The best way to control house flies is to understand what attracts them to
your house in the first place. In a home setting, they're probably most
attracted to kitchen waste (especially sugar and fermenting vegetables)
as well as feces.
Pretty gross, right? It doesn’t end there. When a fly lands on your
dinner (or your pet’s feast), it can also be dropping off some pathogen it
picked up from the garbage or some other source of filth. Meaning you or your
pet could get sick.
Bottom line, flies are unsanitary and it's important to take steps to
keep them out of your house.
How to keep flies away
Repair points of entry. Check
windows and doors, and fix any gaps or screen holes that could grant flies easy
entry.
Regular clean up. Clean up
crumbs, food remnants and spills from counters, floors and tabletops as soon as
possible. Make it a practice to limit eating to the kitchen and dining
areas.
Take care of the trash. Store
kitchen waste and pet waste in a tightly fitted garbage can. Before taking out
the trash, keep it packed in tightly closed plastic bags.
Trapping flies
If you still get unwanted visitors buzzing around, try one of these trapping
methods before you call a pest control company.
Insect light trap: In addition to flies, these also catch mosquitoes.
Since they are drawn to the light, you’ll have to be smart about where you hang
it, or you’ll have extra (and unwanted) visitors swarming around you as well as
the light. Keep away from windows and doors, and, if using outdoors, hang
it in an out-of-the-way place.
Fly paper or ribbon: This is paper coated with a sweet and
sticky substance that attracts and entraps the flying pests. Once you’ve
gathered a few, these can be dropped in the trash. These are available at
hardware stores and other retailers, or you can try homemade flypaper.
Bait traps: These are containers that hold an attractant
and are designed to make it difficult for flies and other unwanted insects to
find an escape route. Disposable traps offer a hands-off method to catch and
dispose of flies, without mess or cleanup.
Next: Keep termites out and know the sure
signs of an infestation
