Rat birth control has been on the market for several years but pest control professionals have struggled to figure out how to offer it to customers. After running a seven month trial we’ve become believers! Our test site saw a 91% reduction in the rodent population in seven months. It was an incredible result.
Parker Eco Pest Control will begin offering ContraPest birth control to customers in the Seattle area in April 2022. Every month a technician will re-inspect and replace the tank(s) of liquid bait. You can learn more on our rat birth control FAQ page.
One of the most interesting aspects of ContraPest is how incredibly delicious the rodents find it. At times we would return to the tanks and find them completely destroyed. The rats would eat the tank itself to get every last drop of the liquid!
The white tank has been eaten by rodents who ran out of ContraPest!
If you’d like us to reach out in April when ContraPest is available please fill out the form below. Thanks for making an effort to go poison-free!
Do you own a fixer-upper? Are you a die-hard DIYer? If so, you probably know and love This Old House almost as much as Wesley Parker, owner of Parker Eco Pest Control. She recalls waking up on Saturday mornings as a kid to watch This Old House with her Dad. Now as a homeowner herself, she and her husband Chris do a lot their owner DIY projects on their 1905 American Foursquare house.
So you can imagine how excited the Parkers were to see Parker Eco Pest Control recently featured in a This Old House article on the Best Pest Control Companies in Seattle.
This Old House has evolved quite a bit since the 1990s. Their website has how-to guides for everything A-Z including attics to yards and loads in between. They have information on common things like how to replace a bathroom faucet or how to level a floor to, the more obscure, like How to Drill into Brick.
If you can imagine your next project, the This Old House website is a great resource will probably have the information (videos or articles) to help you get it done! There are even whole sections dedicated to subjects like Home Office, Patios and Organization and Storage; things that many people are focused on and were very popular during the COVID pandemic.
By far our favorite feature on their website is the Project House and Idea House tabs. There are way too many distinctive and unique houses to pick a single favorite. Each “Idea House” is modeled after a specific style that give ideas on bringing the look to life in your own home.
Deciding whether or not to re-insulate your crawl space after a rodent problem depends on a few factors. Dirt crawl spaces are incredibly common in Seattle and it’s estimated that 40% of new construction in the area still relies on this type of foundation (per the NAHB, 2013). Crawl spaces make accessing your plumbing and wiring for repairs simple and they’re ideal for Seattle’s hilly terrain. These benefits aside, they are extremely vulnerable to rodent problems.
When to leave a crawl space un-insulated
If rodents are tunneling into the crawl space (as opposed to chewing in).
If your crawl space lacks a permanent rodent barrier such as a rat slab, trench and screen, or rodent-proofed joists to protect insulation (keep reading for more info).
Don’t spend money on new insulation only to have another infestation next winter!
When to re-insulate a crawl space
If rodents are chewing into the crawl space and you’ve done a good job sealing off the entry points you could gamble with re-insulating. They may begin tunneling sometime in the future so this is still a calculated risk.
If you invest in permanent rodent barrier like a rat slab, trench and screen, or rodent-proofed joists to protect insulation you’ll have peace of mind that your insulation and your living space is safe for the long haul.
What is a permanent rodent barrier?
Exactly what it sounds like! There are three main long term solutions for protecting a dirt crawlspace from rodents:
Rodent-proofing insulation with wire mesh
Traditional fiberglass insulation is by far the most common type we find in crawl spaces. It is also a perfect place for rodents to nest. Protect your new or existing insulation from nesting by installing galvanized steel mesh to the underside of your joists. You’ll get end-to-end protection for your insulation and your living space if a rodent tunnels back into the crawl space.
Trench and screen
To install a trench and screen the soil around your foundation is dug away and galvanized steel mesh is buried against the house to prevent animals from burrowing into the crawl space.
Rat slab
A rat slab is a non-structural layer of concrete that completely seals the dirt floor of your crawl space off from tunneling.
Diagram courtesy of energy.gov
Are rodents chewing or tunneling into the crawl space?
We find that rodents are most likely to access a crawl space by chewing a hole or pushing their way in through a vent. Builder-grade crawl space vents use flimsy mesh that doesn’t stand up to a determined rat. Rodents are also incredible chewers since their teeth grow constantly. They will find a small gap around a gas line and gnaw the opening until they can squeeze through. Sealing off openings and setting poison-free traps are your go-to solution.
