The appearance of flies in the house forces a person to look for an effective way to get rid of flies and such an unpleasant neighborhood, since under favorable conditions the number of these flying insects rapidly increases, and therefore cope with the problem.
But if they act directly, they will have no chance to survive.
Why is the pest dangerous?
The main danger of flies to humans is that the insects on their legs carry pathogens of infections and other diseases:
- bacterial;
- fungal;
- viral;
- parasitic;
- intestinal.
The greatest threat to humans is the risk of infection:
- tuberculosis;
- helminths;
- intestinal myiases;
- anthrax;
- dysentery;
- cholera;
- conjunctivitis;
- diphtheria.
On the body of one housefly there are up to 6 million microorganisms potentially dangerous to humans. And adult individuals are capable of laying almost 7 thousand eggs for food.
Smells
Flies cannot tolerate strong odors, and this is what is used to combat them. Vodka, essential oils of lavender or eucalyptus, cloves or mint are sprayed in the premises.
To protect the kitchen from insects, it is enough to leave 15-20 clove buds in a small vase. You can also make a real flavoring: stick 4-6 clove buds into half a lemon and leave this decoration on the table for the whole day.
Kerosene and turpentine also repel flies, but in small quantities their smell is invisible to humans. Experts advise adding a little kerosene to the water when washing floors and windows to create additional protection for your home.
Why is it difficult to kill a fly
It is difficult to catch the insect by surprise and swat it because of the insect’s unique vision: there are 5 eyes on the fly’s head: 2 main and 3 simple. Large volumetric eyes consist of 4 thousand facets and provide a 360-degree view.
The fly sees all objects in front and behind, above and below, to the right and left with three-dimensional eyes, so it will not be possible to sneak up from behind. With simple eyes, a fly examines objects close up, distinguishes small and medium-sized things well, and ignores large ones.
The insect processes 100 images per second at a speed 6 times faster than a human. The critical flicker frequency—the number of frames a fly sees per second—is 250 Hz. In humans, this indicator is only 60 Hz. Therefore, lightning-fast hand movements that people feel are seen by flies as a slow change of frames.
The only skill that a fly cannot master is the ability to distinguish the infrared spectrum. In the dark, the pest prefers to sleep in a secluded place where nothing threatens it.
This vision device saves insects from any danger, including the threat of physical harm from humans.
Description of appearance
This amazing creature resembles a flea, louse, tick, and fly. At a certain stage of development, there is a pair of transparent wings on the back, which reach a length of 6 mm. The insect uses them only to move upward, a short distance. Outwardly it looks like a fly, but after it gets on the host’s body, it sheds its wings and is more like a flea or tick.
The body is elongated, up to 3.5 mm in size. Shiny dark cover, flattened shape. A clearly visible head with pronounced large eyes. In addition to them, there are 3 more simple eyes on the head.
The body is flat with a durable chitinous cover. In a hungry state, the insect is very difficult to crush. As food arrives, as well as during pregnancy, the abdomen greatly increases in size.
The mouthparts of the moose fly are piercing-sucking, reminiscent of the structure of a burner fly. The proboscis has a row of hard chitinous bristles that act as teeth and help gnaw through the skin of warm-blooded animals. A photo of a moose fly is shown below. You can clearly see an amazing creature with different names.
moose fly
Mechanical methods
Despite the fact that it is difficult to kill a fly, the mechanical method is often used and consists of using:
- Available materials: rolled up newspaper, slipper, heavy object. The insect is simply flattened by the force of a direct blow.
- Fly swatters. A special plastic device is a stick with a flat silicone or rubber plate at the end.
- Fly nets. It will not be possible to kill a fly with its help, but such an obstacle will not allow the pest to enter the house. It is better to install the mesh both on windows and ventilation holes.
- Adhesive tape. A paper or silicone strip impregnated with a fly-attracting composition is hung on eaves or door (window) openings. Insects land on the sticky surface with their paws and stick. Pests actually die from lack of food and water.
It’s easy to make an analogue of adhesive tape at home. To do this you will need a glass jar, 40 g of castor oil, 1 tbsp. l. honey and 60 g rosin. All ingredients are heated and spread on thick paper or cardboard with a brush. The finished device is placed in a place inaccessible to children and pets.
