Valley pest control companies responding to more calls about houseflies

PHOENIX — There’s a buzz in the air as the Valley gets ready for summer, but it’s a buzz that few people want around their homes.

Local pest control companies are responding to more calls about houseflies as Arizona gears up for summer temperatures.

Burns Pest Control spokesman Mike Boyle said the bugs are easily preventable.

“If you’ve got flies, look around. You’ve got garbage somewhere or, most likely, take a peek over your fence and you’ll see an issue with the neighbors,” he said. “If you can get it clean, you’re going to be OK.”

However, that cleaning process likely means dealing with some pretty gross stuff.

“They need decaying matter to lay their eggs in, so that’s anything moist and wet,” Boyle said. “Forgive me for being gross, but that’s fecal matter — usually customers with pet issues — that’s garbage, that’s trash cans that are left open, that’s an open dumpster.”

After things have been cleaned, Boyle recommended spraying vertical surfaces, such as walls, in the area with a pesticide.

“That’s what flies like to do — they don’t like to be on the ground,” he said. “They like to be up in the air and they like to be kind of facing up and down.”

He said most devices to kill flies do not work. However, fly bait — which is poisonous — is effective.

KTAR’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this report.

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