in your house.
However, commercially available fly traps
do a better job and are very inexpensive.
Water Baggies
Flies love nothing more that pet poop, so clean up after
your pet poops!
You Can Get Rid of Flies
Flies are bothersome and annoying pests that want to suck your blood, sting and perhaps bite you. Flies are attracted to
rotting waste, so tightly seal all your trash cans and regularly remove your garbage. Check all your windows for broken
screens and remember to keep your doors closed. Fly traps are a very effective, yet somewhat gross, method to get rid of
flies. Baggies filled with water and hung near your doors supposedly work as well. Clean up after you pet to eliminate an
enticing fly meal. DEET and citronella based products are effective guards against flies landing on your body. Good luck in
your campaign against the house fly!
Insect Repellents
Although flies eat and breed in trash, what they really want is you! Flies suck your
blood and will make every effort to land on you. Insect repellents containing DEET are
an effective way to keep flies off your body. DEET is a proven repellent that is relative
safe. You may want to use 100% DEET products in heavily infested fly areas. If you
don’t like the feel or smell of DEET, citronella based products like Skin So Soft also work.
The good old-fashioned fly swatter hasn’
t changed design in years. Much more
effective than newspapers and magazine,
the fly swatter is good clean sport. Flies
have an uncanny perception of air
currents and nearby movements, so a
good swatting technique is required to be
a successful fly swatist. Unfortunately,
this is a skill that can only be attained
after years of practice.
The Old Standby
Sites and Blogs about Flies
There are excellent products available online. Amazon offers a
comprehensive list of brand name products at inexpensive cost in their Home
and Garden Store. They even have a special section for Pest Control. Amazon
is the largest online purveyor of pest control products.
You Can Get Rid of Flies
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