House Flies Unwanted Winter Guests

As the winter nears several insects become scarce. Adult home flies, for instance , die off. Thank goodness for that I hear you say. Just keep in mind though, that home fly eggs live on and are to be found in their larval or pupal step hiding in some dung or in some rubbish somewhere. They can also be laid in warm attics or rafters. House Flies are opportunistic and will lay their eggs anywhere that's a food resource. For example, if a mouse of bird has died in your attic, flies will make use of its rotting corpse as the best host for its young.

If the pupae or larvea were outside they would stay dormant through the cold weather. The trouble with lofts though, is that hot air tends to rise and keep them relatively warm. The eggs will not stay dormant for long. The warmth in the loft will lead to continuing development until the young flies are eventually hatched and, as is their nature, start to rove around searching for food.

They will not go far. In the winter months, the only supply of heat will be the house itself. They could stay trapped in the loft and might die off once all food sources have been exhausted. They may also die off if the house occupants go on vacation and turn off the heating. In several scenarios nonetheless, they will make their way into the living quarters of the home and begin to do their terrible work of landing on and sampling several foodstuffs. The kitchen is one of their favourite spots.

So what might be done to prevent your house (or business, hospital or school) playing host to all these unwanted guests through the winter?

1. Try to plug any gaps in the roof area and other areas in the building to ensure that pests can not invade in the 1st site. You may consider installing Insectocutor house fly screens

2. Regularly check roof spaces along with other rarely habited areas for any dead creatures. As an example check rat traps and the like. Also, clear away any rubbish.

3. Make sure there are no leaks or damp areas. All these can aid infestation.

4. If it is possible, turn off all heating for a limited period. The only practical time you can consider this is if the building is not being used for a while. If you are happening vacation this could be a good time to ensure all heating is switched off. Businesses can use the Christmas break for very much the same purpose. For hospitals this option will not be available obviously.

5. Make use of fly killers. Insectocutor fly killers might be purchased from Arkay Hygiene (see below).

Cluster flies are a specific nuisance. You could need to purchase an Insectocutor SE22 or SE44 fly killer with the catch tray taken out and a large metal container positioned directly underneath it (the normal catch tray wouldn't have the ability to cope with the sheer numbers of cluster flies).

If you have now fly killer machines, don't forget to check them. Arkay Hygiene stock an array of spare parts including a wide uv bulb range, transformers, lamp starters and lamp holders. Do not forget that the ultra violet output of the lamps degrades after a year of highly recommended use. If your lamp is a years old then fit a whole new one.

It's bad sufficient being plagued by flies in summer time. Let's hope you've a rest from them this winter!