Combating fly infestation

Most Australians are familiar with "the Australian Wave", and during summer in particular, fly infestations can be a health hazard as well as an annoyance. Here's a few ways to shoo those flies.

Avoiding flies: Keep things clean

While not the most leisurely of solutions, it's true that most flies love to breed in garbage, left over food scraps and other gooey spills. An easy way to thwart the fly breeding process is to make sure these breeding grounds just don't exist. Cover all food and put it away in airtight containers or in the refrigerator. Make sure garbage bins have a tight lid and are washed out regularly, and that kitchen benches are kept clean.

There are many different types of flies that can take over your house. Fruit flies can be combated by ensuring compost bins have a secure lid. These should also be regularly emptied and washed out, and fresh fruit, especially in late summer, is kept in the fridge.

Blow flies are difficult to get rid of in the summer months, so make sure any pet waste is scooped up and bagged (because they love that), and meat scraps are tightly sealed. Common houseflies are always more numerous in the summer months, but their numbers can be reduced with good hygiene.

Fly screens and fly strips

Keeping all windows and doors tightly screened is the best way to ensure the flies stay out. Check all your window screens for holes or tears. It's relatively cheap to replace the screens, and most hardware shops will have rolls of screen. It's recommended that you get the right tools for the job because, while it can be cheap, it can be trickier then most people think. The right tools just make it that much easier.

While there are plenty of sprays available to kill flies, if you want to avoid spraying chemicals in your house, then try outdoor traps or indoor fly strips. These attract the flies, which then stick to them. Sprays are also available for the outside walls of the home too, but these need to be reapplied once a month. Your local health food shop should have some pesticide-free alternative fly traps and strips, while hardware shops will have the more heavy-duty options.