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Flies are annoying little creatures. Whether they’re living in your home or just tagging along as unwanted guests at your picnic, flies are no fun. But just like with every other pest and bug in your life, knowing them and their characteristics may be your best defence in getting rid of them, or at least avoiding them. Here are some interesting fly facts you may have always wondered about, and some you probably would have rather not known!

• There are over 300,000 species of different flies.
• The average house fly has a lifespan of about 30 days.
• Within those 30 days, a fly can lay up to 3,000 eggs. Each one of these eggs will turn into a maggot, which will then turn into an adult fly.
• Unlike most insects, which have 4 wings, flies only have two.
• During flight, a fly’s wings will beat up to 200 times per second. As soon as the fly’s feet hit solid ground, its wings will stop immediately.
• Flies only have two eyes, but each eye has over 4,000 lenses.
• Despite how highly equipped the fly’s eyes are, they still can barely see. However, they are especially adept at detecting movement. Because of this, you’ll be most effective at killing a fly if you swat at it, starting slowly, and then building up to forcefully smacking it.
• When a fly is ready to take off for flight it first jumps up, then backwards, then forward.
• Flies lay eggs on their food. Remember that this could be your food too, which could be bad if you just saw a fly resting on your salad!
• Flies can also only ingest liquid. Because of this, when they land on food, they’ll first spit on it. Their spit contains a chemical that turns all of their food into liquid. This unfortunately, could also be your salad.

It’s no wonder that we all think flies are so pesky!

Accuracy Plus can handle all of your pest control needs, both inside and outside. Visit our site for more valuable information or give us a call at 888-675-0258.

Flies can be a nasty problem if they find their way into your home. Not only can they be an irritating nuisance, but they can also carry many diseases, which can spread around your home. The most important step you need to take when getting dealing with a fly infestation is to find the area where they are breeding. A fly can lay as many as 100 eggs a day. These eggs will develop into maggots, which are disgusting and you don’t want around your house, and they will then develop into adult flies, adding to your problem with the infestation. Find the breeding area, eliminate it, and clean it, and you can likely be sure that your fly infestation will go away.

In the meantime, fly insecticides can be purchased from nearly all major department stores. Keep in mind that these sprays will only kill the flies that are in the direct area that you spray, at the time you spray. If you still haven’t located their breeding area, you’re going to be spraying for some time to come. Also keep in mind that these sprays are usually toxic and so, should not be used when there are pets and children nearby.

Fly swatters may be useful when you’re dealing with a fly infestation; but you have to make sure that you always have it on hand and that you also have a good aim! Fly papers can also be hung and when flies are attracted to it, they will then stick to the paper and die. These papers can be very effective in getting rid of the flies that are there, but they won’t stop flies from coming back.

The best thing to keep a fly infestation out of your home is to make sure that there are no potential breeding grounds for flies. Keep large areas of debris and garbage away from your home and make sure that any garbage left outside is covered and out of the way where flies will not be able to get to it. Inside the house, make sure that any food is either put away in the refrigerator or tied up tightly in the garbage cans. Clean up after pets after they eat, and clean the area around their feeding dishes. Also, make sure that litter boxes and pet waste is cleaned up and disposed of immediately.

Flies can be a real pain to get out of your home once they’ve found their way inside, and a nice place to breed. Keep the areas in your home free of anything that would attract flies, and you should find your home fly-free too!

For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to our website.

Fruit flies are odd little creatures. They suddenly appear from out of nowhere and if you’re not careful, you could soon find yourself dealing with an infestation – and battling fruit flies everywhere you turn. Here’s how you can get rid of fruit flies when they’ve taken over your kitchen, your yard, or any other place around your home.

In a shallow dish, place a small amount of wine, apple cider vinegar, or a small piece of banana. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and secure it tightly with an elastic band. Poke holes in the plastic wrap with a fork and place the dish in the area infested with fruit flies for several days. The fruit flies will be attracted to the “bait” within the dish and will fly through the holes to get to it. They will then however, not be able to get back out.

Here’s another concoction for getting rid of fruit flies: 1 pint of milk; ¼ pound raw sugar; and 2 ounces of ground pepper. Place these ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on the stove for 8 – 10 minutes. After it’s simmered, pour this mixture in a shallow dish. The fruit flies will be attracted to the sugar, and the rest of the ingredients will suffocate the fruit flies.

There’s also another mixture that you can create that will kill the fruit flies. This is ¼ cup of white vinegar and a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in a glass. Slowly fill the glass with water until bubbles begin to form and rise to the top. The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar and will fly inside the bubbles, where they will then become trapped and die.

Of course, just like you would kill common household flies, you can kill fruit flies with fly strips. Just hang these up in your kitchen, or wherever the fruit flies are congregating in your house, and the fruit flies will stick to these strips. It can also help to attach orange or lemon peels to the strip when using these to attract fruit flies.

Spraying lemongrass oil around your home can also be a great way to keep fruit flies out of your home. You can find this oil at health and naturopath stores and to use it for fruit flies, you only need to mix 10 drops of this oil with 2 ounces of hot water. Mix well and place it in a spray bottle. Spray it in the air around your home and not only will you find that your fruit flies are gone, but also your other flies, spiders, and insects.

Fruit flies can be a real pest around your home. But with a few simple items from your pantry, and some determination, you can get rid of those pesky fruit flies once and for all!

For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to our website.

For thousands of years, houseflies have plagued families in their homes.  Whether you’re trying to enjoy a meal or take a nap, these pesky critters can make you terribly uncomfortable.  What’s worse, they breed incessantly which means once they are in your home they can be very difficult to get rid of.   

Obviously the best way to avoid having flies in your home is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place.  Keep screens on your doors and windows, for example.  If you don’t have screens on your doors, don’t leave them open for prolonged periods of time. 

Once you have flies in your home, you’ll want to eliminate any chance they have to eat or breed.  That means scrupulously removing any food sources that they have access to.  Wipe up even small crumbs, and keep foods in the refrigerator rather than sitting out on the counter.  Outside, keep all garbage receptacles covered and sealed.  Make sure pet waste is removed from your yard and if you have a compost pile, be sure it is covered as well.  You also need to eliminate standing water or other sources of excessive moisture.

Once you have flies in your house there are a few ways to get rid of them in addition to cutting of their food supply.  The good news is that the lifespan of a housefly is extremely short, so controlling them can be a fairly quick process as long as they are no longer able to breed.    For the occasional fly problem, invest in a good fly swatter and hone your skills at hunting them down yourself.   Ultraviolet bug zappers can work well in the outdoors, as can flytraps coated with sticky, sweet materials like sugar and molasses. 

However, if your fly problem is really out of hand, you may need to call in a professional pest control service.  The use of insecticides is not something to be done without serious consideration, and if you need to use them it is always best to have the help of a trained professional.  For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to www.accuracypluscalifornia.com.