6 Tips on Flies in the Home

Flies are annoying enough outside, but when they get into your house and buzz around all day long, landing on food and counters, they become a serious nuisance as well as a health concern. House flies can transmit diseases, which they spread by picking up pathogens on their legs after landing on feces or rotting organic matter, and then landing on food or surfaces in your home. Yuck.

Some of these may be common sense, but here are some tips on keeping your home fly free this summer:

1) Don't keep food out on the counter. Whenever possible, keep leftover food in sealed containers, and place food in the refrigerator or cabinets. Be sure to wash dishes and glasses in a timely matter, as flies love your leftovers. Drink containers like wine glasses, beer bottles, and soda cans are typical at summer gatherings, and flies are attracted to the sweet aroma. Be sure to clean up empty bottles and cans as frequently as possible to reduce the number of flies around. Meat, fruit, and sweets are some especially important foods to keep covered, as flies are attracted to their scents.

2) Take out the trash regularly. Besides it being good hygiene for you and your family, flies love nasty, dirty, rotting material, so an old trash bag is their Disneyland. Keep the trash bins away from the house, so that you don't get a curious fly that leaves the trash to explore in your house. Always use a covered trashcan, tightly secured, and a bag for easy removal.

3) Don't leave standing water. Whether it's the trashcan lid after a rainfall or a backed-up sink in the bathroom, it's a natural breeding ground for flies. Keep an eye on areas you know accumulate water and drain them as frequently as possible to reduce the number of flies around.

4) Ensure windows and doors are secure. Be sure to keep your windows and doors closed and check for rips in mesh window screens or imperfect seals on doors.

5) Use outdoor lighting away from doors. Flies and other insects are attracted to lights and will hang out there all night long. Once a door opens up, it's easy for them to fly in, as they are literally already on your doorstep.

6) Remove uneaten pet food. Flies don't discriminate between human food and pet food. Be sure to keep an eye on your pet's food bowl and clean it out frequently.

For more solutions, see Jeffers' selection of Home & Yard Insect Control Products. If you have a fly control question, please give one of our experts a call at 1-800-533-3377 and we will do our best to help you find a solution to your problem!