Tunneling into the crawl space is also very common. Norway rats are aggressive diggers and they will burrow under the side of the house and pop up in the crawlspace. You’ll need a permanent rodent barrier to stop them from entering once and for all.
Need some help with a rodent issue at your house? Give us a call or book an inspection online!
One of the most common ways for rodents to enter an attic is through a gap between the shingles and the gutter. Gaps like this are extremely common in Washington State due to a quark in the residential building code. This gap, sometimes called a carpenter’s gap or construction gap, can be sealed off using a piece of metal flashing called a drip edge. This piece of metal is also known as gutter flashing or rake edge flashing.
How to check for drip edge flashing
If you’re stumped on how mice, rats, birds, or squirrels are getting into your attic, we highly recommend looking at the exterior of the roof line. If you have a hipped roof (shaped like a pyramid) you should check the entire perimeter. If you have a gabled roof you likely only need to check the two sides with gutters.
Slide your hand to the back of the gutter where it’s secured against the house. If you can fit your hand under the shingles it’s big enough for a rat to squeeze through. Remember, rats only need a gap the size of a quarter and mice only need a gap the size of a dime. Rodents usually leave signs on the areas they frequent the most. Look for chewing, greasy smears called rub marks, and of course droppings.
Drip edge wasn’t in Washington code until 2015
Washington State residential code only began requiring drip edge in 2015, meaning If your home was built in 2014 or earlier, there is a good chance you have a large gap running continuously around the perimeter of your roof. You can read the code yourself online.
Should you install drip edge flashing to seal the attic from rodents?
Yes, you should definitely install a drip edge (AKA gutter flashing) to seal out mice, rats, squirrels and birds. At a cost of $10 to $20 per foot installed, it’s fairly inexpensive and will save you money down the line compared to the cost of damage from an infestation.
In addition to blocking pests, drip edge flashing protects your house from wind and water dripping behind the shingles, hence the name “drip edge.” It’s a wise investment for any roof.
Parker Eco Pest Control is open during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll update this website if anything changes. We’re keeping regular hours Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. You can make an appointment by calling 800-326-1698 or booking online. We expect to stay open for the foreseeable future.
We cannot overstate how much we appreciate your business. Our small teamsupports 8 households and keeping everyone employed is vital.
Increasing protective equipment
We will approach your home or business wearing a face mask and gloves.
Wesley Parker is ready for appointments!
Practicing social distance
Our technicians will not shake your hand. We understand that you may wish to follow us around your property, particularly during an inspection, but we ask that you please stay 6 feet away from us at all times.
Collecting no-touch payments
As part of social distancing we are no longer asking you to write your signature on our iPhones. We’re collecting credit card info by asking you to read the card number to us so we can hand-key the information into the processing system. We will write your signature on your behalf and issue a receipt via email.
Focusing on exterior service
Even during regular operations we don’t always treat the interior of the home for insect or rodent activity. We will continue this practice and treat rodent and insect problems from the exterior as often as possible.
As an eco-friendly pest control company we pride ourselves on thorough inspections. As part of social distancing we might ask you to report on pest activity inside your house so we don’t have to go inside. For example, we might ask you to check under your kitchen sink for ants instead of looking first-hand. If we do enter your home please stay 6 ft away from us.
Parker Eco Pest Control recently discovered Fresh Chalk, a cool
new platform for finding professional services in the Seattle area. If you need
a handyman, dentist, or a barber, this is the place to go.
Fresh Chalk operates differently than other review platforms
since they focus on recommendations from people in your social network. Their
model tries to replicate word of mouth recommendations in the digital age.
We found out about Fresh Chalk when a client recommended us on the platform. Since our business thrives on reviews, we were immediately intrigued. After doing some digging, we learned that they are local, women-led, and committed to transparency. That puts them miles ahead in our book!
Oh yeah…and people love us there
So we encourage you to check out the platform, make some honest recommendations, and see what Fresh Chalk holds for you. And hey…why not give Parker Eco Pest Control a thumbs up while you’re there?
Ever wondered what kids think about pest control? HiHo Kids
set out to answer that question on a segment of “Kids Meet A…”. They gather
people from all walks of life to answer the random, silly and downright bizarre
questions that can only come from kids. Owner Chris Parker spent a few hours in
the studio talking about bed bugs, squishing spiders, and protecting bees.
Behind the scenes
As it turns out, filming is hard work! The shoot took about 4 hours and resulted in just 4 minutes of footage. We have to give the HiHo Kids production team serious credit for weaving it all together.
