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Written by: Editor

Published: 31 July 2010

LAKEPORT – This year started with a wet spring that transitioned quickly to a warm summer, conditions which create the perfect breeding ground for all types of insects.

Various types of flies are normally present in Lake County, and are out in abundance this year. Until the weather cools in the fall, problems with flies will only get worse, but there are things residents and business owners can do to help themselves.

Flies need moist, warm organic material in which to lay their eggs. Decaying fruit, vegetables, garden waste, kitchen waste, lawn clippings and other yard waste provide flies with perfect places to lay eggs, as do decaying tules, aquatic weeds, and algae mats.

Food waste dumpsters or garbage cans containing meat, out of date food items and table scraps are perfect as well, along with animal bedding and waste.

Humans are most commonly bothered by the adult stage of flies, however, the larval stage should be the prime target for control. Chemical pesticides must be applied directly to the fly, and therefore are of little use for large populations.

Elimination of larval habitat is the preferred method of pest fly suppression. By removing the material in which larvae develop, the life cycle of the fly can be broken. This prevents the production of the adult pests.

Egg-to-adult fly development requires as little as seven to 10 days. Once the female fly has mated, she may lay as many as 500 eggs.

All flies undergo metamorphosis with egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages of development. The female fly lays eggs in moist organic material where the larvae, or “maggots,” complete their development. When the maggots are ready to undergo the next step in their metamorphosis, they convert their larval skin into the puparium, a hardened shell within which the pupa develops.

The pupa then transforms into the adult fly, which emerges. Most flies don't travel very far over their normal life span of twenty to thirty days, usually less than one mile.

Flies are attracted to smells, and most traps cannot compete with garbage or other aromatic substances. Fly papers or ribbons are effective at eliminating a few flies.

Bug zappers should only be used indoors and not be visible from the outside. Bug zappers outdoors can attract more flies than they kill. They should also not be used near food preparation areas because they may result in food contamination with insect parts.

Garbage should be kept in containers with tight-fitting lids and garbage cans or dumpsters should be emptied twice a week to break the fly life-cycle, and disinfected at least once a week.

Chemical pesticides may be necessary for suppressing adult fly populations in some situations, but they are not a substitute for fly prevention through the elimination of breeding sites. Because flies can quickly develop resistance to insecticides in a few generations, pesticides should only be used as a last resort to obtain immediate control.

Pesticides are poisonous, so people should always read and carefully follow all precautions and safety recommendations given on the container label. All chemicals should be stored in the original labeled containers in a locked cabinet or shed, away from food or feeds, and out of the reach of children, unauthorized persons, pets and livestock.

Biological controls know as fly predators are available from a variety of sources and are used by numerous livestock producers and high traffic facilities in Lake County.

Fly predators are tiny insects that lay their eggs in the fly pupa, where they hatch and eat the developing flies, preventing them from becoming pests. Fly predators do not sting or bite, and they only travel a short distance. They are only interested in fly pupae, so they don't bother people or animals.

They can be purchased for less than $2 per thousand fly predators and can be delivered on a recurring basis via the U.S. Postal Service. They can be used outside any home or business, including restaurants, farms and ranches, horse facilities, and grocery stores. Fly predators are highly susceptible to chemical agents used to kill adult flies, so regular releases of the fly predators are recommended.

Lake County Fair uses fly predators from a California company called Spaulding Laboratories, but there are other companies as well. The fair uses as many as a half million fly predators in a year, usually receiving shipments of fifty thousand at a time for several weeks before and after the annual event on Labor Day weekend.

The fair works closely with Lake County Vector Control District on a chemical spray regimen, and times the release of fly predators around the chemical applications to try to keep as may fly predators alive for as long as possible.

No chemicals are applied at the fairgrounds during the week of the Lake County Fair due to the large number of people and food animals on the site, but all garbage, animal bedding, and waste is removed on a daily basis. Larger numbers of fly predators are also released during the event.

For more information about controlling the flies at your home or business, contact the Lake County Fair for an informational brochure, 70-263-6181, Lake County Vector Control District for more detailed information, 707-263-4770, or search for “fly predators” on the Internet.