Fight blowflies in the home

If flies have nested in the living rooms, they can quickly become a nuisance. Because they lay their eggs in fruit, potatoes, onions or old household waste, the larvae hatch early and after just a few days the flies will have spread if you are not careful. Although they do not have a long lifespan, new generations are constantly following due to the laying of eggs. However, there are some effective means with which the flies and especially the bluebottles can be fought. These are presented and described here.

Definition of bluebottle

Blowflies are the type of flies that tend to stay near animal carcasses, where they often lay their eggs. If there are many bluebottles in a certain place, it can be assumed that a dead animal, for example a mouse or rat, is nearby. The bluebottle fly is between 6 and 12 mm in size and has a blue or green metallic back. But there are also gray or black species. Like all flies, they only have a short lifespan of a few weeks, with the larval stage taking up most of the time. The following facts about flies are also important:

• Flies do not practice any brood care
• therefore, a large number of eggs are laid by one female
• in her short life a single female produces up to 1000 eggs
• with good living conditions, they therefore multiply explosively
• are not active outdoors in winter

If the eggs are laid outside, protected from the winter, the larvae fall into a so-called hibernation, many can survive and are immediately active again with the first rising temperatures and so there can be a plague of flies even in the first days of spring come.

find cause

Especially when there are more bluebottles, this indicates a dead animal, that in the next Neighborhood to the house or even in the house, for example the basement rooms or an attic could. Therefore, in order to be able to remedy this, the cause for a large population of animals must be found. This type of insect is more common in rural areas or in areas on the outskirts of town than in the inner city. Because the causes of many bluebottles in the apartment can be:

• Carcass of dead mouse or rat
• these can be in the house
• for example in a drain pipe
• dead wild animals in the garden also attract the flies to lay their eggs
• Leftover food or compost is usually not the trigger for a population

remove food source

Even though the blowfly species lays its eggs in the carcasses of dead animals, it still likes to feed on all kinds of food. It is therefore important that they are deprived of their basic food source. Therefore, if a larger population of flies is buzzing around the house outside, then the following measures should be taken be taken so that the annoying animals cannot come into the apartment and spread diseases here:

• cover all foods
• otherwise the flies will run over it
• can be harmful to health if the food is consumed
• all leftovers such as crumbs, splashes of fat, etc. wipe away immediately
• there are also such spots under the kitchen appliances
• don't leave dirty dishes out any longer
• Store kitchen waste in closed containers
• Keep the litter box or rabbit cage clean
• the droppings also serve as food for flies
• Protect windows with fly screens

Install fly screens

If flies regularly enter the living room from outside, then it makes sense to install fly screens, especially on the kitchen window or patio doors. There are different solutions and therefore there is something for every budget. Above all, fly screens are a very biological measure and do not require any chemicals at all. The following fly screens are commercially available:

• Fly blinds or fly frames are stable and practical
• these are often custom made
• not so cheap option
• these can be opened and closed
• cheap kits are also available
• the simplest solution is the fly screen curtain

Fragrances against bluebottles

Flies dislike certain scents and stay away from them. It is therefore possible, if certain scents are used in a targeted manner, that the bluebottles will give a wide berth to this room, for example the kitchen. The following scents are known as remedies against the annoying animals:

• Vinegar
• peppermint oil
• lavender oil
• Allow to evaporate in the smoking vessel or on the warm stovetop
• Place bowls of water and laurel oil in the room
• Put plants on the windows or on the balcony
• these include tomatoes, basil or geraniums
• the flies keep their distance from the window from the outside
• Scented sachets or scented balls
• are filled with lemon, laurel, juniper berries or lavender

Are scented balls or sachets or a bowl of water and laurel oil used, or the smoke of Spread peppermint or lavender oil, this also has a pleasant fragrance effect on us humans living quarters. So everyone can find their own pleasant scent and use it against the annoying insects.

Natural enemies

Spiders are among the natural enemies of flies. This is because these are very useful roommates and should not be removed from living spaces if they are in a corner where they will not disturb anyone. Even if many people are afraid of spiders, this is absolutely unfounded, the spiders, the live in the local latitudes, do no harm to anyone, except perhaps the annoying ones Fly. However, if a large population of flies suddenly appears, then spiders cannot help here either.

Application of the fly swatter

Anyone who lives in the countryside or in a more rural area on the outskirts of town also knows the good old fly swatter. Of course, this is only recommended for individual flies that have strayed into the apartment and do not fight a larger population under any circumstances. However, if you strategically distribute several fly swatters in the living room, you will quickly have one at hand when the annoying bluebottle fly appears.

power grid devices

Power grid devices are electric traps designed to attract the pests. These are available in different sizes, but are usually designed to cover an area of ​​around 150 square meters. They are particularly suitable for outdoor use, for example on a terrace. The power grid devices are constructed as follows to achieve an effect:

• Inside the devices there is a lamp with UV light
• this attracts the bluebottles
• there is a grid around it
• that is energized
• if the insects fly towards the light, they have to pass through the grid
• they receive an electric shock
• they burn up and fall into a catch tray
• very effective especially with a large population
• other insects such as mosquitoes are also attracted

Many of these power grid devices are on the market. However, customers are often disappointed with the result. However, this can also be related to a lack of maintenance, because the fluorescent tube has to be replaced regularly. Because if the intensity of the UV light is no longer given, the attracting effect also decreases significantly and fewer bluebottles are caught. The place where these devices are placed or hung is also important, as the light must be able to shine freely in order to attract the flies to the trap.

adhesive surface devices

The bluebottles can also be attracted with sticky traps. However, we are not talking about the unsavory adhesive strips that people like to hang in the kitchen or dining room and to which a mass of flies then sticks for everyone to see. The adhesive surface devices are based on a similar principle to the power grid devices. Here, too, the insects are attracted by UV light, but then get stuck on an adhesive film. Of course, these foils have to be replaced regularly.

Build your own flytrap

It's also quick and easy to build and set up a flytrap yourself, at least for the first moment when the population of bluebottles suddenly and unexpectedly present in the apartment was. One or more glasses are needed for this if there are already a lot of flies in the rooms. The glasses must be clean, especially on the outside there should be no food or drink leftovers. Then proceed as follows:

• Prepare the vinegar and detergent mixture
• add apple cider vinegar to the container
• then add a few drops of dish soap
• alternatively, sliced ​​apple pieces can be placed in the container
• Cling film is now pulled tight over the glass
• fasten to the glass neck with a rubber band
• poke small holes in the foil
• Distribute glasses in the rooms

The blowflies are attracted to the smell emanating from the jar while foraging. They fly at the glasses and crawl inside through the holes. As a rule, however, they can no longer find their way outside and are therefore trapped in the glass. This should be emptied and replaced regularly.

Conclusion

It is important to find out the cause of a large population of blowflies. If they occur more often in the apartment, then it is likely that a dead mouse or rat is lying in the basement or in the attic, for example. But even if there are many of these annoying insects outside, a hedgehog or other small wild animal may have died in the garden. Only when the cause has been eliminated is it worthwhile to use further means to help the existing population, such as adhesive surface devices, fragrances or natural enemies to counter them in a meaningful way fight. However, if the cause is quickly removed, the animals that have a short lifespan stop breeding and the plague stops. However, for individual flies that get lost in the living quarters, the methods presented are all equally well suited to fighting them.

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