If there’s one pest you can count on to be zipping around during picnics, barbecues, and other outdoor events, it’s flies. House flies and green bottle flies can be enough of a nuisance when they stay outside where they belong. But what about if they make it into your home? Suddenly they aren’t just annoying. They’re a problem that has to be addressed.

 It’s no secret that flies seem to be attracted to things that have stronger scents. They don’t discriminate against things that humans find foul or fair. They can be found buzzing around a burger or hovering over smelly trash. Neither would surprise anyone. You can deal with this through strict sanitation methods. If you have pets, make sure you clean up after them promptly. Keep fitted lids on garbage cans, both indoors and outside. Remove food products that have expired as soon as possible.

Sanitation helps control smells that might attract them into your home, but it’s only part of the equation. The other part is preventing them from getting into your house in the first place. Make sure your windows and doors close tightly. Watch out for cracks around them that could let flies in and caulk them up when you find them. 

Once a fly has made its way into your home, your biggest concern is likely how to get it out. You can try sticky fly strips or aerosol insecticides. A handy fly swatter could even be enough to do the trick with patience and a bit of luck. These solutions may be helpful if you don’t have a major fly problem. You could also try repelling them with smells they don’t like, such as cinnamon, lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint. If that isn’t enough to get rid of them, however, you may need to seek help from a professional pest control company like Proterra Pest Control.

Green bottle flies and house flies are exceptionally annoying, especially when they get in your house. Keep them from buzzing around your home and getting into your food this summer with carefully implemented sanitation and prevention measures. There’s only so much you can do to keep them from being a nuisance when you’re out and about, but you deserve to be able to keep them out of your home.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You get more flies with honey than vinegar”? Click here to read about Proterra Pest Control’s practical take on this old saying.