We already talked about how this quarantine has had its effect on rats. But what you may not realize is the management of trash and the inevitable changes to the waste management industry has generated a perfect area for filth flies to hunker down and breed in happiness. And as New England gets warmer and warmer, we can expect to see an increase in those flies – and that can be a threat to our health and safety. So, what is going on and how can we head it off at the pass?
Aren’t we creating less trash at the moment?
Not exactly; it’s just located in smaller areas where traffic is slow or nonexistent. Public places (think of the garbage cans in the park or on the street) and closed businesses are, of course, creating less trash. Restaurants are doing takeout and that means the cooks are still hard at work, and with people self-quarantining, we are definitely creating more garbage at home. All we have done is compile a lot of trash that is less spread out. More of it is growing in smaller areas like dumpsters outside of restaurants, our home garbage cans, and compactors in apartment buildings. The flies will be drawn to where the most trash is – so you will find a lot of flies in smaller areas since that’s where the garbage currently is. The increased amount of garbage in smaller areas is also difficult for sanitation companies to balance. So, what we have created is not only a great food source for filth flies but an ideal breeding ground, too.
Isn’t the city just picking up trash more often?
Not really. There are actually cases where the usual dumpster and compactor cleaning schedules have been put on hold to comply with social distancing recommendations. That job is not easy to do while having employees stay at least 6 feet away from each other. Covid-19 testing, making sure kids get school lunches, and trying to plan the reopening of our country means our officials have enough to think about. So, even though there’s more garbage out there, increasing cleaning or servicing that trash isn’t exactly top of the list. Some things are just more important than others – we can all agree on that.
So, what do we do?
First, let’s get out in front of this with some proactive actions. Make sure your garbage cans and bags are closed tightly. And waiting until you see an infestation may create an emergency call to your pest control company, so make a normal call today. Request more trash pickups, too. As we start to open up and gradually come back from all this, there will be more trash created throughout our towns. The sanitation company you use won’t find this to be an unusual request. In addition, have the cleaning frequency of your compactors and dumpsters increased. Filth attracts filth flies. Stands to reason if you decrease the filth, you’ll decrease the number of flies. The best thing you can do is have Waltham Pest Services come out and keep you from having an emergency situation. The cost savings alone make it worth having Waltham Pest Services take proactive measures instead of wasting money and time on infestations that could have been prevented. Our techs will take preventative measures for the filth flies, but you know what other pests love trash? Rats and cockroaches. So, go with total pest services – not just for flies.
Every time a fly lands, they can transmit awful diseases like Salmonella sp., E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Shigella just to mention a few. As if that’s not enough of a reason to take care of these pests, seeing them can be a sign of a bigger issue that will need to be taken care of and can cause patrons to shy away from your establishment. Because we have a nice heads up about the perfect fly breeding ground situation we are creating right now – and you’ve always known you don’t want them bugging (pun intended) your guests – give Waltham Pest Services a ring and start your proactive plan today.