One thing I absolutely hate is pesky flies dive-bombing my face and arms. I’m sure, you know what I’m talking about. You’re sitting on your patio, just minding your business, and a very determined fly decides your nose and lips are his next bed and breakfast. No matter how many times you swat him he comes back for more. Like Donkey from Shrek, he just won’t take a hint. You start sniffing yourself to see if there’s a reason he wants you. You finally give up and let the fly crawl on you. For about .5 seconds when you remember your mom told you that flies throw up when they land on you – usually after they’ve been crawling on some dog poo. So the swatting turns to slapping. Okay, Stop! Before the neighbors think you’re cray-cray let’s learn what you can do to cut down or eliminate those gross little pests.
Let’s talk basics first. Flies multiply in the summer and start to invade in September. They look for food like rotting meat, spoiled fruit and garbage- Does this remind anyone of the movie Ratatouille? They are also attracted to water from leaky pipes and puddles. In the fall as the temperatures drop they start moving indoors for warmth and safety. They are commonly found in windowsills as well as entry ways and patios areas. With this knowledge (which seals the idea that they are disgusting little creatures) we can take some steps that will reduce some of the fly activity.
One of the very first steps is to clean up trash. We suggest that all garbage cans/pails should have a lid. Clean the garbage cans often, even the outdoor cans dumped by the garbage truck. Eliminating smells and yucky food spills are crucial so there’s nothing for the flies to be attracted to. Look in and out of the house for food or rotting items. Sometimes a dead bird or squirrel in the yard can be a fly magnet. Don’t let meat sit out on your counter to defrost and eat or get rid of fruit as soon as it’s ripe as both are fly favorites. Keep doors shut and window screens in good repair. Unfortunately, weather has a huge impact on fly populations. We still haven’t figured out how to control the weather. But we’re working on it. We’ll be sure to blog about it when we do.
That being said, if you do these steps and still end up with a home invasion, we’ve got your back. Barrier has an indoor fly treatment so you don’t have to slap yourself silly trying to combat the vector of all that is yuck. Call us at 208-463-4533 and we’d love to help take care of them or any other of your pest control needs!
