Need some advice

W

wineo

loving life
Help with flies

:jameo:Yesterday when I came home there were flies in my kitchen window and skylight, and in the livingroom windows, no where else in the house. Most have been 100 of them:wench: Got the shop vac out and started sucking them up.

Problem is we can not figure out where they are coming from. No holes in the screens, no openings in the skylight. There are none in the attic.

Get up this morning and they are starting again:jameo:

What can I put out on the counter to draw them to it? Is there a mixture you know of, like you put out for fruit flies?

I will go completely crazy:jameo: today if I have to spend it killing these bastards. Not only do I have to clean up from killing them with the swater, and wiping everything down.

Any suggestions would be great.
 
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cattitude

cattitude

My Sweetest Boy
Got any dog poop?



:lmao:

Good luck, I've never heard of a mixture for that, although they do sell the little "kits" that you can put by your trash cans that contains foul-smelling liquid that lures them and catches them in a bottle. What about fly strips?
 
lulu belle

lulu belle

me
Pick up some fly traps at the hardware store (not the fly papers, I don't think those work that great, they have some that look like bags...)
 
W

wineo

loving life
lulu belle said:
Pick up some fly traps at the hardware store (not the fly papers, I don't think those work that great, they have some that look like bags...)
Click to expand...

I'm heading out now to buy some:yay:, thought the little store up the street would have carried them, but not anymore.

Already started the vaccum, and am sucking them up:boxing:. I am so grossed out. Bleaching every counter and windowsill.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
wineo said:
:jameo:Yesterday when I came home there were flies in my kitchen window and skylight, and in the livingroom windows, no where else in the house. Most have been 100 of them:wench: Got the shop vac out and started sucking them up.

Problem is we can not figure out where they are coming from. No holes in the screens, no openings in the skylight. There are none in the attic.

Get up this morning and they are starting again:jameo:

What can I put out on the counter to draw them to it? Is there a mixture you know of, like you put out for fruit flies?

I will go completely crazy:jameo: today if I have to spend it killing these bastards. Not only do I have to clean up from killing them with the swater, and wiping everything down.

Any suggestions would be great.
Click to expand...

You sure they are fruit flies? Now is just about the time that termites and carpenter ants swarm. The flying female carpenter ant kinda looks like a fruit fly. Get a magnifier lens and look real close to be sure.
 
Dye Tied

Dye Tied

Garden Variety Gnome
wineo said:
:jameo:Yesterday when I came home there were flies in my kitchen window and skylight, and in the livingroom windows, no where else in the house. Most have been 100 of them:wench: Got the shop vac out and started sucking them up.

Problem is we can not figure out where they are coming from. No holes in the screens, no openings in the skylight. There are none in the attic.

Get up this morning and they are starting again:jameo:

What can I put out on the counter to draw them to it? Is there a mixture you know of, like you put out for fruit flies?

I will go completely crazy:jameo: today if I have to spend it killing these bastards. Not only do I have to clean up from killing them with the swater, and wiping everything down.

Any suggestions would be great.
Click to expand...


Are they the little ones with large wings? Drain flies...

http://forums.somd.com/chit-chat/76922-please-help-me-kill-these-little-ers.html
 
W

wineo

loving life
GWguy said:
You sure they are fruit flies? Now is just about the time that termites and carpenter ants swarm. The flying female carpenter ant kinda looks like a fruit fly. Get a magnifier lens and look real close to be sure.
Click to expand...

NO, they are not fruit flies. I was asking if there was a mixture like you put out for fruit flies.

They are BIG FLIES, I call them maggot flies.:wench:
 
kwillia

kwillia

n/a
wineo said:
No, they just look like regular flies.

I swear they are coming in from the skylight. Is there a weep hole in a skylight for draining on the outside?

