Ladies and gentlemen, we have a fly problem.
The Valley Indy posted a simple question on Facebook Monday morning:
Is it just us, or are you seeing more and more flies in and around the house?
Almost 60 comments later, the verdict was in — a resounding “heck yeah!”
They’re breeding in your homes and soiling your picnics.
One Valley Indy Facebook reader says they’re driving her cats crazy. Another says no one in her house rests until the flies are all dead.
On Twitter, a reader says he killed 40 flies inside his house over the weekend.
“OMG no they are everywhere,” Nikki Duarte wrote on Facebook. “So disgusting, and we can’t figure out where they are coming from!”
“I thought it was just my imagination this weekend. I couldn’t believe how many flies we killed Saturday …” wrote Lisa Shamansky.
Click here to read more reactions.
What’s going on?
No one is out counting flies at the moment to compare to last year. But the fly increase people are talking about could be from an usually warm and dry winter.
It’s hard to determine why these flying annoyances are showing up all of a sudden, but Gale Ridge, insect expert from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, has a few ideas.
“Certainly weather-related conditions can cause an increase. Connecticut had only one cold snap last winter,” Ridge said.
During mild winter seasons, like the one Connecticut had, flies mate earlier within the year. In February temperatures reached up to the mid-60s.
The sooner it gets warmer, the sooner flies can reproduce — causing more flies to buzz around the family barbecue.
It’s not an infestation of a specific species that can be blamed. As Ridge puts it, the fly population is “fluid, almost like an ocean flowing through” the state from other areas of the country.
Flies aren’t the only ones mating in warmer weather — rodents are, too.
“Spring breeding explosions of voles and chipmunks aren’t uncommon,” Christopher Vann, of the the state’s Wildlife Department, said. “We see this sort of thing every year. Their populations are determined by low winter mortalities, food availability, and shelter.”
But, the new rodents could be having trouble finding water.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, some areas in Connecticut are going through “abnormally dry” conditions.
The Aquarion Water Company sent out a notice last week urging customers to conserve water.
Thirsty rodents could be venturing into houses searching for water, whether it’s from leaky faucets, soil pots or anything collecting water.
If the rodent comes up empty, then dies in some unseen nook within your house — voilà! Flies.
And the little buggers will be there before you smell death.
“The flies will find that carcass no matter what. You can literally count to nine and there will be a fly on that carcass,” Ridge said.
From dead animals to garbage, flies are attracted to pungent odors.
“Farms use manure to fertilize their fields, anyone that lives downwind from that may be seeing an increase in fly activity,” Ridge said.
If you have flies, here are some tips to get rid of them.
- A Valley Indy Facebook reader said she used a disposable fly trap from Walmart. You add water to a bag and hang it up outside your home. Be warned though — it’s stinky.
- Another Valley Indy Facebook reader recommended the Black Flag outdoor fly trap. It’s available through Amazon.
- Yet another reader recommended putting pennies in a baggie filled with water. She closed the bag and tacked it on a wall in her hallway. FYI, Snopes.com says this one hasn’t been proven effective one way or the other, but some people swear by it.
- A Valley Indy reader recommended electric fly swatters, which are available at Home Depot or Walmart
- This website provides natural fly repellents made from cloves, apple cider vinegar and herbs that can be found in local grocery stores.
- Pest-control company Orkin provides a fact sheet on house flies on their website.
Oh, and one reader joked the explosion in the local fly population probably means the end is near. We have no tips for that, other than keep your windows and doors shut, because flies will come right in.
