Discovering source of pests key to eliminating the problem

By Kyle Schmidt

It’s common for windows and doors to be cracked open this time of year, but that means plenty of opportunities for flies to make their way into homes and breed.

In order to prevent this from happening, Dawn Cooperider, CEO and marketing director at Preferred Pest Control, said it’s important to find the source.

“You can keep killing flies, you can keep smacking them,” Cooperider said. “But until you get to the source of the problem, they will keep breeding.”

The source can be many different spots depending on the type of fly. Drain flies, for example, are attracted to bacteria and will stay until the bacteria is eliminated.

“They’re some over-the-counter things that you can buy that have essential oils or different cleaning agents that can help,” Cooperider said. “Most of the products that we use have a biodegradable element in them breaking down that bacteria.”

Other flies, like house flies and cluster flies, can appear simply from cracked window screens or doors opening. Cooperider suggests sealing any of the gaps as well as turning a fan toward the door to prevent them from entering.

Fruit flies, like drain flies, can be tricky. Sealing food and keeping it away is the obvious prevention, but once they are in, a simple DIY trick can help.

“One little thing you can do for a DIY, I like to take apple cider vinegar, pour it in a shallow dish and put Saran wrap around it,” She said. “Poke a few holes in it, and you just set it around the house where you’re seeing those fruit flies.”

The smell of vinegar will attract the flies after a few days. Checking up on plant soil and switching it out can also help prevent gnats.

It’s important to try to get rid of the flies, as some of these bugs can carry E. coli or salmonella.

“They’re over your trash can, they’re outside where the dog goes to the bathroom,” She said. “Then they are coming in and landing on your cheeseburger. So yeah, they can definitely pick up other diseases from those areas and bring them into your kitchen.”