Think I will tape up the edge of skylight from the inside and see what happens.
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If there are that many all at once, than I would think there is something dead in the vacinity and you are now dealing the the maturing maggots. You may want to pop your head into your attic and see what's going on. The flies can make their way from the attic to your living area via light fixtures and such.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
wineo said:
NO, they are not fruit flies. I was asking if there was a mixture like you put out for fruit flies.

They are BIG FLIES, I call them maggot flies.:wench:
Click to expand...

Sorry, misread. With that many coming out from "nowhere", it really sounds like a swarming.
 
desertrat

desertrat

0_0
kwillia said:
If there are that many all at once, than I would think there is something dead in the vacinity and you are now dealing the the maturing maggots. You may want to pop your head into your attic and see what's going on. The flies can make their way from the attic to your living area via light fixtures and such.
Click to expand...

Time to take Uncle Dan to the landfill.
 
clevalley

clevalley

...
wineo said:
No, they just look like regular flies.

I swear they are coming in from the skylight. Is there a weep hole in a skylight for draining on the outside?

Think I will tape up the edge of skylight from the inside and see what happens.
Click to expand...

Be careful if you put tape on the inside of the skylight... if it is smoked/tinted it might have a film on it doing so. The tape will tear a portion of the film off where the tape adheres to it... I 'effed up one doing this one time.

If you do tape it up, use masking tape (blue painters tape); the stickum is not as tacky.

Some skylights are vented per-say and it is possible for flies to come in. Is can happen especially if the skylight where it sits on the flashing/collar is not sealed correctly; but you would have more than just a fly problem unless it is newly installed.

Sounds like a food source is nearby and they have made camp...
 
W

wineo

loving life
kwillia said:
If there are that many all at once, than I would think there is something dead in the vacinity and you are now dealing the the maturing maggots. You may want to pop your head into your attic and see what's going on. The flies can make their way from the attic to your living area via light fixtures and such.
Click to expand...

The "attic" is really a 1/2 finished room, waiting to be drywalled. There is nothing around the house or under it rotting. Dogs would have let me know if there was anything. Lab tracks any scent in the yard:lmao:

There are no flies in the 4 windows upstairs, have the door sealed off right now, did that on Sunday.

Going to wait and see what happens after I tape off the skylight.
 
W

wineo

loving life
clevalley said:
Be careful if you put tape on the inside of the skylight... if it is smoked/tinted it might have a film on it doing so. The tape will tear a portion of the film off where the tape adheres to it... I 'effed up one doing this one time.

If you do tape it up, use masking tape (blue painters tape); the stickum is not as tacky.

Some skylights are vented per-say and it is possible for flies to come in. Is can happen especially if the skylight where it sits on the flashing/collar is not sealed correctly; but you would have more than just a fly problem unless it is newly installed.

Sounds like a food source is nearby and they have made camp...
Click to expand...

Not sure where the food source would be on the roof other then leaves from the storm and gumballs from the trees.

White skylight/ no tint that I can tell, recessed in the ceiling. I got on the counter and can see an edge I could tape that would not mess up the paint or the skylight. I do have that blue tape.

Hubby is going to get up on the roof tonight and check the flashing and seal.

Thanks for all your help.
 
clevalley

clevalley

...
wineo said:
Not sure where the food source would be on the roof other then leaves from the storm and gumballs from the trees.

White skylight/ no tint that I can tell, recessed in the ceiling. I got on the counter and can see an edge I could tape that would not mess up the paint or the skylight. I do have that blue tape.

Hubby is going to get up on the roof tonight and check the flashing and seal.

Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

Something you might want to try; go get some Spectracide Triazicide and mix in a spray bottle. Spray around the outside of the skylight and around the contact point between the inside where the top of the trim and the skylight glass is (if any). This will create a kill-zone for about 6 weeks and let you know if there is a gap. If the skylight is right up on the drywall be careful with the spray as it might stain it; but if you spray carefully you will be fine.

You can get this stuff at WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot - wherever insecticide is sold.
 
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