Flies are annoying. In order to permanently get rid of the pests, you should get to the root of the problem. Don't just drive away the individual animals, but fight the nest of flies.

In a nutshell

  • a real fly's nest does not exist
  • Flies usually lay their eggs directly in a source of food
  • avoid potential breeding grounds instead of fighting the clutches later

Locate the fly nest

Getting rid of fly nests is particularly difficult. Because although the title may suggest it, flies don't really build nests. Although they lay large numbers of eggs together in one place, they do not build a real dwelling like you are probably familiar with from birds, bees or rodents. Rather, the environment must have favorable living conditions so that there is a high probability that the hatching larvae can develop into adult flies themselves. This requires warmth and darkness on the one hand, but primarily a good source of food on the other. In many cases, the fly lays its eggs directly in this food source, so that the offspring are supplied immediately and can start eating and growing immediately after hatching. The following things are very attractive to the fly as a source of food and nutrients:

  • leftovers
  • Fruit, especially fully ripe or already rotting
  • organic waste
  • Juices, sodas or other sugary drinks
  • faeces, especially feces
  • carrion

Because of their tiny size and hidden storage in the food sources already listed, you will never be able to find the clutch on your own under normal circumstances.

Notice: In their approximately three-week lifespan, flies lay eggs five to six times. In total, up to 1,000 eggs from a single mother can lay the foundation for the next generation.

signs of egg laying

Instead of looking for the non-existent fly nest, keep your eyes peeled for signs of possible clutches. You can recognize them by the small, whitish-yellow maggots. If you spot several of these animals on the ground, for example, you can assume that there is a fly nest nearby. From there, the maggots often go in search of new food sources in the course of their development and are clearly visible to you.
We assume that you do not store food leftovers or even faeces openly, but remove them early. Hence
the occurrence of fly larvae means that there must be a comparable breeding ground at another, invisible location. Typical places for this are:

  • Under kitchen components
  • Behind cupboards
  • In cracks in the floor or wall
  • Behind baseboards
  • Behind things stored in shelves, closets and other dark areas
  • Other comparable areas

Fight the fly nest

Now the big question is what to do after noticing the signs of a fly nest. First of all, one thing is important here: you have to find the fly's nest, or rather its basis in the form of leftover food or dead animals. Use the found maggots and any cracks and joints from which they may have come as a guide. Once you have found the breeding ground, thoroughly eliminate whatever food source you find there using the following measures:

  • Remove any residue of food, feces or carcasses
  • Remove any maggots found
  • thorough cleaning with soap, washing-up liquid or universal cleaner
  • Large-scale subsequent cleaning with vinegar water or soapy water to remove any remaining traces of scent

Tip: If possible, avoid merely “flooding” areas that cannot be seen with insecticides. On the one hand, there is a high probability that you will not reach all the animals. Above all, however, the basis for the breeding ground is preserved, so that sooner or later you have to reckon with further generations of flies!

Prevent instead of eliminate

Precisely because it is often very difficult to discover and remove a fly nest, you should instead ensure that flies do not find any potential places to lay their eggs in the first place. You can achieve this with just a few simple adjustments to your behavior:

  • Dispose of leftovers immediately
  • Do not store organic waste in the waste bin, but remove it from the apartment immediately
  • Remove residue after cooking or eating and wipe areas
  • do not leave half full glasses
  • consume or cover ripe fruit
  • Pack diaper waste airtight and dispose of it quickly
  • Close open cracks and joints as far as possible to prevent animals from entering and dying

You can also prevent flies from serving as potential starting points for future generations by taking the following measures:

  • Prevent access through fly screens
  • Place repellent scented plants such as peppermint, basil, geraniums, lemon balm, etc. in front of windows and patio doors
  • Set up fly traps, e.g. sticky traps or sugar traps

frequently asked Questions

What to do if I can't find the "Nest"?

First of all, eliminate the symptoms, i.e. the maggots. It is possible that the food supply was so low that no further oviposition took place. Most of the time, however, you can hardly avoid further searching, since even small insects or small amounts of food are a warm invitation for numerous flies.

Is there a practical reason to get flies out of my apartment?

Ultimately it is up to you whether you take up the fight against the fly nests. However, the animals are able to transmit germs and pathogens. Therefore, it should be very important to you to get an excessive propagation under control.

Can you stop the animals from laying eggs with a fly swatter?

Of course, the use of the fly swatter also leads to the hoped-for success - assuming your aim is accurate. However, you should remove the killed animals and clean the affected area with vinegar water. Because the crushed animals transfer possible germs and pathogens to the surface of the table, wall or other whereabouts of the fly.

Category:

Garden maintenance