Get rid of House Flies during winter season

It is reported that the house fly (Musca domestica) has been in existence for 65 million years despite persistent attempts to eradicate them. House flies, though ubiquitously found in most homes and public places, are not biting insects and do not sting humans or other living beings.

But the fact that they do not sting or bite does not make them completely harmless. House flies carry pathogens and can therefore cause diseases of various types. Many may not be aware that a female house fly can lay as many as 500 eggs in few batches and the eggs are hatched within a day. Adult flies emerge from the pupae and generally live for a period of 2-4 weeks. During winter months, flies survive as larvae or pupae in a warm location.

The one assured way to curb the fly population during winter season is not to openly leave decomposing organic matter. For this, it is necessary to isolate garbage cans and position them as far away from your home as possible. You should also ensure that other organic substances like animal poop do not pile up in and around your yard. Spoiled food or food remnants should be cast aside immediately denying the flies access to it.

Flies are far too small and frail and therefore can get into your home through very small openings. The onus is on you to block all holes around windows and doors and other places. You can use a sealant to plug all possible holes. Take care to inspect your roof eaves for cracks, holes, or other entry gaps and make sure to check ventilation holes to keep flies out.

One recent innovation is the ultra violet ray traps as flies have a tendency to get attracted to the UV rays and once trapped inside, they will be zapped. The traps should be strategically positioned at about 30 feet apart. The usual baits used in these traps include molasses, sugar, fruit, and meat.

Strictly speaking, the use of insecticides against house flies can be avoided except in extreme cases when you are constantly afflicted with plague-like swarms of flies. Even then, the spraying of insecticides can be best left to professionals who will use permethrin or diclorvos where flies converge.

The release of a parasitoid wasp amongst swarm of flies is an effective though rarely used technique inside homes. But the practice is rampantly resorted to in outdoors like large farms where enormous piles of rubbish and manure make ideal grounds for flies to breed. In fact, wasps are terribly effective as they find flies in the pupal state and instantly kill them by stinging. Adult wasps destroy fly populations in a big way as they kill any fly pupa they come across.

Instead of finding out ways and means of killing seemingly innocuous house flies, it is better to take meaningful steps to prevent their breeding. It is common knowledge that flies are attracted to filth and flies breed in unhealthy places.

So the one important step all responsible householders must do is to keep their homes and surroundings clean at all times. By thoroughly cleaning the house including all bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining area and drains at regular intervals will be quite purposeful in denying flies their breeding grounds.