If flies have nested in your living space, they can quickly become a nuisance. Because they lay their eggs in fruit, potatoes, onions or old household waste, the larvae hatch early and after just a few days the flies have spread if care is not taken. Although they do not have a long lifespan, new generations constantly follow because they lay eggs. However, there are some effective remedies that can be used to combat flies, especially blowflies. These are presented and described here.
Definition of blowfly
Blowflies are the type of flies that spend most of their time near animal carcasses, as this is where they increasingly lay their eggs. If there are a lot of blowflies in a certain place, it can be assumed that there is a dead animal, for example a mouse or rat, nearby. The blowfly is between 6 and 12 mm in size and has a metallic blue or green back. But there are also gray or black species. Like all flies, they only have a short lifespan of a few weeks, with the larval stage taking up the longest period of time. The following facts about flies are also important:
- Flies do not care for their brood in any way
- therefore a large number of eggs are laid by one female
- In her short life, a single female produces up to 1000 eggs
- If living conditions are good, they multiply explosively
- are not active outside in winter
If the eggs were laid outside protected from winter, the larvae go into what is known as hibernation, many can survive and are immediately active again when the temperatures first rise and so it can also occur immediately in the first days of spring Fly plagues are coming.
Tip:
If the flies enter the warm living rooms or a loft or a basement in the last warm days and find a place where they can lay their eggs, then they can definitely remain active throughout the winter, if the cause is not found.
Find the cause
Especially when there are an increasing number of blowflies, this indicates a dead animal that could be in the immediate vicinity of the house or even in the house, for example in the basement or an attic. Therefore, in order to remedy this situation, the cause of a large population of the animals must be found. This type of insect is particularly common in rural areas or in areas on the outskirts of cities than in the city center. Because the causes of many blowflies in the apartment can be:
- Carcass of dead mouse or rat
- these can be located in the house
- for example in a drain pipe
- Dead wild animals in the garden also attract flies to lay their eggs
- Food leftovers or compost are usually not the trigger for a population
Tip:
If there are many flies of this type around the house or even in the apartment, then you should start looking. If flies have already settled on a carcass, for example a dead hedgehog, then it also gives off a very unpleasant smell that can be investigated.
Withdraw food base
Even if the blowfly species lays its eggs in the carcasses of dead animals, it still likes to feed on all kinds of food. It is therefore important that they are deprived of their nutritional base. If there is a large population of flies buzzing around the house, the following measures should be taken to prevent the annoying animals from coming into the home and spreading diseases:
- cover all foods
- otherwise the flies will run over it
- can be harmful to your he alth if you consume the food
- wipe away all residues such as crumbs, grease splashes, etc. immediately
- There are also such places under the kitchen appliances
- don't leave dirty dishes out any longer
- Store kitchen waste in closed containers
- Keeping the litter box or rabbit cage clean
- the feces also serve as food for flies
- Protect windows with fly screens
Attach fly screen
If flies regularly enter the living room from outside, then it makes sense to install fly screens, especially on the kitchen window or patio doors. There are various solutions here, so there is something for every budget. Fly screens are, above all, a very biological measure and do not require any chemical treatment. The following fly screens are available in stores:
- Fly blinds or fly frames are stable and practical
- these are often custom-made
- not quite as cheap option
- these can be opened and closed
- cheap kits also available
- The easiest solution is the fly screen curtain
Tip:
The advantage of fly screens on windows and doors is that neither flies nor other insects, such as mosquitoes or wasps, can get into the apartment, even if the window is left wide open for a long time.
Fragrances against blowflies
Flies don't like certain scents and stay away from them. Therefore, if certain fragrances are used specifically, it is possible that the blowflies will avoid this room, for example the kitchen. The following scents are known as remedies against annoying animals:
- Vinegar
- Peppermint oil
- Lavender oil
- let it evaporate in the smoker or on the warm stovetop
- Set up bowls with water and laurel oil in the room
- put plants on the windows or on the balcony
- this includes tomatoes, basil or geraniums
- the flies keep their distance from the outside of the window
- Scented sachets or scented balls
- are filled with lemon, bay berries, juniper berries or lavender
If scent balls or bags or a bowl with water and laurel oil are used or the smoke of peppermint or lavender oil is spread, this also has a pleasant scent effect in our living spaces for us humans. So everyone can find their own, pleasant scent and use it against annoying insects.
