If you’re spending time inside your Quad Cities home, enjoying the cozy atmosphere away from the cold weather, then noticing a fly buzzing around can ruin your peace. While you might assume that flies are mostly summertime pests, it’s not uncommon to deal with them even during colder months.
The most common flies you’ll find during the winter are the house fly and the fruit fly. House flies are the dark grey or black flies you probably imagine when thinking of flies. They have slightly hairy bodies and red eyes. They often get into garbage and sewage and are known for contaminating food and spreading diseases such as salmonella.
Fruit flies are much smaller than house flies but they can still be frustrating to deal with. They are yellow or tan with red eyes, and they only get to be about ⅛ of an inch long. Just like house flies, they can spread pathogens to food. They are especially attracted to sweet-smelling food or beverages including soda, fruit, syrup, and other sugary drinks.
How Do Flies Survive In The Winter?
Because fruit and house flies lay their eggs on things like garbage and decaying organic matter, they can survive year-round by living on these items. They can burrow deeper into garbage cans or the backs of pantries and then hatch even after the weather outside turns bitter cold.
Flies in Peoria can settle and hide in many sheltered areas that provide food sources since they can eat such a wide range of food and decaying matter. Because of this, it’s important to take steps to prevent flies all throughout the year.
How To Prevent Winter Fly Infestations
If you haven’t taken steps yet this year to prevent flies in your Quad Cities home, or if you did in the summer but haven’t yet for the winter, there are some steps you can follow to reduce the risk of an infestation. While these measures can’t guarantee you’ll never deal with flies, they can help protect your home.
Make sure to clean up any food or drink spills immediately.
Focus on plugging up cracks and crevices using a cold-weather caulk. This can help seal off small areas in the walls where flies can lay eggs.
Clean out garbage cans with soap and water.
Regularly take out the trash from your home.
Get rid of any decaying fruits or vegetables.
Store pet and people food in airtight containers.
Advice and Assistance With Winter Fly Problems
Dealing with flies during any time of the year can be frustrating, and these pests can put your and your family’s health at risk. It’s important to get rid of flies as soon as you notice them, and the most effective way to do so is by reaching out to the experts at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. We’ve been providing residential pest control to the Quad Cities area for over 100 years, so you can rely on our cutting-edge services at prices you can afford. If you'd like to learn more or want to schedule an appointment, call us today or contact us online.