Prevention
Prevention, which is logical, comes from the above reasons.
Indeed, preventing a problem from occurring should be called the best method of dealing with it. Methods for preventing the appearance of these insects in the house include the following:
- regular wet cleaning of the home environment;
- timely washing of dishes;
- timely disposal of waste and garbage from the home area into outdoor containers;
- limiting access to food - everything edible should be in the refrigerator;
- use of mosquito nets on windows;
- regular cleaning of cattle pens, if we are talking about a private home or farm;
- timely removal of pet droppings;
- eliminating areas with standing water.
Chemicals
In the fight against buzzing pests, insecticide chemicals are most effective in the form of:
- Aerosols. To kill flies, it is recommended to use proven means: Dichlorvos and Chlorophos. However, when using them, be sure to use personal protective equipment for the respiratory system and mucous membranes, and thoroughly ventilate the premises. After disinfestation, the room is wet cleaned using a soda solution.
- Electronic fumigator. Raptor, Off, Moskitol and other manufacturers produce devices with plates and liquids that help destroy and repel pests. The main advantages of such products: long-term effect, absence of odor and instant results.
- Powders and granules. They are used to treat large rooms and are effective due to their immediate nerve-paralytic effect on insects.
- Melkov. The popular product Mashenka works not only with cockroaches: the product kills flies just as effectively. One chalk is enough to process 20–30 m2 of space.
All chemicals are used in accordance with the instructions, in acceptable concentrations. There should be no children, pets, pregnant or lactating women in the premises during treatment. It is prohibited to carry out disinfestation in unventilated rooms.
First aid
Each person is individual, so everyone reacts differently to the consequences of a bite. When an insect drinks blood, it injects its saliva. In some cases, the first symptom is an allergic reaction.
If a person is bitten by a blood-sucking fly, it is necessary:
- apply a cold compress to the bite site;
- for severe itching, use soda lotions;
- it is mandatory to treat with antiseptic drugs;
- To avoid an allergic reaction, use antihistamines.
Important: to avoid serious consequences, it is recommended to consult a doctor
Household substances
Household products not intended for such purposes are also suitable for fighting flies. Among them:
- Glass cleaning liquid. To kill a fly, it is enough to spray a product containing ammonia on the fly from a spray bottle 5-10 times. This number of sprays is enough to kill a single adult.
- Hair fixation spray. The same principle of spraying is applied, but most often 1-2 clicks on the bottle spray are enough to hit the target.
- Dishwashing liquid and vinegar. The mixture of these substances is poured into a jar, the neck of which is covered with cling film. Pests fly into the small hole left, but they can no longer get out and drown in the composition.
The category of household appliances with special purposes includes fly repellers using ultrasound. The devices operate on mains power and emit ultrasonic waves that are not perceptible to human hearing, but are unbearable for flies.
The opposite effect is used in electron traps that emit ultraviolet light. The flies fly to the source and end up on the grid, where they die from the current. For humans, such a device is harmless (current-carrying elements are isolated), but for flies and other flying insects it is fatal.
How to make an electric shock flytrap
We will need:
- Energy saving light bulb;
- high voltage module;
- insulating tape;
- hot glue;
- AA battery.
Manufacturing:
- Let's disassemble the light bulb. We should still have a plastic case. And also a glass cone made of fluorescent tubes, mounted on a plastic base.
- We drill holes in the plastic on both sides.
- We take aluminum wire and thread it through one of the holes. We wrap the wire around the light bulb. Cut off the excess.
- We do the same with the second hole.
- There are 2 wires on the inside of the plastic base. We wrap one of them around the tip of the wire and bend it.
- We have 2 contacts left: another wire and a second wire.
- We connect the high-voltage module to the battery via a switch.
- We make a hole in the case and insert the switch.
- We insert the module into the case, now you need to solder all the necessary wiring.
- Solder the module wires to the battery.
- We fix it with electrical tape.
- To make the module hold better, we glue it to the body with hot glue.
- Then we insert the light bulb into the housing so that its contacts are in contact with the contacts of the high-voltage module.
- We twist it. Our stun gun is ready.
