Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:30 pm
The kitchen is a prime spot for flies.
Flies are attracted to rotting fruits and vegetables, rotting meats, and any other food found around the kitchen sink or garbage can.
While the common house fly does not bite or sting, it can still be very annoying. More importantly, they carry bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella from one place to another and leave them on exposed food, which can lead to illness if the contaminated food is eaten.
Below are a few tips to prevent these pesky pests from buzzing around your kitchen.
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always keep the kitchen clean!
Always make sure to wipe down the countertops after preparing food and whenever they are dirty. Especially because flies like any kind of crumbs and especially spilled food, special attention should be paid to hygiene here.
take out garbage regularly!
Besides open food, the garbage can is an excellent place for the little beasts to breed. Please empty the garbage can regularly, only in this way you deprive the flies of an important breeding ground where they can lay their eggs. This is especially important before you go on vacation!!!! Otherwise there is a rude awakening after the vacation.
keep away pests.
Flies, of course, must first come into the house. Fly screens on windows and patio doors are an excellent way to keep these critters out of the living spaces. But exterior doors should also be kept closed as much as possible to prevent flies from entering.
Get air moving.
Especially if you have kids, it’s not easy to keep garden or front doors closed, since kids in particular are in and out all the time in the summer… 😉 This is where big box fans at entrances have proven effective in keeping the little buggers out. Also, in the kitchen, a fan near the window can deter these critters from coming into the kitchen.
Why? Turns out flies don’t fly well in the wind. Tip: This also works at the outdoor dining table.
Know when to call a professional.
Flies can be a symptom of a bigger problem. If you have flies very frequently, or the beasties are multiplying despite all your hygiene, you should call a pest control professional. The pest control professional can help identify an unknown food source (like a dead animal in the wall or behind a cabinet – this is not uncommon!).