32 replies to this topic

[natbug]

Help!!! We are out in the country and the fly problem is overwhelming. As in, I feel like I am in a Hitchcock movie! The Birds have nothing on these flies.

Yes, I know, that's the rural areas, blah, blah, blah. What I need is actual advice from people who have dealt with this issue. What can I use that is pet friendly and effective? NOB I used the yellow traps from Home Depot to which one adds water, and they worked great. Trouble is I have seen nothing like that Lakeside. In Guad perhaps?

They laugh uproariously at lavendar, rosemary and citronella.

Please don't advise me to move, I love everything about our new place EXCEPT the flies.
Thanks

[giltner68]

Ah, the annual problem, be glad, in CA it's black fly season and they bite. Try using some sandwich bags or something roughly that size filled with water and hug with a string around the area you wish to be in. Some say it works, some say it doesn't, just an idea I saw work in TX.

[natbug]

At this point I am desperate enough to try anything. Are you implying that this is seasonal and will subside at some point? That would help me keep my sanity if true.

[Griffin]

Buy some fly strips. The flies are attracted to them, land and then stick to the strips. The strips hang out of the way of other animals and don't contain poisonous chemicals.

[JayBearII]

We had a fly outbreak last summer and the bags of water worked altho not perfectly. Hang them in the doorways or between the doorways and the kitchen. Yes, the outbreak should go away in a few weeks. Also, they seem to be attracted to anything cooking, so when you are done cooking, take the trash out and fan the odors away. Seems to help.

[giltner68]

Ha, seems everything here is "seasonal", the weather, flies, mosquitoes, bobs, Junio bugs (can't wait for them) etc. I think that may be why the Mexican people are such a patient bunch (except Tapatio drivers) they've learned over the centuries if you just wait all things change. Personally I'm impatient and pessimistic, I know things will change, but I worry that "change" means I not only have flies, but also mosquitos AND spiders - Lord love a duck, spiders?

[cedros]

This is the start of the bad season for house type flies. I haven't found anything that stops them. The plastic bags full of water of course don't work. I bought the sticky fly coils that you hang up and surprisingly they never caught any. I made a trap from a 2 liter plastic bottle and it likewise didn't catch anything. I use a fly swatter and kill many. I don't think there is much else you can do but wait for them to finish their cycle.

[BillClarke]

..the sticky fly coils that you hang up and surprisingly they never catch any. I use a fly swatter and wait them out.

Hunter vs Gatherer

[Travis]

These days, there is nothing that is not on YouTube. Seriously. Nothing.

Below is a video of how to make a homemade flytrap. A fellow who lives in Guadalajara swore by this thing. I've never needed one here, but I did make one of these during a vacation at the beach. Unfortunately, the only thing I caught was a gecko. Poor guy. So I ditched the trap. No idea....maybe it'll work, maybe not. If you do a search, there are other types of fly-catching videos on Youtube I'm sure. May is definitely when they are most annoying around here.

Happy Hunting.

[paradise]

The plastic 2 litter bottle trick works!!!!!!!! The best bait is microwaved tuna......

[rufus]

I doubt the plastic bags filled with water will help. When I was a kid, they used to put a tuft of white cotton on the screen doors to keep away flies. I never did see the logic in that either.

Your best bet will be the fly stips. Use plenty of them; don't expect one to do the trick.

For what it is worth, I have found the flies tend to be in the first four or five off of the ground. Strips hung at that level seem to get a lot more flies than those hung at the eaves.

The pop bottle traps are very effective, but they smell really bad. If you are out in the country, they may work for you. Just make sure they are hung far away from your house. Also, be mindful of your neighbors. The smell is truly horrible.

Rufus

[augie]

hammacher.com has several bug and mosquito traps/machines. go to their site and in their search bar type in the word mosquito. it will bring up mosquito and other bug (supposed) eliminators. unfortunately, you'd probably have to buy one while in the states or have someone bring one with them. i hate mosquitos but they love me and when i get bitten i get huge welts and look like something out of a horror movie. i also hate anything creepy crawly, like spiders. i'm a wimp.

[Griffin]

I bought the sticky fly coils that you hang up and surprisingly they never caught any.

You have to get one or two to land on the strip and after that all the flies will go to it to investigate and become stuck.

[natbug]

Ok, so the consensus seems to be fly strips and smelly bait in bottle. Will try both. Where can I get the fly strips? Looked at Walmart and Sorianna and didn't see any. I have a friend in the states now who is going to try to find traps/repellent at Home Depot so maybe if I use everything I can cut the population down to a manageable size as opposed to the hoards I currently have.

So if I stick a couple of the ones we swatted and stick them on the strips, that increases the likelihood of new ones joining them?

I truly appreciate all the helpful advice!! Thanks

[Griffin]

Any hardware store has fly strips and many tiendas have them this time of year.

[owner]

We had a fly outbreak last summer and the bags of water worked altho not perfectly. Hang them in the doorways or between the doorways and the kitchen. Yes, the outbreak should go away in a few weeks. Also, they seem to be attracted to anything cooking, so when you are done cooking, take the trash out and fan the odors away. Seems to help.

WHEN THE RAINS COME THE OUTBREAK GETS WORSE i dont know the nane of it but you can buy it in the hardware store by the grave yard its a plate with something they eat and die right away used it alot when we lived on the ranch in cd guzman

[Griffin]

It's poison mixed with sugar. Works great but make sure no other animals come into contact with it. I've seen it at several hardware stores.

[natbug]

Well, an update. While out today looking for fly strips, which we found, we also found the NOB fly traps we had used in the past. In Superlake of all places. We bought 2 and hung them immediately. I hope they work as well as they did NOB. Will keep you posted in case I'm not the only one seriously infested.

Owner, I am terrified to use any poison because we have dogs and cats and the risk is not acceptable to me, but I appreciate the input.

[Krogl309]

What is the correct wording or phrase for fly strips in Spanish? Tnx.

[natbug]

On the strips we bought it say "atrapa moscas". I told my hubby to ask for trapas de moscas. My Spanish sucks tho so don't know if that is correct or not.