Flies in my pole barn!

[Ranger Rick]

Two years ago we had our house attic insulated with foam for our conditioned space for the HVAC and since then each fall I have had thousands of flies get in the attic. I set off two bug bombs this weekend to get rid of them. I wish I knew how they get in or why so many. The everything up there is now covered with dead flies. I vacuumed up a lot of them so that I could change the furnace filter. Just like a scene from a Halloween haunted house. Rick

 

[teejk]

Well I fired off 3 bug bombs last night. We'll see how they work. I know it killed some of the flies!

We are all waiting for the results!!!

 

[oosik]

He's probably out in the barn still sweeping. Ha,ha

 

[PapaPerk]

We are all waiting for the results!!!

The bug bombs worked great! Lots of flies to sweep up! Hundreds!!! Still a few flying around but may have entered afterwards. Now back to sweeping! Lol

 

[dragoneggs]

Bombing is the solution... fly tape is a joke. IMO and from experience.

 

[hslogger]

I probably will catch a lot of flak from the majority of readers, but I would suggest you go for the least benign manner of eradication. Fly predators work. Fly bags work. The reasoning for just going out and nuking the heck out of everything goes out the window for me because I have seen it move up the food chain. True story, not by me but neighbors. Wonder where the owls and bats went? Or how about the kestrels? Modern folks are just too crazy about going down to the feed store and buying something to eradicate something. Poison is Poison. Anyway, give it some thought, research and time. Thanks folks.

 

[dave1949]

I probably will catch a lot of flak from the majority of readers, but I would suggest you go for the least benign manner of eradication. Fly predators work. Fly bags work. The reasoning for just going out and nuking the heck out of everything goes out the window for me because I have seen it move up the food chain. True story, not by me but neighbors. Wonder where the owls and bats went? Or how about the kestrels? Modern folks are just too crazy about going down to the feed store and buying something to eradicate something. Poison is Poison. Anyway, give it some thought, research and time. Thanks folks.

Flak! No, just kidding.

Usually, if I can figure out why something is the way it is, I can find a safe solution. I could never figure out why my garage had thousands of flies, or why it should continue to have them.

Near as I can tell, these are cluster flies. Cluster flies supposedly parasitize earthworms in their larval stage. I don't have that many earthworms around, probably more than I think, but I don't think enough to support that fly population.

Most of the earthworms I do have are non-native imports from Europe. There is some debate and ongoing research as to whether this is a good thing or bad thing for the native forest. Some think the euroworms reduce (eat) the natural duff and leaf litter on the forest floor too much, which limits seedling regeneration and development.

Your point is true and well-taken, but I didn't think spraying in a completely enclosed building with no animals or feed present represents much danger except to myself. There are no children living here, nor do I worry about defective cells in making any more. I beat the Darwin Award and hopefully, the food chain will not partake. :laughing:

 

[murphy1244]

I have Barn Swallows, Keeps the Mosquito population down too

 

[dragoneggs]

I probably will catch a lot of flak from the majority of readers, but I would suggest you go for the least benign manner of eradication. Fly predators work. Fly bags work. The reasoning for just going out and nuking the heck out of everything goes out the window for me because I have seen it move up the food chain. True story, not by me but neighbors. Wonder where the owls and bats went? Or how about the kestrels? Modern folks are just too crazy about going down to the feed store and buying something to eradicate something. Poison is Poison. Anyway, give it some thought, research and time. Thanks folks.

True enough and well said. No flak here.

 

[Old Virginia Joe]

granular/powder fly bait, the stuff is controlled is some states/provinces so a license may be needed but if you can get some, man that stuff will have you wearing out brooms from sweepin up flies.

p.s. make sure that no cats/dogs/pets can get to the mixture, it will kill everything virtually instantly. rats/mice/racoons/possums all pests have been known to get to this stuff and die instantly, so be careful with it.

all farm supply/tsc stores all carry fly bait.

Absolutely my favorite fly control, right there. Get it at Tractor Supply Co. It is a sex-pheremone smell for flies, a nerve poison, and they lick it, and in a couple minutes you see them buzzing around in the death spiral. It MUST be kept fresh, meaning you have to keep the resealable plastic top on the can when not dispensing it, as moisture in the humid summer air will get in it quickly and ruin it. I used it in the meat industry, around our dumpsters back in the 90s, and it was like magic. One u get them under control, don't forget about it, as new flies will move in to the area, and take over again. The entire neighborhood will notice a decrease in the fly population overall!