Blow Flies

When huge numbers of flies suddenly appear inside the home, homeowners become very distraught and often don't know what to do. The flies often look somewhat like houseflies, but may be shiny green, blue, bronze or black. These shiny, metallic colored flies are called blow or bottle flies. They congregate around windows and produce a buzzing sound.

Bottle or blow flies lay eggs in decomposing organic matter, like garbage, animal manure, decaying vegetables, grass clippings and poorly managed compost piles. These flies are important in nature in the decay process of animal carcasses and are usually the first insects to arrive—within hours or even minutes—after an animal dies.

When these flies suddenly appear inside, it means one of these disgusting sources is producing flies and should be found.

A few possibilities to chek out -

1 - The first possibility is there is a break in sewer pipes where sewage is seeping beneath the pipe where flies can get to it.

2 - A second possibility is garbage that has not been taken out often enough. During the summertime, flies can lay eggs in meat and vegetable scraps in your trash can and can go through an entire generation in less than a week. When fly maggots finish feeding, they often crawl away and pupate in dark, secluded places. Sometimes these maggots or pupae are seen by homeowners who do not know what they are. Vacuum them and discard the bag. Those missed will emerge later as flies.

3 - A dead animal carcass will produce a flush of flies. One common source is a mouse in a forgotten mouse trap or dead inside the walls after eating mouse poison. A squirrel, bird or racoon that dies in the chimney or attic can be fodder for flies. The bigger the animal, the more flies will be produced, although it is amazing how many flies can develop in even a small animal like a mouse.

These flies are attracted to the light from windows during the day so fly strips are a non-toxic method of capturing them. Of course, there is the handy and traditional flySWATter. It takes a little more work, but many people feel a sense of satisfaction after using it successfully.

For more information give us a call today - Swat Pest Management 812-476-9708