The official start of summer is the unofficial start of “Fly Season”. With over 120,000 species, the order Diptera (flies) is the fourth largest order in the class Insecta. In the USA, we are “lucky” to only have around 16,000 indigenous species and every barbecue seems to attract every one of them to our yard or deck! They range from the beautiful Striped Horse Fly, to the bizarre Stalk-Eyed Fly and can be among the most beneficial animals in the Arthropod Phylum. However they are universally recognized as a nuisance and major vectors of disease. Above all, they are just gross. If you followed a fly for a day, you wouldn’t eat for a week!
So what has all this got to do with summertime festivities and hamburgers? Here are some simple thoughts and tips that will hopefully reduce the annoyance caused by these pesky aviators. Avoid having your guests thinking twice about consuming the delightful treats you are preparing for them.
Do not install outdoor fly zappers on your patio or anywhere close to your house. Folks think that the installation of a “zapper” close to their deck or patio is a way to keep the flies at bay. Although there is no denying that listening to the crack of a powerful lightning bolt as a victim hits the grid can be satisfying, the fact is that these units are not going to be very effective during a sunny day. There is too much competing ambient UV from the sun. At night they become a beacon of hope for all flying insects within direct line of sight of the unit for hundreds of yards around your home!
We have always advised people that the best way to handle outdoor fly lights is to buy two instead of one and give one to each of your neighbors! If the desire to listen to the murderous “zap” is so great that you simply have to install an outdoor unit – situate it at least 30 yards away from your patio. At least this will help to draw the flies away from the main area you are using.
Instead of using high powered white light bulbs in your outdoor light units, switch to a yellow bulb – these emit very low amounts of UV light and are much less attractive to flying insects. In the area of your yard, deck or patio where the food is being prepared set up some fans so that there is a constant flow of air across the area. This will do two things. One, confuse flies that are drawn by food odors. Second, create an environment that makes it difficult for flies to fly in. They don’t like to have to struggle flying “upstream”.
In addition, Essential has several pest control options to eliminate fly populations. Utilizing our expertise and knowledge Essential can apply fly baits and chemical applications to eliminate unwanted fly problems.
The end result is we want our clients to enjoy their summertime barbeques. Don’t let unwanted flies disturb your get together with friends. Hope these tips help and if you need help getting rid of flies give Essential a call. 520-886-3029
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