Keeping The Flies Out Of Your Home And The Windows Open

The Dangers of Flies in Your Home

Flies are a common problem and something you expect in the warmer months. However, it’s not just that flies are a significant annoyance; they also carry disease. Every time flies land on your plate, you must consider all the other surfaces they walk through.

It’s not uncommon for a fly to land on a pile of feces, dine on a deceased animal on the side of the road, or land on the nastiest things they can find. Since they’re drawn to this moist and rotting environment, the number of bacteria in these areas is high. Before you shoo away that fly and continue with your meal, it’s time to learn some scientific facts.

Flies often love to buzz around fecal matter in a field, and they’re not picky about whether it comes from a horse, cow, or dog. The body absorbs the nutrients from the food eaten, and anything that’s not digested is discarded as waste. Animals, just like humans, have natural bacteria within their gut that aid in the digestion process.

Escherichia coli

Bacteria such as Escherichia coli live naturally in the digestive system. Did you know a fly can transfer things like E. coli from animal feces to your dinner plate? You can become seriously sick because you have no idea what bacteria is on their legs.

Since fecal matter is often sticky and hard to remove, the remnants of where a fly has been usually leave fragments on their legs, making you sick. It’s estimated that there are over 65 diseases that a fly can carry and give to humans. These diseases, some of which can be severe, include:

• Conjunctivitis – Often called pink eye, bacteria causes this inflammation of the inner eyelid.
• Food Poisoning – Bacteria in food can cause a person to experience vomiting, diarrhea, fever, general malaise, and a lack of appetite.
• Salmonella—This common and treatable condition causes dehydration, diarrhea, fever, nausea, severe stomach cramps, and vomiting. While it can make you very sick, it’s important to remember that it is treatable.

These are just three significant diseases they carry, but 62 others can make you just as sick, if not sicker than these. It’s essential to keep the flies at bay when you open the windows and doors in your home.

Thinking back to some horrible sicknesses in your life, is it possible that contaminated food or a pesky little fly was involved? It’s hard to tell, but it’s a risk you can’t ignore.

Taking Preventative Measures

To keep flies out of your home, you must remove what attracts them. Removing anything they can eat is the key to keeping flying insects out of your space. While leaving the dishes in the sink overnight might seem insignificant, the excess food on these plates can attract flies and other pests.

Insects often have heightened senses, and this is true for the fly. Did you know that they can smell food from miles away? Studies have proven they can detect a food source more than 6 miles from their location. There are some specifics, as it depends on the type of food and the scent molecules it emits.

However, they can undoubtedly smell those dirty dishes and leftover food particles in your sink when they are in your general vicinity.

Consider things like:

• Keeping Your Trash Cans Covered – By keeping your trash covered, you’re not just containing the smells but also keeping bugs at bay. Remember to take out the trash when it’s packed to prevent the growth of bacteria. This simple step can make a significant difference in your pest control efforts.
• Cleaning Up Spills Immediately – Spills are inevitable, but the key is to act fast. By wiping up spills quickly, you’re not just cleaning up a mess but also preventing the strong scents that can attract insects. This proactive approach can significantly reduce the chances of a pest infestation in your home and flies buzzing around.
• Keep Drains Clean and Dry – Your drains are another problematic area that attracts flies. Drain flies are a huge problem in the summer, so you must keep covers over the drains and run sufficient water through them to wash away any food particles. This is especially true if you use a garbage disposal.

Remember that preventative measures help to ensure there are no issues. While it’s not foolproof, it significantly reduces the chances you’ll have a problem with insects and bugs.

Creating Physical Barriers

One of the most effective ways to keep flies out is by using physical barriers. If you’re going to have the windows open, you must ensure you have correctly fitted screens. A single fly only needs a small gap to squeeze inside.

Once a female fly enters your home, she can lay over 500 eggs quickly. Imagine you will have maggots and abundant flies all over your house within a few weeks. It’s easy to see how things can quickly get out of hand.

If you already have screens in your windows, ensure they are free of holes or tears. While replacing the screen is the best choice when there’s damage, there are kits that can temporarily patch them. Over time, the material used in screens will dry rot from the elements, and you will need to replace it.

