Don’t mess with Texans, right? Frisco residents have always been a tough, hardworking bunch. Most of us have bigger fish to fry than to worry about flies in our homes. After all, houseflies are just an annoying inconvenience. They aren’t actual cause for concern… are they?
Why Fly Prevention Is Crucial
The common house fly might only be 7 mm in length, but the problems they can cause are disproportionate to their small size. Flies aren’t just a nuisance, they’re a health hazard. Next time you see a fly buzzing around in your home, try to count how many surfaces it lands on as you’re chasing it with your flyswatter. Then compare how many of those surfaces you touch or prepare food on. Consider that house flies spend most of their time around garbage bags, landfills, sewers, and dumpsters and that they can carry and spread serious diseases like salmonella, typhoid fever, E. coli, and more. Still think they’re just a “nuisance?”
Six Ways To Prevent Flies (And Avoid A Serious Health Hazard)
If you think you’re at risk of incurring a fly infestation, there are a few ways you may be able to repel and/or remove them. However, knowing the signs of a fly infestation is the first step. A few common signs that you may have a fly problem (other than seeing flies) are maggots (baby flies) in old food/garbage, along with small clusters of black spots. And house flies almost always leave a collection of droppings in places like light fittings and upper corners of the walls. If you notice these signs, here are a few things you can try to help solve the problem on your own.
- Secure entry points: Flies will find gaps in weather stripping on the sides and bottoms of doors as well as holes that may be on window screens or screened-in porches. Make sure weather stripping and screens are present and in good condition.
- Food and Trash Storage: Keeping all trash sealed up in bags and storing all food properly will deter flies that are looking for an easy source of food.
- Pet Waste Management: When flies are attracted to your yard by pet waste buildup, they’re more likely to find a way inside. Try to dispose of pet waste every two or three days.
- Eucalyptus Oil: Hanging ribbons and strips of cloth with eucalyptus oil on them around the outside of the house will deter fly activity.
- Ziploc Water Bags: Filling Ziploc bags full of water and hanging them around the outside of the house will also deter fly activity. They see their reflection in the bags and think there are too many flies in the area.
Vinegar Fly Trap: Combine apple cider vinegar (about an inch in a bowl) with a tablespoon of sugar and dish soap. Cover this with plastic wrap and poke holes to allow the flies in. They will be attracted to the concoction but will be trapped very easily.
*Pro Tip: If a fly lands near you, within swatting range, remember that house flies fly backward a centimeter or two upon takeoff before they move forward. So, if you’re going to swat, aim for the butt.
Guaranteed Protection
Home remedies are great. Creating a vinegar fly trap sounds like fun, while the Ziploc bag thing might be an interesting experiment. However, flies in the house are too serious an issue to rely on fun ideas and maybes. If there’s a real threat to the health of your family, do you really want to mess around?
The only way to get guaranteed protection against house flies is to enlist top-notch professional pest control services. And All-Safe Pest & Termite Services are top-notch! We’ve been serving the Frisco community for years with friendly customer service, expert technicians, and affordable service packages. Feel free to give us a call if you’re concerned about a potential fly infestation in your house.