Fly Prevention 101: How to Keep Your Fort Worth Home Fly-Free

Swat! Is that your solution for fly problems? If so, you're not alone. That is how most people deal with flies. Sure, some people get more creative. They buy fly strips, bug zappers, or salt guns to deal with flies, but they all do the same thing. They swat those flies—so to speak. If you don't mind continually swatting flies for the rest of your life, these methods may work for you. But there is a better way to deal with flies in Fort Worth. Join us as we take a simple and informative look at how flies behave, how to naturally deter them, what works to control them, and the best way to keep flies away from your home. If you've had it up to here with flies and you want a fast and effective solution for them in Fort Worth, give us a call. We offer smart and effective solutions for flies—and a long list of other common pests. All-Safe Pest & Termite is a leader in pest control. You'll always get advanced, cutting-edge solutions. With that said, let's get started!

Common Flies Found In Fort Worth Homes

There are all kinds of flies. It isn't possible to cover them all. But we have a few repeat offenders that are worth mentioning. If you know your enemy, you'll have more success when you attempt to control them. Here are the common flies of Fort Worth:

House Flies: These mid-sized flies are gray and have red eyes. They are known for landing on hamburger buns and pestering people while they're trying to enjoy an outdoor cookout. When they get inside, they often end up near window panes because they're drawn to heat and light. The secret to keeping these flies out is to address potential breeding sites near your exterior walls and to keep indoor trash covered (or remove it frequently).

Fruit Flies: These tiny flies enter homes with fruits and vegetables and can create a swarm in your house. Few flies are as annoying as fruit flies, even though they're not the only flies that can create an annoying swarm in your home. A fruit fly is typically brown with red eyes and is much smaller than a house fly. Managing fruits and vegetables will help you prevent an infestation. One tip is to store all produce in your refrigerator or in sealed plastic bins.

Fungus Gnats: These little black flies get mistaken for fruit flies, even though fruit flies are not black. If you're curious whether or not your flies are fungus gnats, check to see if they're hanging out on the leaves of your indoor plants. These flies reproduce in potted soil.

Phorid Flies: These are also little black flies, and it is common for phorid flies also to get misidentified as fruit flies. We hope you don't make that mistake. Phorid flies are dirty insects that are attracted to feces. If you have a pet, it is possible that your pet has done something unsanitary in a hidden location to promote a phorid fly problem. The worst way to address phorid flies is to use fruit fly traps because the traps don't work and the sweet vinegar provides a source of nutrients that will have these pests reproducing like crazy inside your home.

Drain flies: These little flies look a bit like moths. If you have drain flies, you can bet that you have a dirty drain. Covering drains with tape can help you detect which drain contains the breeding site. The flies will stick to the tape as they attempt to exit the drains.

Bottle flies: Often mistaken for house flies, bottle flies are pests that typically hang out around homes that have pets or livestock. They have a colorful metallic sheen. When you take steps to control waste, you'll have a big impact on these flies.

Now that you know a bit about the common flies in our area, it is critical to know how they present a hazard to your health. We won't spend a lot of time, as we're sure you know that flies can make you sick. But they are not equal. 

How A Fly Infestation Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

The worst of all pest flies is likely the bottle fly. The good news is that they have difficulty reproducing indoors and they rarely infest homes. House flies are next on the list. They are associated with at least 65 diseases and sometimes find clever ways to infest indoor spaces. Phorid flies are similar to house flies in their ability to come in contact with unsanitary things but are not quite as adept at making people sick. You should not tolerate any of these flies inside your home.

The flies that get the most press are fruit flies. They are incredibly annoying pests, and we're sure that you'll want to remove fruit flies as soon as possible. But they are not especially harmful to people. A clean home is resistant to disease transmission from fruit flies to humans.

Fungus gnats and drain flies are mostly nuisance flies. While you'll want to get rid of them, you don't need to worry about getting sick as you attempt to figure out what works best to deal with flies.

Six No-Sweat Fly Prevention Tips For Around The House

Now we get to the bread and butter of our discussion. There are many methods you can use to keep your Fort Worth home fly free. When it comes to prevention, you have many options available. Here are six no-sweat fly prevention tips that don't take any sweat to understand, but maybe a little sweat to implement.

1. Clean up waste around your home. Flies that are drawn to animal waste will take notice of dog droppings, livestock waste, rodent waste, and bird waste. Clean up dog waste. Use fencing to keep livestock away from your exterior. Apply rodent prevention to deter and manage rodent pressures. Move bird feeders away from your home or remove them entirely.
2. Address exterior lights. Flies are drawn to light. Entry lights are a particular issue as they lure flies in close to your doors so that they're able to fly indoors when you enter or exit. Replace lights with bulbs that can detect motion, or replace white lights with yellow lights. Insects are unable to detect yellow light and so are not attracted to it.
3. Manage exterior trash and apply sanitation. The scent of garbage attracts flies. Clean up any trash, keep trash in receptacles, cover your trash, and clean receptacles that start to have a foul odor. It also helps to keep trash receptacles well away from exterior doors.
4. Fix screens and apply other exclusions. Flies enter your home because they can. Patch window and door screens. Replace weatherstripping. Alter doors to make sure they seal properly. Apply expanding foam to seal gaps and fill in holes.  
5. Fly traps. Catching flies will not stop an infestation but they are a helpful step in preventing an infestation. Sticky traps provide ongoing surveillance and cull fly populations as flies attempt to get into your home. 
6. Fruit fly prevention. Remove any rotting vegetables or fruit from around the exterior of your home to prevent fruit flies from entering your home. Deter them from hitchhiking into your home and hatching from eggs by storing fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator or sealed containers.

If you're diligent, you can prevent flies from invading your home and finding a breeding site inside your home. But what do you do if you already have flies driving you crazy inside your home? Let's take a look.  

Professional Pest Control Makes For The Best Fly Control

When you want to get rid of flies in your house and keep them gone, contact a home pest control professional. Why? Professional pest control doesn't just address the symptom of your problem, it also addresses the source of your infestation and the conditions that allow for continued infestation. Here's how:

• The symptom of your problem is the continual annoying presence of flies in your home. Can we get rid of them? Yes. We knock down the flies that are currently driving you crazy. We use a range of products to accomplish this and select materials that are appropriate for the specific flies presenting a problem for you.
• We address the source of your infestation. Our technicians find breeding sites and conducive conditions that promote fly reproduction. When these are addressed, you won't continue to have new flies appearing inside your home.
• We address the conditions that allow for continued infestation. It isn't enough to eliminate the flies and address the breeding sites. You need to stop flies from entering your home. Some methods target exterior breeding sites. Some address conditions that attract flies to your home. If you want ongoing fly and pest prevention, a year-round pest control service plan is the way to keep pests out.

Your home is a lot nicer without bugs. If you agree, contact us and ask about our residential pest control service options or visit our residential service page and take a quick look. We have plans tailored to provide coverage for a wide range of pests without breaking your bank account. You don't have to pay for each pest. We combine services strategically. Contact us today to find the best fit for your specific needs. When you need pest control in Fort Worth, All-Safe Pest & Termite is here to help.