Natural enemies
The natural enemies of flies include spiders. Because these are very useful roommates and should not be removed from the living space if they are in a corner where they will not disturb anyone. Even though many people are afraid of spiders, this is absolutely unfounded; the spiders that live in these latitudes do not harm anyone, except perhaps the annoying flies. However, if a large population of flies suddenly appears, spiders cannot help.
Using the fly swatter
Anyone who lives in the country or in a more rural area on the outskirts of town also knows the good old fly swatter. Of course, this is only recommended for individual flies that have found their way into the apartment and in no way fights a larger population. However, if you strategically distribute several fly swatters throughout your living space, you will quickly have one to hand when the annoying blowfly appears.
Tip:
Electric fly swatters are now also available in stores, which kill flies when they come into contact with the electricity generated by a battery, for example in the air. However, if there are small children in the household, the electric fly swatter is not a good solution.
Power grid devices
Electric grid devices are electric traps that are intended to attract pests. These are available in different sizes, but are usually designed to cover an area of around 150 square meters. They are particularly suitable for outdoor use, for example on a terrace. The power grid devices are constructed as follows to achieve an effect:
- Inside the devices there is a lamp with UV light
- this attracts the bluebottles
- there is a grid all around
- this is electrified
- If the insects fly to the light, they have to pass through the grid
- you will receive an electric shock
- they burn up and fall into a drip tray
- very effective, especially with a large population
- other insects, such as mosquitoes, are also attracted
Many of these power grid devices are on the market. However, customers are often disappointed with the result. However, this can also be due to a lack of maintenance, as the fluorescent tube needs to be replaced regularly. If the intensity of the UV light is no longer present, the attractiveness decreases significantly and fewer blowflies are caught. The place where these devices are set up or hung is also important because the light must be able to shine unhindered in order to attract the flies into the trap.
Tip:
These devices should always be hung high enough that people cannot accidentally touch them. And above all, these devices should be hung up to protect them from children.
Adhesive surface devices
The blowflies can also be attracted with sticky traps. However, this is not talking about the unsavory adhesive strips that are often hung in the kitchen or dining room and to which a mass of flies then stick, which everyone can see. The adhesive surface devices use a similar principle to the current grid devices. Here too, the insects are attracted by a UV light, but then get stuck on an adhesive film. Of course, these films need to be replaced regularly.
Tip:
These adhesive surface devices are now available in stores in various modern designs, so that they are hardly noticeable in the home, but the plague of flies can be contained.
Build your own fly trap
It is also quick and easy to build a fly trap yourself and set it up, at least for the first moment when the population of blowflies suddenly and unexpectedly appeared in the apartment. One or more glasses are required for this if there are already a lot of flies in the rooms. The glasses must be clean; there should be no food or drink residue on them, especially on the outside. Then proceed as follows:
- Prepare the vinegar and detergent mixture
- add apple cider vinegar to the container
- then add a few drops of detergent
- Alternatively, sliced apple pieces can be placed in the container
- Cling film is now pulled tightly over the glass
- attach to the neck of the glass with a rubber band
- poke small holes in the foil
- Set up glasses in the rooms
The blowflies are attracted to the smell coming from the jar while they are looking for food. They fly at the glasses and crawl through the holes inside. However, they usually can't find their way out and are trapped in the glass. This should be emptied and repositioned regularly.
Conclusion
It is important to find out the cause of a large population of blowflies. If they occur more often in the apartment, then it is likely that a dead mouse or rat is lying in the basement or attic, for example. But even if there are many of these annoying insects outside, a hedgehog or another small wild animal may have died in the garden. Only when the cause has been eliminated is it worthwhile to combat the existing population with additional means, such as adhesive surface devices, scents or natural enemies, in order to combat them effectively. However, if the cause is quickly removed, the animals that have a short lifespan will stop reproducing and the plague will stop. However, the presented means of combating are all equally suitable for individual flies that find their way into living spaces.
