Flies, and What to Do About Them?
The weather is warmer, garbage is picked up bi-weekly, organics are in the bin, and all offer a recipe for flies! Flies can ruin a picnic, or dinner on the deck, fruit flies are an annoyance, but most alarming, flies carry diseases wherever they land.
Here are some ways for you and your tenants to work together to control flies in your rental property and their home!
Little Background About Flies
The life of a fly: eggs, larvae (referred to as maggots), pupae, adult. The adult fly’s only purpose is to mate and lay eggs, so this phase is very short-lived. Flies mate quickly and efficiently, leading to larger reproduction abilities in the insect kingdom.
A female will often lay eggs in the soil, debris, or another area. The eggs hatch and become maggots and once having enough nutrients, they pupate.
The shell of the pupa is hard, so when the adult fly is ready to emerge, it puts a bubble around its head to help it work its way out of the shell.
There are over 1,000,000 species of flies and only documented evidence of 125,000. A lot of room to go in studying flies. And with so many flies, it can make fly control hard to maintain and control.
Did you know flies are pollinators too? But while some flies help pollinate, most are pests to crops and gardens, spreading illness and disease.
So now that we know a little bit more about the fly, how do we AVOID creating a welcoming place for them or controlling them?
Fly Treatment
Treatment is needed whenever flies are found in your home or around the garbage! Flies can lay eggs in different areas throughout your home, so if you have flies, identification of the fly area is important and then the treatment method (fly control) is next.
It is a good practice for multi-unit homes and apartments to ensure the trash is in a secure area and bags and bins are sealed. Regular treatment of trash areas is also advised because flies can reproduce quickly and become a nuisance. Flies are attracted to the smell of trash and intensify the smell.
Flies often lay their eggs in or right next to a food source so as soon as the eggs hatch they eat and grow before you even know you have a problem.
In Your Home
Common house pests like house flies and bottle flies can be a real nuisance. These pests are often attracted to light and windows so, therefore, can hide in wall voids or other hard-to-locate areas and can make DIY pest control hard. If you or your tenants can not bring the problem under control consider speaking with a pest control company. They can perform indoor treatments that also include a sanitary measures. Exterior sprays also target these pests seasonally so they don’t make their home in your homes.
Be on the lookout for other pest activity, as some folks experience mice and flies together, flies congregate wherever there is a food source, and so do other pests.
Since flies carry illness and disease, it is important to maintain fly control in your home.
Drains – Fruit Flies
The perfect breeding ground for fruit flies! To help ensure your drains don’t become breeding grounds it is important not to leave bits of food or sugar in the sink after washing dishes. Not only can those pieces clog the drain, but they can also cause dirt and grime to build up, which can attract fruit flies. There are special drain gels available that are formulated to kill fruit fly eggs and larvae. You can also use standard drain cleaners as a preventative measure to keep your drains fruit fly-free.
It is important to treat flies, fruit flies, drain flies, and any other flying bugs or flying insects quickly so it doesn’t affect your health or your business.
Additional Tips Reminders For Fly Control & Fly Prevention
- Clean up after your dog to make sure flies don’t lay eggs in feces
- Keep your kitchen tidy of spills
- Store your food in air-tight containers in a pantry, cupboard, or refrigerator, accordingly
- Be on the lookout for other pest activities that could lead to a fly infestation
- Make sure there are no little entry points on the outside of your home where flies could sneak in
- Keep a laundry vent cover
- Periodically check exterior openings where you have cables coming into your home (air conditioning lines, cable lines, telephone wires, etc.)
If you find yourself with an out-of-control fly problem, don’t hesitate to contact a professional pest control company. Keeping your property void of flies is imperative and especially important during the summer months if you are showing a unit. It is a testament to you as a landlord and the importance you put on your tenant’s health and overall cleanliness.