What Your Fly Infestation May Be Telling You
When homeowners witness flies buzzing around their home their first instinct is to reach for the electric fly swatter or the can o’ bug spray. The reality is that these flies can be House Flies or “filth flies” and are always an indication of a larger problem within the home. Although they are very unsightly nuisance pests they also spread all different types of yuckie bacteria. Hiring a pest management professional is a very good idea when trying to treat your fly problem as the PMP will investigate further as to what the larger problem in your residence may be. The PMP will identify the type of fly which will help them investigate further and lead to the conclusion.
The pest control professional that you hire will first need to perform an inspection. Inspecting the property is important to see where most of the flies are gathered which is key to solving this issue. They should search the house, top to bottom. They will check from the crawlspace to the attic to determine if there are any odors, moisture or anything out of the ordinary that may be attracting the flies.
During this inspection it is important to identify the type of fly. For Example, flesh flies are an appropriately named fly as they love all types of dead rotten flesh. They resemble house flies but have a checkerboard pattern on the top of their abdomen and three black stripes behind their head. These flies are attracted to rotten garbage as well as dying animal carcasses. If you recently have had a rodent extermination and are seeing these flies it could be a strong indication of a rodent dying in a void somewhere in the walls. If not, it could be the left over meat scraps from your last barbecue that are attracting the flies. All areas should be inspected for strong odors to determine where the flies are breeding. As the odor gets stronger you may also notice more flies in that area. Sometimes walls may need to be removed to remove the dead animal or rotten flesh.
Once the breeding location is determined, the attracting condition that is causing the flies should be properly removed. This may include exclusionary services such as screens or mesh to keep flies out of the home. It also may include fixing sweaty or leaky pipes or removal of a dead animal. Since chemical treatments are difficult for flying insects the PCO may want to perform a mechanical insect control program to eliminate the left over flies. The best way is to use a fly trap. A great attractant for these flies is exactly what got them their in the first place. Make sure to do research on the types of flies in your home so you too can learn about them and what may be causing the issue. It could be as simple as an open window!