Chris and the kids played with an apiary suit
In just two weeks the episode has been seen over 100,000
times on YouTube and Facebook. We owe HiHo Kids a HUGE thank you for involving
us in this fun opportunity!
Figuring out how much ant control costs for an apartment, condo, or homeowner’s association shouldn’t be hard. While it’s impossible to provide a firm bid without seeing the property, we’ve decided to share our basic quote formula with the world.
How to use the ant control cost calculator
Ongoing service or one-time treatment?
Some ants are polygenic, meaning they have multiple nests. It can be extremely difficult to solve an ant issue in a single visit to a multi-family building. We offer that option because it’s possible…but to be honest we usually require at least 2 visits. The first visit is the most expensive and takes the longest. Follow up visits are faster, easier, and less expensive. If your building gets ants every year it is probably less expensive and less of a pain to set up regular visits throughout the year. Deferring treatment can actually be more expensive than regular maintenance because we will charge more to get the issue back under control.
Treat all units, or only some?
Most pest control companies charge “by the door” or unit and assume that all units of a property should be treated. We believe that over applying pesticides is wasteful and potentially harmful. We’ll inspect all the units and advise which should be treated. You will be charged per unit, per visit. For example, we might treat 10 units on the first visit and only 5 on the next visit, saving you money.
Why use “ground floor” square footage?
We apply a perimeter spray around the exterior of the building’s ground floor — basically anywhere that touches ground and ants can enter. It takes less time and fewer materials to apply a perimeter spray around a tall skinny building than a short and squat building.
Other factors that impact ant control cost
This calculator is a great starting point but it is not fool proof. Other factors that impact cost are:
Your location. Some areas like Ballard are ant hotbeds. That entire neighborhood is basically one giant ant nest and you will almost certainly need ongoing service.
The size and location of the ant nests. Ant nests outside the building are much easier to treat than nests inside the walls or foundation.
Cleanliness of the residents. As an apartment manager or HOA it can be frustrating when one unit or resident is the source of the issue. If they aren’t willing or able to put food in air-tight canisters and keep the apartment clean, you will have ongoing issues.
Are condos, apartments and HOAs priced the same?
Generally yes. We don’t distinguish between who owns the property or how it is managed when setting prices. One exception might be a property manager who has multiple buildings and is seeking bulk pricing on multiple properties.
Log homes are beautiful and unique structures that come with
unusual maintenance challenges. Four generations of the Parker family have
enjoyed a log home on the Washington peninsula and we’ve learned that proper
maintenance is key. Log homes are often more susceptible to rodents, crawling
insects, and wood destroying organisms, especially when they are used as
vacation homes instead of a primary residence. Today we’re doing a deep dive on
the scariest threat to your log home and your family’s health – rodents.
Looking for rodent activity
With the risk of transmitting Hantavirus, rodents are the most
dangerous log home pest you might face. They can enter the home at any time,
but the highest risk for activity is when the home has been sitting vacant over
the winter. Mice and rats are driven inside by the cold weather and can gather
in large numbers if humans aren’t around to kick them out. If you are opening
the home for the season follow these steps to inspect for rodents:
Follow
your nose. If you open the home and smell urine, you’ve definitely got a
rodent issue. If it seems pee-free then continue down this list and conduct a
deeper search.
Look for
droppings in the kitchen and closets. Mice love tight spaces with food and
bedding. Check the corners of drawers, the bottom shelf of the cabinets, and
anywhere else that is dark and secluded.
Check for
nests. As with droppings, closets are a favorite spot for rodents to gather
fluffy material and make nests. Some
less obvious nesting locations are inside of furniture such as the underside of
a couch, inside of mattresses and pillows, and tucked away in heating ducts.
Identify
rub marks. Mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Sometimes its
tough for humans to find these tiny holes. Lucky for us, mice are creatures of
habit, meaning they use the same “roads” often. The little highway across your
kitchen window sill can get stained with rub marks as the mice shuffle along
the wall and around corners. These dark, greasy smudges are a classic sign of
an infestation.
Mouse poop and Hantavirus
If you find evidence of rodent activity you should assume
that the droppings contain Hantavirus and follow safety precautions. Hantavirus
is carried by deer mice and is fatal to
36% of people who catch it. Sadly there is no way to know what type of mice
were in your home. Even if you find a house mouse carcass you can’t guarantee
there were not also deer mice
present.
