Fly control in the GTA and Peel

Which fly is it?

Cluster flies. Slightly bigger and slower than a house fly, with golden hairs on the thorax. In autumn they gather on sunny south and west walls and work their way into attics, wall voids and window frames to overwinter, then wake up on a warm winter day and appear at your upstairs windows by the dozen. They do not breed indoors, but they can become a major seasonal nuisance. Homes near fields or green space may see more activity. The main control strategy is exclusion before flies move inside for winter.

Fruit flies. Tiny, tan, red eyes. Breeding in overripe produce, spilled juice or beer, recycling bins, mop buckets, and the organic film inside floor drains and under equipment. One forgotten potato at the back of a cupboard can keep a population going indefinitely.

Drain flies. Small, fuzzy and moth-like, usually resting on bathroom walls or near floor drains. They breed in the gel-like film inside drains, traps and under sinks. Bleach alone does not remove the organic film where larvae develop. The buildup needs to be physically cleaned and, where appropriate, treated with a drain-maintenance product.

House flies and blow flies. Large numbers indoors may point to waste, decaying organic material or another breeding source in or near the building.

How we handle it

1. Identify the species, which points straight at the source.
2. Find and remove the breeding site. This is the key to lasting control; treating adult flies alone is temporary.
3. Treat the source. Bio-enzymatic drain treatment, sanitation fixes, clearing organic debris, or removing a dead animal.
4. Knock down the adults, plus light traps where they suit a commercial setting.
5. Exclusion for cluster flies. Sealing soffits, fascia gaps, window frames, attic vents and utility penetrations, done in late summer or early autumn.
6. Follow-up. Any applicable 90-day written guarantee is explained in your quote.

Restaurants and food service

Fly activity in customer or food-handling areas needs a documented response. Ask about off-hours service, drain and equipment-area treatment, insect light-trap programs and visit reports. See commercial pest control.