- We turn on the device. Flies will strive for the light from the lamp, but as soon as they fly up to the shocker, they will be electrocuted.
Attracting insects with light, electrocutes them
Folk recipes
Using improvised means, it is easy to make formulations that are more effective than store-bought insecticides and repellents. The following homemade homemade recipes have stood the test of time:
- Mix black pepper with sugar syrup. These foods familiar to humans are real poison for flies.
- Saccharin. The product is toxic to insects. To get rid of flies, you need to soak the newspaper in a mixture of saccharin and water and let it dry. Dropping 2-3 drops of water onto the paper activates the trap, which kills flies in a few hours.
- A mixture of tansy, castor oil and rosin. Natural repellent plants, together with a strong-smelling substance, leave insects no chance.
- A solution of 1 part formaldehyde and 3 parts milk in sweet water has a detrimental effect on flies. The composition is coated on door frames, the surfaces of window sills, and baits are made from bread crumbs.
- Beer. An open plastic bottle with a foamy drink is the simplest bait and trap in one form. Attracted by the aroma of hops and malt, the flies get inside, but cannot get out on their own.
A popular home ornamental plant, the Venus flytrap, will also be a faithful helper against flies. It is a natural predator of the plant world that feeds on flies and other flying insects.
It is quite difficult to kill flying insects with your own hands, but with the use of chemicals, traps and folk remedies it is quite possible. In addition to the fact that flies bother you with their buzzing, pests carry harmful microorganisms, bacteria and infections on their legs. That’s why it’s so important to get rid of insects in your home in a timely manner.
Traps
To make protection more effective, traps are used. This method is considered one of the most reliable and effective, partly because the result is extremely clear.
Jars with sugar syrup are used as traps, inside which a cone or a lid made of a plastic bag with several holes is installed. It is this principle that is used in most traps: insects get inside, driven by the sweet smell of sugar, but cannot get out.
Trap tapes are also considered a fairly effective method, although for home use it is better to use homemade rather than professional products. To create such a trap, cardboard strips are covered with thick sugar syrup and hung in places where insects accumulate. Products should be replaced as they become filled with adherent insects.
What attracts insects to a person's home
Flies as a group are omnivorous. Some species live near human habitation, using the same foods as food as humans. They recognize odors much better than humans. Moreover, insects are attracted to the aromas of both fresh and rotten fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, baked goods and various sweets.
Important!
Some species of flies, in addition to human food, feed on the blood of humans and domestic animals, becoming carriers of very dangerous diseases (typhoid fever, hepatitis, cholera, etc.).
Essential oils
Essential oils help keep flies out of your apartment. They are safe for humans. Liquids have a repellent effect on insects due to their specific aroma. Oils allow you to protect yourself and your home from mosquitoes, midges, ticks, and wasps. Combinations of basil, geranium, citronella, litronella, litzea, cloves, thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus, tea tree, and laurel help.
You can smear essential oil on unprotected skin, but be sure to check the individual reaction of the body. Another effective remedy is wipes treated with oils. They can be placed indoors. Before going outside, you can use a homemade mixture. To do this, mix the selected oil with regular cream.
A bracelet is a pest repellent. It is advisable to use citronella oil, but other oils will do. It needs to be applied to a wooden bracelet. You can take a strip of wide ribbon and tie it behind your wrist. Essential oils are applied to clothes and sprayed into rooms. Window sills and furniture should be treated with laurel oil.
If you are worried about fruit flies
It happens that fruit pests appear indoors or on a personal plot. Current methods for dealing with flies in the country:
- Smoking. Grind the camphor. Heat in a frying pan. Wait until there is light smoke. Carry the container around the rooms. Smoke insects without harm to your health.
- Matches and potassium permanganate. Dilute a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Treat the leaves of indoor plants if flies hover near them. Or stick a sulfur match down into the pot with the soil of each flower. This will help kill the larvae in the soil.
Advice! Midges cannot tolerate the aroma of garlic. Grind one head into a pulp and place it in settlement areas. Cold is another simple and effective method of solving the problem of how to get rid of onion fly or fruit fly larvae. If guests bother you even in winter, then open the windows wide for a few hours. Expel me.
