Summer mornings are inspiring. Waking up and looking out the window to a fresh sunny day in Washington can kick start any day. But unwanted guests might be ruining that view. House flies like to hang out on windowsills, and in these summer months, their numbers can certainly grow. Prosite provides Yakima County pest control to deal with house flies every summer, and we want you to know how to deter them.
Why Do Flies Want To Live In Your Home?
House flies are one of the most abundant everyday insects in the world. They can quickly multiply and find every unsanitary or filthy location as an opportunity to feed. These pests are attracted to:
- Bad sanitation
- Accessible food
- Garbage
- Pet and human feces
- Warmth
If you have holes in your screens, they will find their way in. All it takes is the detection of one fresh pile of trash to coax them. House flies can lay 500 eggs in a three or four-day period, so when one fly gets in, it can quickly become a major concern.
Why Flies May Be Drawn To Your Windowsill
We’ve all seen flies hovering around a windowsill. Most refuse to move, buzzing up and then right back down. There are reasons flies get attracted to windows, and there are also reasons flies get stuck there.
- Temperature: Flies like to come out in the summer because they prefer the heat and humidity. Due to direct sunlight, the windows are most likely the warmest spot in the house.
- Vision: A fly’s vision is in all directions with the help of a complex honeycomb network of light-sensing lenses. However, their ability to see so much is countered by their inability to focus. Transparent glass confuses them and they can’t seem to find a way out from a window.
- Light: Along with their vision, the window itself filters certain light which can disorientate flies. UVA gets through, but UVB rays are deflected, causing unclear signals to fly eyes.
- Cloudy days: On cloudy days, flies land more often. Added to their already discombobulated state at the window, they’ll continually land in the same area more often.
The main draw for flies is the odor of foods, rotting material, or other smells. If you cook, the scent of the food will flow to open windows, which can be the initial reason flies gather there. Cluster flies are a specific type of house fly that like to hang out in groups and land often.
Ways To Deter Indoor Flies
Food, garbage, or unsanitary conditions can attract flies. While their presence doesn’t signify a dirty household, monitoring these factors can prevent a slew of winged insects from partying on your windowsill. Ways to get rid of flies are:
- Make sure you have fresh screens on your windows and doors.
- Seal all cracks around the house exterior.
- Remove, clean, and replace garbage bins frequently.
- Use garbage cans with lids that can seal odors to keep garbage flies out.
- Clean up spills immediately.
- Wash and clean cooking areas promptly.
- Hang a Ziploc bag full of water and two pennies above windows and entryways.
- Actively check for flies in house plants.
Hanging a bag full of water to keep flies away is old but might be effective. Because flies see all around with blurry vision, they will assume the bag full of water is a waterfall. The penny helps them assess the way light is refracting. The thought of falling water makes them avoid flying under it and entering the house.
Filthy Fly Prevention Tactics For Yakima County Residents
Tactics to keep flies out are useful, but sometimes they’ll still find their way into your property. If one gets in, their eggs can propagate an unmanageable swarm of flies. Some people like to immediately turn to insecticides, but these can be more harmful to you than to them. Due to their furtive larval stages, you still might leave key areas untreated and find new flies in the house all of a sudden.
At Prosite, we handle any infestation at any time of the year. We also provide proactive pest control solutions for year-long consistent safety and comfort. Call us today if you are sick of dealing with the flies in your house.