The key to cleaning up safely is NOT breathing in particles.
Spray everything down with a water/bleach mixture since damp particles won’t
circulate as freely as dry ones. Wear a mask and gloves. Bag all the rags and
throw them out. Do not vacuum or sweep since it stirs up dry particles.
Sealing holes and trapping
Download our free ebook “How to get rid of mice naturally”
The last step is preventing mice from entering your home
moving forward. We recommend our free eBook, The
Complete Guide: How to Get Rid of Mice Naturally. It’s
packed with tips for sealing holes, everything you need to know about traps,
and lots of photos for the DIYer in all of us.
One aspect of mouse control that is specific to log homes
and not covered in the eBook is chinking. Gaps in chinking are an extremely
common method of entry for mice. Be sure to visually inspect your chinking from
the interior and exterior, preferably on a ladder. Given the rounded shape of a
log it can be difficult to see gaps from the ground.
Wondering how mice fit through the chinking? Check out this
experiment:
Preventing rodents
The two best things you can do to prevent rats and mice are
1) Keeping up with all recommended maintenance and 2)Living on the property
year round.
Log home maintenance can be a DIY affair for the brave at
heart but some jobs require an expert. The Parkers use Madrona Log Homes for log home maintenance
because they’re dependable, local, and use eco-friendly materials. Who knew
walnut blasting was so cool to watch? Tell
the owner Travis that we sent you!
The second recommendation is often impractical for home owners. But if someone is living in the home it’s very easy to spot problems and head them off early. You’re unlikely to develop a large deer mouse infestation if there is constant human oversight.
Feel free to call or email us if you have additional questions about keeping your log home pest-free.
Parker Eco Pest Control teamed up with Redfin to bring you this guest post. They’ve compiled answers to common pest questions from experts around the United States.
There is nothing like an infestation of cockroaches, stink bugs or other common household pests to make your skin crawl. Though you have probably thought about packing up your things and leaving, moving isn’t the answer as these pests can pop up anywhere and in any household. It’s time to draw a hard line and get rid of these little critters once and for all. From mosquitos to mice, we asked the professionals of pest control from all over the country how they would get rid of these unwelcome guests.
How to get rid of
Cockroaches
Cockroach prevention is
necessary for protecting your health! There are few things more hated than a
cockroach sighting in your home. These pests can also pose a significant threat
to your health as well as your home.
Often times, when people
are experiencing allergy and asthma symptoms they automatically attribute it to
the time of year without considering that their stuffy nose and itchy eyes
could actually be triggered by the presence of cockroaches in their home. In
addition to exacerbating asthma and allergy-related symptoms, cockroaches are
also capable of spreading 33 kinds of bacteria, including Salmonella and E.
coli. This makes it all the more important to take the necessary steps to
eliminate food, water and harborage sites for cockroaches within your home.
Maintaining excellent sanitation
is one of the best practices in protecting the
home against cockroaches. To help you further, here are some cleaning tips to
help you stay roach free:
Keep counters, sinks, tables,
and floors meticulously clean every day. Clean dishes, crumbs, and spills
right away. Store food in airtight containers and always avoid leaving
food out, including pet food. Vacuum any crumbs stuck in corners and
around cabinets and regularly clean cabinets out with soap and water.
Check under sinks and clean under appliances for moisture issues and
quickly clean up any if found.
Cockroaches are attracted to
moisture and can only survive for a week without water, so always wipe up
standing water around sinks, tubs, and toilets. Fix leaky faucets and
ensure sinks are clear of water before bedtime. Cockroaches are nocturnal
and will typically emerge to search for water and food at night when the
house is dark and quiet.
Eliminate clutter where
possible to reduce hiding spaces for cockroaches. Garage windows and areas
where weather-stripping has become worn are frequent points of access for
cockroaches. Be sure to seal any cracks or crevices you see using caulk,
steel wool or a combination of both.
Most people can agree that mosquitoes are a
nuisance, keeping many families indoors during some of the most enjoyable times
of the year. Moreso, they can also pose several health risks. From Zika and
West Nile viruses to yellow fever and malaria, diseases spread by mosquitoes
can be extremely serious.
Once you have your mosquito problem under
control, it’s important to take preventative measures to ensure that they don’t
come back. Here are several tips to keep mosquitoes from breeding in and around
your home.
Eliminate standing water from bird baths, empty garden planters, kiddie pools, etc.
