How To Get Rid Of House Flies?

The housefly, or the common housefly, belongs to the dipetra family of insects. Insects belonging to the dipetra (from two Greek roots: di = two, pteron = wing) family are characterized by two wings and it distinguishes them from other species of flying insects. The scientific name of the housefly is Musca doemstica. It is said that 90% of all flies which are found in human habitation are houseflies. Identifying what attract flies is the first step towards controlling them.

A common thing that attracts them is dirt. Yes, a house which is not clean is bound to attract a lot of flies. So the first step towards getting rid of houseflies is to clean the house. Make sure that all the surfaces are mopped off and dried. There are special chemicals available in the market for different surfaces; for example, there are toilet cleaners, floor cleaners, glass cleaners, wood cleaners etc. Their way of functioning is identical, but they differ in their dilution. Keep the surfaces clean and you will notice lesser flies.

The second thing that attracts flies are organic materials like meat, sweets etc. Flies eat decomposing organic matter, so don’t leave them naked. Keep garbage bins sealed and keep them as far away as possible from your home. Excrements of pets should be washed away as soon as possible. Spoiled food needs to be disposed of in the garbage bins.

There is also a military style way to keep out the flies. Check for holes and caveats in and around your windows and doors. Once identified, patch all of them. There are special sealants available in the market for this purpose. Ventilation holes can be screened to keep the flies out.

No technique is fool proof. If some flies still manage to enter your premises, then there is a second layer of protection that can be used. These are called ‘fly traps’ and they vary in size and effectiveness. You can chose the one which best serves your needs. Flies are attracted to ultraviolet rays among other things so a source of UV rays can be put inside the trap and it would act as bait. There are more common baits which include: sugar, fruit and meat. Commercial fly baits usually use chemical substances, called pheromones, to attract flies.

Another military style way is to engage with them in a direct battle! Yes, I’m talking about insecticides. Although, using toxic chemicals in your home is never a good idea but sometime one has to resort to it, especially when the above mentioned techniques prove incapable of keep a swarm of flies out of your home. In that case, insecticides are the only way. Consulting a professional is advisable in this case. Chemicals like permethrin or diclorvos are generally used for these purposes.

Kill the enemy before it takes its first move! Houseflies breed like anything and this creates difficulties in controlling them. So stop them from producing children and there will be a drastic reduction in their numbers.

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