Are you seeing green or blue metallic flies buzzing around inside your Portland home? Those pretty flies are called blow flies. But, aside from their bright and shiny coloration, there is nothing pretty about them. These flies can spread many diseases, and they are usually a warning sign of a serious problem. Here's what you should know about blow flies in Portland.
Habitat
Blow flies don't do well inside Portland homes. These insects feed on decaying organic matter and they lay their eggs in it. The smell of decaying organic matter is repulsive. You're not likely to let a breeding site remain in your home unless it is in a place that is helping to conceal the smell. Most of the time, breeding sites are on the outside of a home, and these flies find a way inside.
Why Blow Flies Are A Warning Sign
If you're seeing lots of these flies in your home, you might have a dead animal inside your home. When mice, rats, bats, squirrels, and other animals get into your wall voids or attic spaces, there is a chance that they can die in these locations. When they do, their rotting carcasses will put off a scent that flies can detect from quite a distance. If you have a wildlife infestation, you should take steps to correct it.
Why Blow Flies Are Bad
When blow flies get into your home, they can expose you to many diseases. There are several reasons.
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Blow flies lay their eggs in rotting organic matter. Long before these flies take to the air, they are exposed to bacteria that can make you sick.
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Blow flies feed on feces and ingest microorganisms that are harmful to you.
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Blow flies regurgitate their stomach contents when they eat. They do this to dissolve the food with their stomach acid. If they decide to eat something you're eating, you can be exposed to disease-causing organisms. Fortunately, your food is not nearly as appetizing to them as something rotting in your trash. But there is a downside to this. Before they walk around on your food, they could have been walking around in your trash.
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Blow flies feed on the open wounds of livestock, wildlife, and pets. This is just one more way they come in contact with harmful organisms.
How To Get Rid Of Blow Flies
When these flies start getting inside, you may turn to over-the-counter fly control products, such as fly traps. Be aware that these don't arrest a fly infestation. They just work to reduce the fly population. You need to find the breeding site and stop the infestation at its source.
A common breeding site for blow flies is trash bins. If you forget to put your trash bins out to the curb, you can start to have a fly problem. This is because these flies are attracted by the smell. It is smart to disinfect your bins after missing your weekly trash pick up. Also, make sure you don't have any open trash around your home. Here are a few more common breeding sites for blow flies:
Compost. If your compost is improperly mixed, it will have a smell. If it has a smell, you can bet blow flies will be drawn to it.
Fertilizer. This unpleasant-smelling material may be great for plants, but it isn't great if you don't want blow flies around.
Droppings. If you have a dog, your dog could draw blow flies to your home by leaving droppings in your yard. If you have a horse that leaves manure on the ground, you'll have even more trouble than a pet owner.
Food. Putting food outside can be a source of blow fly infestation. Decaying food on a dirty pet dish or livestock trough is a strong attractant.
How To Keep Blow Flies Out
Once you've considered exterior attractants and breeding sites, do an inspection of your exterior and look for potential entry points. Damaged window and door screens should be repaired. Fix any gaps in the weatherstripping around your doors, and only keep your doors open long enough to go in and out. Blow flies can easily fly into your home when you go in and out.
Are You Having Trouble With Blow Flies In Portland?
Big Blue Bug Solutions is always available to help you get control of pests in Portland. If you're dealing with blow flies, we can find where they are breeding. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.
