Shoo, Fly! Don’t bother me! During the Summer and early Fall, flies are a nuisance to you, your guests, your pets, and livestock. There are tons of tips and tricks to getting rid of these pests including home remedies and products made specifically for fly control. Find out how to get flies out of your home or barn and keep them out.
The Importance of Fly Control
No one enjoys having a fly (or flies) buzzing around them while they eat or try to relax. Annoyance is only one reason to control those pests. Flies are linked to the spread of typhoid fever, dysentery, diarrhea, and food poisoning.
For livestock, flies can be a serious problem as well. Profits from livestock farming can be lost from:
- Increased body temperature from tail twitching, shaking, rubbing, and increased grouping
- Decreased feed quality and quantity
- Transmission of diseases such as mastitis, bacterial scours, and pink eye
- Nutrients diverted to replace blood loss from biting
Know Your Enemy
If you know what flies eat and drink, you can prevent a fly infestation. Below are different types of flies and their feeding habits.
House Flies
- Overripe fruit and vegetables
- Animal feces
- Sugary substances
Fruit Flies
- Liquids: beer, wine, cider, vinegar
- Fruits: bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples, tomatoes, mustard pickles, potatoes, etc.
- Sugary substances: candy, fruity drinks, etc.
Blow Flies
- Fresh or decaying meat
- Animal carcasses
Recommended Fly Control Products
At Rural King, we understand that flies can not only be a pest but a serious problem for your business and livestock. We carry many products designed to repel flies and kill the ones that try to hang around your home or farm.
Fly Sticks – Simply hang these up in a room or patio for quick and easy fly control. They give off no vapors, contain no chemicals, and the glue lasts for months. A downside I’ve found with these is I seem to run into them all the time. Make sure you set them up in a location where you won’t have to worry about ducking your head.
Rescue TrapStik (available in stores NOW) – These things are AMAZING. The company, Rescue, updated their design on this product and it works like a champ! We placed some of these in our livestock department, and as you can see from the picture on the right, they do a fantastic job of catching those pesky flies.
Reusable Attractant Traps – These traps can sometimes be hit or miss. The attractant you use is very important to the success of these traps. One that has some amazing reviews is the Captivator Fly Trap. The smell is known to be slightly unpleasant, but place this next to a trashcan or near the barn door and you will see swarms of flies caught in your trap. These traps are also reusable, so no need to keep buying traps over and over.
For more fly prevention products, visit a local Rural King store or check out our great selection on Ruralking.com!
Fly Prevention Tips
Using traps in conjunction with fly prevention will greatly improve fly control in your home and around your farm. Below are a few tips you can use each day to make your home less attractive to flies.
- Keep windows and doors closed
- Use fly screens on windows and screen doors, especially around kitchen and waste areas
- Make sure all food is covered as much as possible. This includes livestock and pet food
- Clean up all food and drink spills when they happen
- Put lids on all your trash and compost bins
- Clean up after your pets and livestock. Remove feces around your yard and farm
- Keep your drains and garbage disposal clean
- Do not leave standing water such as kiddy pools, bird baths, watering cans, etc.
- If you have a pond, add fish that will eat the flies and their larvae
Have any more fly control tips? Share them with us in the comment section below.
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