

In Michigan, most of us spend time outdoors during spring and summer Part of being outside is dealing with flies and they can be quite intrusive and annoying. Here are a few tips on how to minimize these frustrating visitors.

Flies are attracted to any decaying organic matter for more than one reason.

Here they can both eat and breed. They are especially fond of fecal material. This provides warmth and nourishment for maggots after hatching. A motivator for scooping promptly after our pooches!

They also go after sugar and non-decaying matter. We certainly know that one when we think about trying to eat outside.

Think about the summer time and eating on our decks, patios, and picnics. They seem to land on our things all the time. Those landings spread pathogens. They also cover their potential food with their digestive juices and saliva.

This is necessary for them to eat because they can’t chew, only drink. It liquefies food that they can then suck up with their proboscis. Many species will bite both humans and animals. They sense us with our breath exhalation, movements, and dark colors. This can become a danger with allergies.

Flies are the most active during the hottest part of the day. That’s because those high temperatures speed up the rate of decomposition. It intensifies the food scents, making them much more attractive.

Keeping this in mind, remove any ripened fruits and vegetables as soon as possible. Remove lawn clippings immediately after mowing to prevent an infestation. If you have compost bins, cover them up. Keep those pests outside by replacing or repairing any torn screens. Also, keep your trash farther from the doorways.

They thrive in moisture for both breeding and nesting. This can be your houseplants, garbage disposal, vases of flowers, and the nasty garbage bins.

You can help the situation by removing dying parts of plants, flushing your disposal often, covering your garbage cans and clean them often. You can also freeze food you plan to throw out, adding it to the garbage can on collection day.

Boy, do they love sugar! Their sense of taste for it is about ten million times stronger than humans. We can use this to our advantage. Here are three ideas for enticing them into some sweetness that they can’t escape from:

Cut a two-liter bottle in half. Add some ripened produce and then cover it with the top portion inverted. Another choice is to add some sugar water to a jar. Cover it with paper shaped into a cone. Finally, fill a glass jar with sugar water. Cover it with plastic wrap held securely by a rubber band, and then poke holes in it. Remember, what goes in, can’t come out!

Hi-Tech Pest Control is Michigan’s #1 bed bug exterminator and is the only Michigan bed bug company to offer a 6-month warranty on all bed bug extermination services! If you think you have been invaded by bed bugs or any other type of pest in your home or business, call Hi-Tech Pest Control. We have been successfully exterminating pests for over 30 years. Call us today for a free inspection!

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