Protecting Doors

Another good way to keep flies from sneaking in is to use door sweeps. Doors naturally have gaps under them, but door sweeps ensure that there’s a barrier that inhibits their entry. Additionally, it’s wise to have a screen door as a fly only needs a fraction of a second to buzz into your space.

Even if you don’t have a screen door, inexpensive magnetic ones that are easy to install can be utilized during the warmer months.

Using Nature to Combat Nature

Natural repellents are a reassuring way to keep flies away without using harsh chemicals that can pollute the air and harm your lungs. With the effectiveness of essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint, why wouldn’t you choose something environmentally safe?

Did you know that many natural oils are known to impact flies directly? Remember that these tiny insects have an incredible scent of smell. So, while lavender might smell pleasant to you, to the fly, it’s pungent and to be avoided at all costs.

The beauty of using essential oils is their simplicity. Choose the scent and create a simple spray by mixing a few drops with water. Anyone can do this straightforward process, and the spray can be used around windows and doors or currently troubled areas in your home.

If mixing sprays is not your thing, try the plant version of these deterrents. Just grab a lavender or eucalyptus plant and put it near your home’s openings to help with any potential fly issue. Other plants to consider are basil, mint, and marigolds, as flies detest these smells and will go the other way.

Using DIY Fly Traps

DIY fly traps are one way to keep flies from taking over your home. These traps are effective and inexpensive and will do the job in most instances. Remember that these will be of little effect if you have an infestation and flies by the dozens, but they can take care of a small number of these insects.

The most popular trick is to fill a Mason jar half-full of vinegar of any kind. Most people prefer the apple cider variety due to its sweet and tangy taste, which is extra yummy for flies. Next, get a piece of paper, create a cone shape, and then tape it to hold.

Put the cone-shaped paper into the jar without touching the liquid. Now, you sit back and wait for your trap to work. The flies will smell the vinegar, enter the dome of death you’ve created, and they will be unable to escape. While flies can undoubtedly make their way into the jar easily, their legs won’t be able to grip the side of the jar to come back out.

Eventually, the flies will drown in the substance, and there will be one less buzzing insect terrorizing your home. You may find dozens of flies in your jar just sitting it out overnight. A little tip is to put a light near the DIY trap, as they’re naturally attracted to light, and the illumination and vinegar are irresistible.

Turning to Technological Solutions

Some folks like to be more technological with their approach to pest control. When it comes to flies, you can certainly use technology to take care of your problem. Using some of these gadgets may be entertaining.

Electric fly swatters came out a few years ago, and they’ve been a go-to in the southern states, where muggy climates create plenty of fly problems. The fly can’t escape these as quickly as a traditional plastic swatter, so they allow you to have better accuracy in your hunt.

Zap

Using a bug zapper is another fun, entertaining way to watch flies leave or avoid your home. Would you believe these devices have been out for decades, but they’ve recently made a huge comeback? A fly can’t help but be attracted to light, which is the way that many devices get them.

The bug zapper is plugged into an electrical outlet. The fly goes toward the light and into the electrified cage. You’ll hear a snapping noise once they hit the live wires within this unit. Placing these units near the entrance to your home or where you’re hanging out in the great outdoors can significantly reduce the number of flying insects around you.

The good news is that these zappers don’t just work on flies; they will also get mosquitoes, bees, moths, or anything that dares to come near the light. Bug zappers come in all shapes and sizes and can be hung in a tree or stand. The key is that they need to be close to an electrical source, as you don’t want extension cords all over your home and yard, as it’s a safety hazard.

The pest control market is constantly changing, and new products are being invented daily to help combat insects like flies. If you live near a farm, woods, lake, or another hotspot, it’s best to keep up-to-date on these products to make your life in rural America easier.

Enjoying a Fly-Free Home

Using a combination of preventative measures, physical barriers, natural repellents, and technological solutions allows you to keep flies out of your home while enjoying fresh air. By implementing a few of these strategies, you can create a fly-free environment and enjoy the benefits of opening your windows and enjoying the breeze from Mother Nature.

However, if you find that regardless of your strategies, the flies won’t stop coming, then it’s time to call in pest control professionals. There’s often a reason so many flies are hovering in your home. It could be because of a rodent problem or something difficult to see. An expert set of eyes with experience can mean everything to a buzzing insect issue and your peace of mind.

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