The heat of summer seems to bring out the worst in the insect population, with pesky flies invading your home.
House flies and blow flies share similar life cycles, with both reproducing only in the warmer months. They both look for disgusting places to lay their eggs; house flies prefer animal feces or garbage, while blow flies lean toward the bodies of dead animals. In seven to 14 days, these eggs can complete the life cycle through larva and pupa to adult. When the eggs were laid in or near your house, they often fly around inside to seek food and a place to lay more eggs. The most likely place for house flies to lay eggs inside your home is in your garbage can. Blow flies likely come from animals such as squirrels and mice that die inside your walls, under your crawl space or near your home’s foundation, although they also breed in animal feces.
Control
Many insecticides aren’t effective against flies because they breed so quickly; the eggs hatch shortly after you kill the existing adults. Instead, try sticky fly strips to catch the adults. Placing them near windows or light sources works best. Fly swatters also are effective, but disinfect the area where you smashed the fly to ensure no nasty bacteria is left behind. Screening all windows and closing exterior doors quickly can help keep flies out. The flies will disappear when cold weather hits, but house flies might leave eggs to overwinter and invade your house next summer.
Cool Remedy:
Use citronella oil to keep away from flies and other insects. The citronella grass has the property of keeping the insects away with a pleasant fragrance.
