What Can You Do to Fend Off Flies?

If you see flies in your facility, don’t turn a blind eye. These filthy pests not only disgust customers but can also contaminate food and other surfaces and cause illness. Our free, comprehensive guide to Flies & Fly Control Strategy breaks down the top concerns for the flies that are the biggest threat to your business. Usually, flies are a symptom of a larger sanitation or maintenance problem, so it’s important to identify the source and take measures to help treat and prevent an infestation.

Because flies pose a constant threat, managing them requires an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy focused on the following:

• Inspection: Inspecting inside and outside the building can help you uncover what might be attracting flies as well as evidence of fly larvae and adult fly activity. Monitoring stocked food items in food-handling facilities and maintaining drains and pipes in any building can also help reduce conditions that are prime for flies to survive.

• Mechanical Controls: Positioning wall-mounted Insect Light Traps (ILTs) near entrances and using fly traps in areas like cafeterias and refuse collection points can help trap flies that are already in your building. Make sure you take the type of fly into consideration when you position a trap, as some flies stay low to the ground while others fly higher.

• Exclusion: To keep flies from getting inside your building, caulk cracks and crevices, seal all doors and windows, and create a positive air flow. Employee training can also go a long way in developing strategies for keeping this filthy pest outside.

• Sanitation: Routine cleaning can help reduce the attractants and odors that keep flies around. Place exterior dumpsters as far away from the building as possible and clean drains with a biological drain cleaner to remove buildup.

Work with your pest management provider to identify areas and conditions that are most likely to attract flies and allow access to your building. Once you have determined potential sources of the problem, you can create a fly control plan that treats existing flies and helps prevent a future infestation.

Don’t want your bottom line to be harmed by flies? Download our free, comprehensive guide to Flies & Fly Control Strategy to learn everything that you need to know.