Getting Rid of House Flies

The House Fly is gray to grayish-black in color, and about 1/6 to 1/4 inch in length. The female is usually larger than the male. When it is not feeding, the House fly can be found resting on ceilings, walls, and floors during daylight hours. At night, House flies rest mainly on ceilings and electric cords within 15 feet of a daytime feeding source.

There are 3 basic steps to getting rid of house flies:

Step 1) Sanitation and Elimination of Breeding Sources

Sanitation is key to house fly control. You can use all the sprays and traps in the world to get rid of house flies, but you must eliminate the breeding/feeding sources of the pest in order to completely eliminate the pest.

• Keep trash in a receptacle with a tight-fitting lid
• Clean trash receptacles regularly and always use plastic liners
• Promptly dispose of rotting produce
• Inspect areas under and behind appliances for hidden food spills that may be attracting the flies
• Clean under floor mats regularly

You will find that fewer House flies and fewer pests in general will find their way into your home if you will only make it more difficult for them to enter.

• Doors leading to the outside should be equipped with self-closing devices or a screen door.
• Keep window and door screens in good repair, without tears or holes.
• Make sure that all doors fit tightly within their frames, with intact weather-stripping.
• Any cracks or gaps around windows and doors should be caulked.
  
  

Step 3) Chemical Methods for House Fly Control (Pesticides)

Fly Traps & Bait

Catchmaster Goldstick Fly Traps -Catchmaster Gold Sticks are long tubes with a sticky glue and fly pheromone attractant for capturing and killing house flies and other nuisance flies. Catchmaster gold sticks come in a patented "clean access" perforated box that is easy to use and handle.

Maxforce Granular Fly Bait bait kills flies in about 60 seconds, and keeps controlling them for up to 30 days.

Liquid Residual Treatments

Spray surfaces around windows and doors where flies have been seen resting or trying to enter structures with a wettable powder such as Cynoff WP. Repeat treatment once a month to maintain residual. Where visible residues are of concern, Talstar One is a highly effective alternative to Cynoff WP.

Contact Aerosols & Space Sprays

It may take several weeks for sanitation measures and other methods of House Fly control to achieve complete elimination. In the meantime, a contact aerosol or a space spray may be used for quick kill of flying adults present in the surrounding area. Microcare is one example of an appropriate space spray for House Flies and other small flying pests. Apply Microcare according to the product label.

1) Close all windows and doors and direct fog upward at a rate of 5 to 8 seconds per 1,000 cubic feet. Disperse in all locations.

2) Keep area closed for at least 15 minutes. Do not remain in treated area.

3) Repeat application as necessary, but not more than once every 7 days.

View our entire line of Fly Control products, including fly bait, fly traps, and fly lights.


Related Articles:
Getting Rid of Flies
Fly Light Traps
Fly Baits
Fly Spray
Sticky Pheromone Fly Traps
Indoor Fly Control
Outdoor Fly Control
Natural Fly Control