Help! There Are So Many Flies Hanging Around My Frisco Home

Flies come in many shapes and sizes. They also come in many numbers. If you have a swarm of tiny black flies in your home, you know what we mean. But, while a swarm of flies is annoying, tiny flies that grow into a swarm in your house aren't nearly as bad as house flies or bottle flies. Join us as we answer the question, "Why do I have so many flies?" We'll look at common flies, how to identify flies, health concerns, and factors that attract flies to your home. We'll also tell you the most important fact of all: how to get rid of flies. If you want immediate assistance, our pest professionals are happy to help. Jump over to our contact page and request a service visit. We'll send someone over to take a look at your fly problem and give you advice on what options are available. All-Safe Pest & Termite offers advanced solutions for pest control in Frisco. When you have pest questions, we have the answers.

Types Of Flies Commonly Found In Frisco Homes

There are a few common types of flies in our region of the country. Each is somewhat unique. Let's start by looking at them, considering how they differ in appearance, and what you can expect when they invade your home.   

House Flies: These are grey flies that buzz around in kitchens and hang out near windows. It is likely you know what a house fly looks like because they are very common. If you have house flies, you'll likely only have one every once in a while. If you have lots of house flies, it is likely that you have conducive conditions for reproduction near the exterior of your home. House flies have a hard time reproducing inside homes. They require rotting organic matter. If you remove your kitchen trash weekly and clean your drains, it is doubtful that these insects are reproducing inside. 

Bottle Flies: These are metallic-colored flies. They are similar to house flies. They don't typically reproduce inside. You're not likely to have lots of these flies in your home unless you have live stock in your yard. 

Fruit Flies: These are tiny tan flies with red eyes. They are common kitchen pests, but they don't typically come from the outdoors. They are more likely to hitch a ride into your home on produce. If you start seeing fruit flies everywhere, the first step is to put fruits and vegetables away and guard your kitchen trash. These are locations where fruit flies lay their eggs.

Fungus Gnats: These are tiny black flies that can create a swarm in your home. They are typically brought into homes with potted plants or they find their way indoors from screened porches with potted plants.

Phorid Flies: These little flies can be confused with fruit flies and fungus gnats. You may think they're fruit flies because they create a swarm and can hang out in your kitchen. You may think they're fungus gnats because they're black. We hope you properly identify phorid flies; they are the worst of the three! These tiny black flies are attracted to human and animal waste.     

Drain Flies: These flies look like tiny moths. If you see them in your home, apply tape over your drains and see if you catch any. When you find them stuck to the underside of the tape (that is the drain side), you will know you have drain flies in that drain. The next step is to eliminate them. 

There are others worth mentioning but these are the most common flies in our Frisco service area. Most are garbage flies, and you should keep them out of your home at all costs. Let's take a quick look at a few reasons why.  

How Dangerous Is It To Have Flies In My Home?

It is not commonly understood, but house flies are able to spread 65 diseases. Yes, you read that correctly. When you have house flies in your home, they can make you sick in many ways. Most are stomach ailments. Some are similar to food poisoning. Some have more severe symptoms.

Bottle flies and phorid flies are next in terms of health concerns. These flies come in contact with very unsanitary things inside and around your home.

Fruit flies and drain flies are similar. While you can get sick from having these flies in your home, it is generally mild. The worst issue is that they're going to drive you crazy with their sheer numbers. 

The best flies to have in your home are fungus gnats. They're similar to cluster flies in that they are a low health concern. These are soil flies. If you see little flies in your plants, take heart. Those tiny flies on your plants present little threat to you. They're just going to drive you a bit batty; that's all.       

Factors That Attract Flies To Your House

Flies that come into your yard are typically attracted by a limited number of factors. You have control over some of these factors. Let's take a look at these attractants and some of the clever ways you can stop fly problems before they begin.

Flies are attracted to light. If you keep a light on in your entryway, you increase the chances that a fly will zip right into your home when you open your door. We recommend installing motion-sensitive bulbs or fixtures in entryways, so lights come on only when you need them.

Many flies are attracted to decaying organic matter. A stinky trash receptacle is sure to catch the attention of flies. There are a few ways to address this issue. First, get your trash to the curb weekly. Trash that sits can make your receptacle stink. Second, don't over fill your receptacles. Doing so will prevent the lid from maintaining a proper seal. Lastly, position trash receptacles well away from exterior doors to prevent flies from zipping into your home or garage when you open the door.

Many flies are attracted to animal waste. If you have a dog that leaves waste in the yard, clean-up is essential. The same is true of any animal. If you have birds, wildlife, or livestock, their waste can invite fly problems.

When you address the factors that make flies come near to your home, and alter conditions that bring them close to exterior doors, you're well on your way to keeping flies out of your home. Along with addressing attractants, also consider exclusions, such as replacing weatherstripping, filling in rotted wood holes, and repairing damaged screens. Remove all entry points those tiny flies can use to get into your home.    

How To Completely Get Rid Of Flies In Your House

There are many ways to deal with flies. You're probably aware of many of them. A common go-to method for fly control is to hang up fly paper. Some people use other forms of sticky traps. Some Frisco residents use salt guns to dispatch the flies in their homes in true cowboy fashion. But all of these methods attack the symptom, not the source. If you want to completely get rid of flies in your home, you need to address your fly problem in two ways:

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  Remove access to potential breeding areas. This includes taking care of sanitation inside your home, trash management indoors and outdoors, drain cleaning, repairing plumbing issues, cleaning up organic debris in your landscaping, etc. These methods make it hard for flies to reproduce near your home—or worse, inside your home. 
• Seal potential entry points. We discussed how to do this. A caulking gun, some expanding foam, a screen repair kit, and some mortar are the tools for this job. Fill in gaps and voids. Patch the tiniest of holes. Replace exterior door seals that aren't creating a good seal all the way around your doors.

If you don't want to have to deal with flies on your own, or you want the best fly control possible, professional assistance is the way to go. A professional will perform an inspection and consider the factors that are allowing flies to infest your home. These factors are addressed. If control materials are needed, your pest management professional has many tools available. Once the flies are eliminated, your pest professional can continue to provide support. Year-round pest control service comes with routine liquid treatments applied to the exterior of your home. These barrier treatments make it hard for insects to live near your home. When they can live near your home, fewer of them will find their way indoors.

Want to learn more about year-round pest control in Frisco? We want to have the conversation with you. Contact All-Safe Pest & Termite today and ask about Safe Select Pest Control and Protection Plus Pest & Termite Control. These packages are designed to give you the most value for your money and the greatest level of protection from a host of common pests in our area, including flies.