Locate the source for successful fly management

Sylvia Kenmuir, BCE, Technical Services Representative, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions

For successful fly management, you may have heard of the “seek out the source” (S.O.S.) strategy. The first part of applying an S.O.S strategy is knowing exactly with which fly species you are dealing. Based on their biology, are they indoor or outdoor breeders? Your inspection, monitoring and management tools should be focused near the breeding site(s):

⦁ Outdoor breeding flies are likely found near areas that have poor sanitation, which can include trash, animal waste or excessive water sources.

⦁ Indoor breeders are likely found near trash containment, food sources, or drains.

An S.O.S strategy is going to lead you to what is contributing to this fly population. If you don’t solve this issue, you’ll continue to see flies because they are extremely efficient breeders. For instance, one house fly can lay up to 150 eggs in a batch, with a lifetime average of five to six batches. They can run through their life cycle in as little as 12 days.

Dealing with the breeding sources that are contributing to fly populations will allow the tools you have selected to work and eliminate the population.