Remove debris such as decaying logs and leaf piles
Plant “mosquito repellent plants” like rosemary, lavender, and lemongrass
Light citronella candles in areas where people congregate and always use
EPA-approved personal repellents when staying outside for extended periods of time
Unfortunately, when dealing with stink bugs,
it’s not as easy as most people would think. If they want to get into your
home, they’re going to do it. However, there are a few options available to you
to try to cut down on the stink bug population in your home.
Most don’t consider that the key to stink bug
control is actually preventing them from entering the home in the first place.
This part of their life cycle is called “over-wintering” and will take place in
the fall to prepare for surviving the winter. Begin by looking around your home
for places of entry (think cracks and crevices). Places like utility pipes,
doors, windows, siding, your soffit & fascia are key points of entry that
should be sealed up with quality caulking.
Another popular entry point is broken and/or
nonexistent screens on your windows & doors. Make sure screens are properly
installed and don’t have any holes that these guys can squeeze through.
Stink bugs, much like most insects, are
attracted to light. After the sun goes down consider closing your blinds &
turning your exterior lights off. At the very least, dim them in the evenings
to reduce the stink bug attraction to your home. You want to deter them, not
attract them.
Clean up the clutter around your house. That
woodpile you have outside sitting right against your house is a huge
contributing factor to your problem. That beautiful landscaping you have around
your home isn’t helping either. You’re providing them even more harborage than
they originally had which will pull them closer to your home, along with
providing them places to safely lay their eggs.
Stink bugs that already made their way into your
home are unfortunately here to stay. I would advise against squishing them as
they emit a pretty nasty odor, but sucking them up with a vacuum or flushing
them down the toilet seems to be the preferred method of discarding these
little guys.
Are you sharing your house with the most common
mammal in the world? The house mouse transmits viruses, destroys your
insulation, and chews your wires—accounting for 25% of housefires with unknown
origins. Here are some simple tips for getting rid of mice naturally.
Step 1) Make your house less attractive to mice
Do you have a dirt crawlspace? Is there a
chicken coop, park, or a vacant house on your block? While you can’t remove all
these attractive places to mice, here are some tips everyone can follow:
Keep brush, rocks, wood piles, etc. at least one foot away from your house
Clean up after your dog daily (mice eat dog poop)
Invest in airtight canisters for pantry goods
Drain bird baths and other standing water
Get a rodent-proof bird feeder to keep seeds off the ground
Step 2) Seal up your house
Mice can squeeze through holes the size of a
dime. Check for holes to the outside of your house along plumbing lines, gas
lines, dryer vents without screens, doors without weather stripping, aging
attic vents, seams where dormers meet the roofline, and chimneys without caps.
Holes can be sealed with various products but
wire mesh is the best bet.
Installing wire mesh is as simple as overlapping
it at least one inch past the hole in every direction and screwing it down. We
recommend using galvanized products that resist rust.
Step 3) Trap mice already in the house
Our favorite mousetrap is a plastic T-Rex snap
trap. Unlike wooden traps, these are heavy duty, reusable and have interlocking
teeth for instant results.
Add a dollop of peanut butter and follow these guidelines:
Place traps along walls and in corners
Traps should be perpendicular to the wall with the peanut butter on the inside edge
Mice like corners, so avoid placing traps in open areas
Set extra traps where you see droppings or grease marks (known as rub marks)
Secure traps to vertical posts with a zip tie
GO POISON-FREE: Do yourself (and the planet) a
favor and skip the poison. Rodenticides thin the mouse’s blood causing it to
die slowly inside your walls. Unless you’re willing to break open the drywall,
expect a smell for a few weeks. Of equal importance is the impact rodenticides
have on owls and neighborhood cats that eat mice.
It happens out of
nowhere. You’re brushing your teeth, grabbing a scrubber from under the kitchen
sink, or putting the recycling in the garage, and suddenly you see them. Your
calm, cozy, and clean home is suddenly overwhelmed with sugar ants. Hundreds of
the little creatures marching in formation seeking out sugar, water, and the
perfect place to set up shop and colonize. Gross!
How common is a sugar
ant infestation?
It’s a more common
scenario than you might think, and all it takes is something as seemingly
insignificant as an old soda can. An ant infestation is completely normal, but
more importantly, it’s totally fixable.
All these resilient and
rapidly multiplying creatures need to set up shop is some soil, a structure, or
a little bit of landscaping. If you have a tree in your yard that secretes a
sugary, glucose-rich substance, then consider that ants might be on the way.
