Date Posted: July 22, 2021
Category: Flies
Flies may seem harmless, but don’t be fooled. They might just seem like an annoyance with a short lifespan, however, they reproduce in the blink of an eye and are natural spreaders of dangerous diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and salmonellosis. Some flies that are common to the area are:
-
House files: House flies are the most common fly found in American households and tend to buzz around your home looking for a cool place to lay their eggs.
-
Fruit flies: Fruit flies are the type of small flies that you might see in your kitchen, swarming around spills and over ripened fruits.
-
Horse flies: Horse flies are quite large and while less common inside the household, as they prefer bodies of water, they can absolutely find their way inside through cracks in any screens and through worn weather stripping.
How And Why Flies Get Into Your Home
It is shockingly easy for flies to make their way into your home. They are parasitical hitchhikers that latch onto anything from a dog to fruit from the grocery store and breed at rapid rates inside your home, causing a disturbing infestation. That said, flies may also find their way into your Portland home through cracks in your home’s foundation or broken window or door screens.
There is a number of factors that could be attracting flies to your home and depending on the type of fly, that may determine which factor is luring them in. An example of these differences is that while fruit flies are searching for sugary foods like spilled drinks (e.g. soda or juice) and over-ripened foods, while drain flies are looking for high moisture areas like drains themselves. In general, here are some of the common missteps that could actually be causing a huge fly risk for you:
-
Garbage cans left that have not been properly stored and that may be left open.
-
Manure or pet waste that is found around outside your home.
-
Overripe fruit that’s been left out on countertops.
-
Spilled sugary drinks or alcohol, as well as containers and bottles that have been left open.
-
Build-up at the bottom of drains and faucets.
How To Eliminate Attractive Factors
Nothing is more effective at preventing and eliminating an infestation of flies in your Portland home than keeping a hygienic and clean home. This point cannot be stressed enough, as a lack of cleanliness is the main factor that attracts flies and allows them to reproduce in your home. That said, there are a handful of ways that homeowners can mitigate any potential issues:
-
Store trash safely and thoroughly, removing it from your home on a daily basis.
-
Keep all counter spaces clean and clean up after any spills swiftly and thoroughly.
-
Ensure that all weather stripping, screens, and cracks are well maintained and if they are worn, replace them.
-
Planting an indoor garden with greenery like mint, basil, and bay leaf may prove to be a natural repellent. There’s the added benefit of having fresh herbs to cook with, and they smell pretty good to boot!
-
If you have any pets and they have been outside, be sure to check them before entering the home and clean up after any accidents inside the home.
-
Clear yard debris and foliage on a regular basis, as this a key spot where flies like to lay their larvae.
For more fly prevention assistance and for ongoing fly control, contact the professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions today.
