fly infestation


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Old 08-06-19, 05:03 PM
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fly infestation

My son was away from his apartment for a month. No garbage was left in his room. He came home and there were flies everywhere he even found lots of them inside his refrigerator and freezer. He killed as many as he could but still has flies appearing around the apartment. He cant find the source. The landlord will come in and spray but the source has not been found. the landlord said its not unusual for them to end up in your refrigerator. I have never heard of such a thing. (these are not fruit flies). Any thoughts on this?
 
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Old 08-07-19, 05:18 AM
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There is food somewhere. The flies are not living and reproducing without it.
 
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Old 08-07-19, 06:17 AM
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The flies need to be identified properly before a solution/treatment can be determined. Knowing the identification will lead us in the proper direction as their breeding sources, food sources, harborage, etc vary a lot from species to species even though they look alike to us, at first glance.

Simply spraying, especially space spraying will kill the exposed flies which will give immediate relief though probably temporary.

The fact that they are inside the refrigerator is troubling as the gaskets/seals should be good enough that flies breeding inside can't get out and flies breeding outside can't get in.

There are small flies commonly called sewer flies/drain flies but proper name is "psychoda". They can come from kitchen/dishwasher/bathroom/floor drains if the traps dry out from not being used, which can happen when one is gone for a time. Viewed close-up they look like tiny moths, but are flies.

There are "fungus gnats" that can emerge in potted house plants, but these guys are tiny.

Can you take/get a close up picture with clear details? Identification is paramount for fly control, both short and long term.
 
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Old 08-07-19, 06:57 PM
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well it appears that the flies are in fact fruit flies. Though they did not look like them from photos he had originally sent me , close ups of the flies show they are fruit flies.
 
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Old 08-09-19, 07:51 AM
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Fruit flies don't breed/live in drains or stagnant water as sewer flies do. There is a food source somewhere. What commonly happens is that even though people have a clean and orderly kitchen, it is the food that no one sees such as food that's hidden/fallen behind things, potato(s) in deep (forgotten about) storage, etc. Potatoes are very conducive to fruit flies. Another possibility is that a canned food in storage is leaking slowly. Doesn't happen much anymore as cans and the interior lining are much better than they used to be but a dented can could leak over time.

Is it possible that while he was gone there was a prolonged power outage enough to spoil food in refrigerator?
 
 

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