And then also consider that your house — the one filled with sugary foods,
houseplants, and has dark, humid and moist areas like under the cabinets and
near plumbing — is like a luxury resort for the ant community. And they have
all sorts of ways to get inside to enjoy it.
Can I prevent sugar ants
from getting inside?
Poor seals on windows,
doors, cracks in the foundation, the small holes where utilities enter the
home, or even houseplants are common ways sugar ants can gain entrance to your
home and create an infestation. Once they’ve gotten inside, they’re not gonna
want to leave and they’re definitely going to try and expand their footprint.
Sugar ants do have a lot
of options for entering the home, but you have just as many to prevent them
from getting in. These recommendations are pretty straightforward and simple to
stay on top of.
Empty the kitchen trash especially if it
contains food waste. Trash cans are perfect breeding grounds for ant
infestations.
Keep eating surfaces clean like
tables, countertops, and all food prep areas. Don’t forget under the tables and
counters, as well!
Run your dishwasher preferably right after
you fill it. This dark, moist and glucose-rich environment is a sugar ants
dream.
Be careful of repellents because many over the
counter varieties for outdoor use can actually drive ants indoors, making a
small problem worse.
Get rid of standing water as a
perpetually wet ground is a very attractive environment for sugar ants.
Can I get rid of sugar ants myself?
There are definitely DIY
options for eradicating your home of an ant infestation. Typically, these fall
into two categories: quick-kill treatments and baiting. Before choosing what
option is best for you, remember to be safe.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON
SAFETY: Spray ant killers, baits, and other store-bought treatments can be
dangerous. These products contain poison and their ingredients should be
considered harmful to pets and children. Always read and follow any
instructions included on the labels of these products.
Quick-kill sprays are effective to a point, but they don’t really do the whole job.
They tend to kill visible or foraging ants, however, they are not designed to
solve the problem at its source. They can even fragment a colony and create
several colonies you will then have to deal with.
Baiting — our preferred DIY method — is sometimes more effective because ants
take the poison back to the heart of the colony, stopping the infestation at
its root. While it is our preferred at-home methodology, baiting still isn’t as
strong or as effective as a professional grade solution.
I
have a sugar ant infestation. Who should I call?
If you’ve tried to
eliminate an ant infestation on your own and you’re not seeing the results
you’d hoped for, it’s time to call a professional. DIY methods can be tricky
and the stress induced by putting up with these little pests may simply not be
worth it.
The best pest control
companies offer free, no pressure estimates and same day service for no extra
charge. Look for an exterminator that guarantees results and uses EPA approved
products that are safe for your family and pets.
Whether you have fruit flies feasting in your
fruit bowl or fungus gnats flying around your Ficus, flies can be a frustrating
foe to deal with in your home. Two tactics that a homeowner can use to address
a fly problem are identifying points of entry and removing food and breeding
sources.
The saying is true that “an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure,” and your first line of defense against flies is
simple – keep them out of your home. Doors and windows should remain closed or
screened and any tears in your screens should be repaired along with caulking
any gaps around entry points into your home.
At the grocery store, avoid selecting produce
with noticeable fly activity around it and thoroughly wash fruits and
vegetables when you arrive home to remove their eggs. The same advice holds
true when selecting houseplants from your local garden center, avoid plants
with a noticeable issue and pay attention to the soil for the first several
days.
Once flies are in your home, effective
management involves identification of the fly along with the removal of food
and breeding sources. Proper identification will help to narrow the search.
There are many species of flies, each with their own set of behaviors and
feeding preferences.
For example, drain flies like to breed in the
organic buildup that occurs inside of drains and garbage disposals, while house
flies prefer to breed in the garbage and other waste. Fruit flies breed in
fermented materials like overripe fruit and sticky residues, whereas fungus
gnats like to breed in the overwatered soil of potted plants. Some flies, like
the cluster fly, don’t breed indoors but invade attics and drop ceilings just
to hibernate for the winter.
Changes to some housekeeping habits, whether it
requires you to remove garbage more regularly, clean neglected drains or
improve your food storage strategies, will help to eliminate a fly problem and
prevent the establishment of future problems.
At the end of the day an infestation, although
frustrating, is not the end of the world. If none of the above methods are
working consider calling a professional pest management company to assess the
situation and develop a pest management program to fit your specific needs and
address your pest problem. Preventative methods paired with a skilled
exterminator will help you reclaim your home.
