Outdoor Fly Problem


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Old 07-26-14, 01:16 PM
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Outdoor Fly Problem

I have a problem with normal house flies outdoors for years at the side of my house. At the side of my house is a partial covered patio area. The fence and the house are the top, left side, and bottom parts of a rectangle. The right side is open. The patio has some weeds in the patio area, and ivy that has crawled up the entire left hand side of the fence and left hand lattice. Wind flow is negligible. I grill on this patio but can't sit as flies are always around. There is a long table on the left side with a sink for cleaning flowers and such. The sink bottom is mostly dirt. The sink doesn't get used as previous owner put it in. There is no standing water in the sink. The sink "drains" out to the yard behind the fence. However, the sink drain is totally clogged with dirt.

What gives? Could the ivy be the breeding ground for the flies? Or could the clogged dirt in the drain be the breeding ground? I don't want to remove the ivy as I am would eventually like to pull the ivy through the lattices on my overhead patio structure one of these years. In the short term, is there anything that can be done (bug zapper, sprays on ivy, etc.)? Though negligible wind, aerosols blow away and don't work. Thanks.

Jeff
 
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Old 07-26-14, 02:02 PM
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Welcome to the forums! Flies' growth cycle will involve a dead body somewhere, so if people have a habit of throwing their chicken bones, fish bones, or any flesh stuff into the ivy or over the fence, there's your breeding ground. the stopped up sink probably doesn't help much. I would think a bug zapper located away from the area to be a good addition. At least it will attract the bugs away from your gathering place.
 
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Old 07-26-14, 02:47 PM
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I'm not sure a bug zapper would be that effective on flies? Since they aren't normally very active at night and I'm not sure they are all that attracted to the UV (?) that bug zappers use?

As said...they are attracted to rotting/decaying flesh and organics. I remember they would always be around an open beer or soda on a deck or a pool as well. And of course they are attracted to any sort of "poo".

Feed and grain stores used to sell a fly killer in granular form. I don't know how it worked or if it's still sold. It had a scent, I remember that much. We always had trays of it in the barns and stables. Same thing with the fly strips that you tacked up...but those could be bad if they are too low. They still sell Raid No-Pest strips don't they?
 
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Old 07-28-14, 06:15 AM
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Check out the quick strike line of products. The attached link is a popular product.
QuikStrike ® Fly Bait Strips - 2/pk. | GEMPLER'S
 
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Old 07-28-14, 06:26 AM
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I can vouch that a bug zapper will attract and kill flies - we had an unbelievable fly problem many years ago (field near the house was being used for dumping waste) and I hung one inside the garage just to try to kill the ones that got in and I was sweeping a pile of carcasses out from under that thing every morning.
 
 

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