Fly Control Sanitation: The Basics

It may sound simplistic, but, maintaining high sanitation standards remains the most efficient way to address fly control. Consistent tidying up can help get rid of flies like virtually nothing else. But, sometimes strict hygiene is either insufficient or impractical in keeping flies consistently under control.

Keep all outside trash & manure areas clean. Your garbage can lids should feature seat tightly and you should always line them with plastic bags which fold, up and over the top of the can's edge. Keeping garbage in secure plastic bags and garbage cans reduces odors, which attracts less of the egg-laying flies that fuel infestations. If you use a dumpster, pressure spray the dumpster clean at least once a month. Keep both garbage cans and dumpsters as far from housing or stables, etc. as possible.

Eliminate all garbage and manure weekly. House flies need a minimum of 8 days to emerge from the egg, so consistent weekly trash removal helps beat flies to the punch.

Identify and remove all house-fly friendly breeding materials: rotting round bales, loose straw, moist soil containing animal manure, mulch, garbage, leaves and manure. Compost or manure piles that don't get used daily should be covered with black plastic. This increases heat levels, destroying developing fly larvae and keeps odors at a minimum. Don't leave moist pet foods outdoors for more than a day or two. Pick up all fruit that has ripened and fallen to the ground.

Another important step to help get rid of flies is spreading manure and other favorite breeding materials out in an open field. By drying these materials within five days, you circumvent the ability of the House Fly larvae to pupate. The fly cocoon or pupate will not develop properly in a medium that has 40-60% less moisture by weight. This stops the fly from completing its development making this an excellent form of fly control.

Eliminate all road kill or animal remains as quickly as possible, especially during the summer. It only takes 24-48 hours for a carcass to turn into a fly factory. Small animal remains such as dead cats, ground & tree squirrels, rabbits, etc., can generate more than 1,000 Blow Flies when left to decompose by the road. A dead deer can generate tens of thousands of flies. Contact your county road department (Or other government entity.) when confronted with large animal remains, to insure proper and diligent removal.

Fly Traps: Understanding What Works Where.

Attractant Traps

There are a wide variety of fly traps on the market. But, when it comes to flies, traps are only effective when you use the right trap for the right fly. Successful fly eradication requires understanding what attracts or repels the species that are pestering you.

The majority of traps found in feed, hardware & farm stores are for House Flies, the most prevalent of the insect pests. There are a wide variety of popular brands available, with most using the a non poisonous scent to attract the flies. Most of these traps will attract flies from within a 100-150 feet attracting radius.

Sticky Fly Traps

The majority of sticky fly traps can be suspended in barns and stables, given that they don't attract house flies from long distances. While sticky coils and old fashioned fly paper are inexpensive, they're rarely as effective as the newer Sticky Traps, including the Farnam EZ Trap. Keep in mind, when placing sticky traps in a barn, also position them lower than four feet where sun light hits, not in dark areas.

Horse and Deer Fly Traps

Reportedly, the "HorsePal," Horse Fly Trap is most notable for killing Horse, Deer and Yellow Flies as well as Greenheads. When it comes to these larger, biting flies, traps featuring the black ball prove irresistible. Upon realizing that the ball is not, in fact a food source, the flies attempt to move on by flying upward. This puts them within the tent and ultimately, the trap's built-in jar, where they proceed to die from dehydration. While not inexpensive, they are built to last for years and are extremely effective.

Stable Fly Traps

Unlike House Fly Attractant Traps, which utilize odor to seduce flies, Stable Fly traps use visual stimuli to lure Stable Flies. Stable Fly Traps should be placed at least ten feet outside of your barn, in sunnier areas where they are easily spotted by Stable Flies. Place the traps fairly low to the ground, no more than 4 feet high, as this is where Stable Flies hover. For pastures, set them 50 to 100 feet apart, out of reach from your animals. Don't worry about toxicity, these traps are merely sticky.