What attracts flies?

The best way to keep flies from infesting your property is eliminating the factors that make your property attractive to flies. In a short period of time, a fly infestation can quickly escalate and become a major problem. A single house fly can lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime. 

If you are presently experiencing a fly infestation, we recommend contacting your local Ehrlich office at 800-837-5520 to schedule a free inspection by a licensed Technician. An Ehrlich Technician can survey your property and identify what could be attracting flies and what can be done to get rid of the problem. 

• Heat - Flies are attracted to buildings by the heat that they radiate. Flies will breed faster in environments that are warm. 

• Light - One of the most commonly referenced fly attractants is light. Insect light traps are commonly used in buildings to control fly infestations. Insect lights use special UV bulbs that are highly effective at trapping flies. 

• Garbage - Flies are commonly associated with garbage. Garbage provides flies with an ideal breeding habitat, especially in the warm months when food items ferment quickly. It is recommended to remove your garbage at least twice a week, regularly clean your garbage bags and place all waste in bags.   

• Dumpsters - The source of many fly infestations in commercial properties is a dumpster. Flies can quickly breed in dirty dumpsters that are overflowing with garbage. Avoid filling your dumpster beyond its capacity and have them regularly cleaned to reduce fly problems. 

• Dirty Drains - Problems with flies indoors commonly begin with drains that have built up organic material. It is important to regularly clean your drains to decrease the possibility of a fly problem. For ongoing drain fly issues, we recommend our drain live service - Bioremediation. 

• Animal Carcasses - The carcass of dead animal can quickly result in an infestation inside or outside a property. Be sure to examine your yard and garbage area for dead animals like rats and mice so that you can avoid a quickly-escalating fly issue. 

• Bird Droppings - Some fly species prefer to breed in the excrement of animals, especially bird drippings. If your property is experiencing infestation of common pest birds like pigeons, a bird management program may be warranted.  

• Damaged Food/Products - Issues with flies are often linked to damaged products, especially food products. This is a major concern for food processing facilities and other highly audited properties.