Safety Products

Please be sure to read the product label of any insecticide you choose to use to get information on the personal protective safety gear you will need. In most situations, it is recommended that you wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, chemical resistant gloves, and goggles. In areas where ventilation is poor, a manufacturer may recommend you wear a mask or a respirator. We have put together two different safety kits that will make selecting the correct safety gear easier for you.

How to Get Rid of Bottle Flies

By DoMyOwn staff
Overview

Identifying Bottle Flies

a bottle fly perched on a plant stem

The Bottle Fly and Blow Fly are both members of the family of common, large flies with a metallic blue, green, bronze, or black sheen. These flies are the ones that make an audible buzzing sound, particularly when flying near windows.

There are 3 basic steps to Bottle Fly Control:
Step 1

Sanitation and Elimination of Breeding Sources

a blow fly on a green leaf

Sanitation is the key to eliminating all fly infestations. You can use all the sprays and traps in the world to eliminate Bottle Flies, but you must eliminate the breeding/feeding sources of the pest in order to completely eliminate the pest.

  • Clean trash receptacles regularly and always use plastic liners.
  • Keep trash in a receptacle with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Inspect areas under and behind appliances for hidden food spills that may be attracting the flies.
  • Promptly dispose of rotting produce.
  • Clean under floor mats regularly.
Step 2

Exclusion

You will find that fewer bottle flies and fewer pests in general will find their way into your home if you make it more difficult for them to enter.

  • Doors leading to the outside should be equipped with self-closing devices or a screen door.
  • Keep window and door screens in good repair, without tears or holes.
  • Make sure that all doors fit tightly within their frames, with intact weather-stripping.
  • Any cracks or gaps around windows and doors should be caulked.

Step 3

Chemical Methods for Bottle Fly Control (Pesticides)

Fly Traps & Baits

  • Catchmaster Goldstick Fly Traps - Catchmaster Gold Sticks are long tubes with a sticky glue and fly pheromone attractant for capturing and killing house flies, bottle flies, and other nuisance flies. Catchmaster gold sticks come in a patented "clean access" perforated box that is easy to use and handle.
  • Maxforce Granular Fly Bait kills flies in about 60 seconds, and keeps controlling them for up to 30 days.

Liquid Residual Treatments

Spray surfaces around windows and doors where flies have been seen resting or trying to enter structures with a wettable powder such as Cyper WSP or Demon WP. Repeat treatment once a month to maintain the residual effect. Where visible residues are of concern, Talstar P is a highly effective alternative to the wettable powders.

Contact Aerosols

It may take several weeks for sanitation measures and other methods of fly control to achieve complete elimination. In the meantime, a contact aerosol may be used for quick kill of flying adult bottle flies present in the surrounding area.

Contact aerosols kill flies on contact. We recommend PT 565 PLUS XLO.

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