By Dr. Jason Meyers, Market Development Specialist
A pesky fly problem seems to never end. You get rid of the season’s first wave of flies, but another is right there to take its place. It’s a vicious cycle that can only be won if you find a way to prevent each infestation from moving in.
For fly-related problems, the root cause lies in reproduction. Pest management professionals (PMPs) often focus on eradicating the current generation of flies, which temporarily solves the problem. But if you can break the flies’ reproductive cycle — preventing the next generation of flies from maturing and reproducing — you can effectively exterminate the problem for good.
The easiest way to do this is to eliminate the sites where eggs are laid and larvae develop — or at the very least, limit fly access to these areas.
During an inspection, look for these common flies and popular breeding grounds:
• Small fruit fly: ripening fruit, fermenting material, animal waste, garbage, unrinsed recyclables, drains and mops, other decaying organic matter, broken drains
• Phorid fly: moist decaying organic matter, drains, sewer breaks, trash, decayed food under kitchen equipment or in cracks, dung, fungi, decaying plant materials, broken drains
• Bottle fly: dead rodents, birds or other animal carcasses; meat, garbage, animal manure, decaying vegetables, decaying grass clippings and leaves
• House fly: animal waste, garbage, other decaying matter
• Flesh fly: dead rodents, birds or other animal carcasses; decaying meat, garbage, animal manure
Once the breeding sites have been identified, remove or treat these sites using chemical (contact and residual insecticides) or non-chemical (trapping and monitoring) methods. Ensure that all entries into the facility are blocked by screening doors and windows — installing door sweeps, air doors or curtains, and sealing cracks and crevices to prevent more flies from entering the building.
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