It can be very frustrating when you suddenly notice a large number of flies buzzing around your house. Flies can spread bacteria and diseases, contaminate food, and be a nuisance. Understanding why you are seeing an increase in flies can help you take the right steps to get rid of them. There are a few key reasons flies may suddenly invade your home.
Warm Weather Allows Flies to Breed Faster
Flies thrive in warm weather. During hot summer months, their life cycle speeds up, allowing populations to rapidly increase. The common house fly only takes about 7-10 days to develop from an egg into an adult in temperatures above 80°F. Cooler temperatures slow down their breeding. So as outdoor temperatures rise in the summer, you’ll notice more flies because they can reproduce faster. Warm conditions also allow them to be active for longer periods of time each day.
Access to Food Sources Around the Home
Flies need food to survive, and they are especially attracted to sugary, fermenting, or decaying materials. If you’ve recently had a backyard barbecue, picnic, or dinner with food outdoors, leftover scraps can draw flies to your property. Pet food bowls, improperly sealed trash cans, ripe fruit from trees, neglected compost piles, and dirty grill or pet areas are other prime food sources for flies around homes. Addressing these food sources by cleaning them up or moving them farther from your house is key to reducing flies.
Gaps or Holes Allowing Flies to Get Indoors
While flies breed outdoors, they can find ways to get into your home to become a nuisance. Small gaps around windows, doors, or ripped screens are perfect entry points for flies. Make sure screens are in good repair and use caulk or weatherstripping to seal any cracks they could use to sneak inside. Inspect around your foundation, attic, and windows thoroughly. Flies only need a tiny opening to gain access.
Nearby Places Flies Breed
Sometimes a large population of flies can seem to appear out of nowhere. But the source is likely nearby breeding areas outside of your home. Places like garbage collection areas, farms with livestock or manure, compost facilities, marshes, or ponds can allow fly populations to explode. If your property is located near any of these, flies may find their way to your home in search of food and shelter. Cooperating with neighbors or local authorities to clean up community fly breeding hotspots can make a difference.
They Are Drawn to Interior Lights
Many types of flies are positively phototactic, meaning they instinctively move toward light. So even if there’s no obvious food or breeding site inside your home, the light shining through windows and doorways at night attracts flies from outside. Make sure exterior lights around doorways are not left on unnecessarily after dark. Using blinds, curtains, or tinted film on windows can also help reduce flies gathering near interior lights.
Preventative Actions to Reduce Flies
Once you identify what is causing the flies to congregate around your home, there are some key things you can do to help prevent future infestations:
| Preventative Action | How it Helps |
|---|---|
| Remove food sources | Eliminates what flies need to survive and breed |
| Seal cracks and holes | Stops flies from entering the home |
| Use air curtains over entrances | Prevents flies from flying inside when doors open |
| Install window screens | Blocks entry points for flies |
| Clean trash and recycling bins | Removes decaying matter that attracts flies |
| Use tight-sealing lids on trash cans | Keeps flies away from food waste |
| Clean pet waste quickly | Prevents maggot development in feces |
| Drain standing water | Takes away breeding sites for flies |
| Keep grass trimmed short | Reduces outdoor resting spaces for flies |
| Use fly traps | Captures adult flies to reduce breeding |
| Apply granular fly bait | Contains insecticide that kills fly larvae |
These proactive measures make your home and yard less hospitable to flies. Consistently performing them throughout fly season gives you the best chance of avoiding large infestations.
Non-Chemical Fly Control Options
Many homeowners want to avoid using harsh chemical insecticides to control flies. Thankfully there are several effective, eco-friendly options:
– Diatomaceous earth – The sharp particles cut insects and cause dehydration. Spread around breeding sites.
– Fly paper – These sticky traps lure adult flies to their doom. Hang several around entryways.
– Fly zappers – Electric devices that kill flies drawn to the ultraviolet light. Position them where flies gather.
– Fly predators – Small wasps or flies that kill house fly eggs and larvae but are harmless to humans. Release them in fly problem areas.
– Bti – A biological larvicide made from a naturally occurring soil bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. It’s toxic to fly larvae but safe for people and pets. Use according to label directions.
– Essential oils – Oils like lemongrass, lavender, and clove repel flies when sprayed in areas they congregate.
– Vinegar or wine traps – Flies are attracted to fermenting solutions. Put some vinegar and dish soap in a bowl to drown flies.
These natural options avoid the need for harsh pesticides while still lowering fly populations. Proper sanitation is also key when sticking to non-chemical methods.
When to Call a Pest Control Professional
In severe fly infestations, you may need to enlist the help of a professional exterminator. They have access to more powerful insecticides and growth regulators that disrupt the fly life cycle. Fogging equipment can spread products into hard to reach breeding spots. They also know the best insecticides to target the specific fly species invading your home.
Signs it’s time to call in a pro include:
– Large numbers of flies present for several weeks after sanitation and home remedies
– Presence of fly larvae around breeding sites
– Flies continuously emerging from wall voids or cracks
– Significant food contamination issues due to flies
– Possible fly breeding sites on shared public property
– Health impacts from fly exposure affecting your family
The extensive experience pest control companies have with stubborn fly problems often makes them more equipped to knock down heavy infestations. Their products and tools will penetrate fly hiding and breeding spots more effectively.
Common Household Flies
There are four types of flies most commonly found intruding in homes:
House Flies
The most prevalent fly pest across the United States. Identified by dull gray coloration with four dark stripes on the thorax. They lay eggs in decaying matter like garbage, manure, and feces. These develop into white larvae and pupae before emerging as adults in 10-21 days.
Fruit Flies
Tiny flies that swarm over ripe, fermenting, or decaying fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. They have yellow-brown bodies and red eyes. Adults live 8-10 days but lay hundreds of eggs. Their life cycle only takes 7-10 days.
Drain Flies
Dark winged flies under 1⁄4 inch long that breed in slimy gunk inside drains, pipes, and sewers. They emerge at night near sinks and tubs. Their lifecycle spans 9-32 days depending on conditions.
Phorid Flies
Small humpbacked flies that reproduce in decaying organic material. Often seen around plumbing leaks, rotting food, or dead animals stuck in wall voids. Life cycle lasts 14-26 days.
Correct identification helps target control methods against the specific fly and its breeding preferences. A pest management professional can identify the species and source if you are unsure.
Conclusion
A fly problem can explode with sudden warm weather, access to food and breeding sites, and openings that allow them indoors. Reducing food sources, sealing entry points, installing screens, setting traps, applying baits, and using natural repellents allows you to gain control over fly infestations without harmful chemicals. But in severe cases, calling a professional exterminator may be required to eradicate the pests and find hidden breeding areas. Taking quick action to figure out why flies are congregating at your home and addressing the causes is key to getting rid of them.
