Lord of the Flies

The Summer heat has set in most everywhere in the country, and with it come the seasonally associated critters. for renters and landlords alike. One such critter that becomes exceedingly common in the summer months is the fly, infestations of which can range in severity from being mildly annoying to spreading dangerous diseases that could potentially kill you maybe. Don’t worry though, this week the Rant is dedicated to helping you rid your house or apartment of the buggers once and for all.

Flies come in quite a few varieties, but some are more common than others, and each type has different particularities. The first step to getting rid of your flies is determining which type you have, though be warned, there may be more than one. Orkin provides a nice illustrated guide as a good place to start.

Fruit flies are one of the most common types of fly, especially in the summer. They can find their way into almost any house or apartment, and they  typically go for the kitchen. Fruit flies feed mostly on fruit (go figure), vegetables, or other produce that’s nearing the end of its life. As a preemptive strike against them, make sure that fruit and veggies don’t sit too long on your counter, and if your produce is starting to turn, get rid of it ASAP. If you’ve already got fruit flies, make sure their food sources are cleaned up and then make yourself a few traps. In our experience the red wine trap works well. If you can get your hands on some Mad Dog 20/20, it’s even better, though be warned that flavored fortified wine beverages should under no circumstances be humans.

Larger flies like house flies and blow flies are usually less prevalent, but far more noticeable, and usually indication of a larger and grosser food source. They’ll eat other organic material, but they prefer rotting meat, so if you start to see larger flies appearing on the premises of your rental property, make sure that your trash cans have all been emptied recently, and your fridge and cabinets are both free of rotting food. If your kitchen and garbage is clean, search around your yard for any possible breeding sources. If you have a compost piled up in the back, that might be one. If you have a pet who poops in the yard, make sure to pick it up, or soon enough it’ll have turned into a festering fly-nest that spawns poop-covered flies who want to live in your kitchen. Gross, right? Bottom line is that you have to get rid of the breeding source if you want to live in a no-fly zone.

Traps and prevention are all good, but they take time, and we know that you’re probably wondering, how can I get rid of the fly or flies that are bugging me right now? At this point you have two options: you can either go to your local butchers for a pig head, put it on a stake in your living room, and proclaim yourself lord and master over a new rented jungle kingdom, or you can become a sniper with a rubber band. Actually we only advocate the latter. But seriously, the flies never see it coming, and best of all, exterminating pests becomes fun! If you have kids, give them a bag of these, or if you want to get crazy, get one of these bad boys. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? Hit us up: Hometownrant@hometownrent.com

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