Filth Fly Prevention Tips for Retail Food Stores

Filth flies can develop in a phenomenally short period of time. It can take as little as 6 days for the common house fly to go from egg to adult during the warm weather. This is the major reason why we have problems with these types of flies in mid to late summer. A short life cycle means a larger number of flies during times when conditions are good. Filth flies received their name because they are associated with filth and can transmit diseases, including those diseases responsible for food borne illness.

Follow these tips to reduce the risk of filth flies around your store:

Keep dock doors closed when not in use. Flies like the house fly are typically breeding outdoors and coming in from the exterior.
Make sure that trash chute doors are sealed tightly. Outdoor flies can be lured to the building via the scent of garbage and make their way into the structure through poor sealed garbage chute doors or housing.
Make sure that doors are well sealed when closed, even around the base. We typically focus on the bottom door seal for rodent control but flies and other insects will enter through bottom door gaps as well.
Keep the pad around the dumpster clean and free of debris which may attract flies and even provide an area for them to breed.
Use trash receptacles with self-closing lids on the exterior to minimize garbage odors and reduce the ability for flies to forage.
Keep exterior break areas clean and free of food related trash and spills.
Make sure that all vents have the proper screen sizes to prevent pest entry. Normal window screening will exclude filth flies.
Check automatic doors for proper closure. Does the door stick open or not seal properly when closed? If so, get the doors repaired.
Use insect light traps inside the store to trap and monitor for these pests.

Filth Fly Prevention Tips for Retail Food Stores

Follow these tips to reduce the risk of filth flies around your store:

Keep dock doors closed when not in use. Flies like the house fly are typically breeding outdoors and coming in from the exterior.

Make sure that trash chute doors are sealed tightly. Outdoor flies can be lured to the building via the scent of garbage and make their way into the structure through poor sealed garbage chute doors or housing.

Make sure that doors are well sealed when closed, even around the base. We typically focus on the bottom door seal for rodent control but flies and other insects will enter through bottom door gaps as well.

Keep the pad around the dumpster clean and free of debris which may attract flies and even provide an area for them to breed.

Use trash receptacles with self-closing lids on the exterior to minimize garbage odors and reduce the ability for flies to forage.

Keep exterior break areas clean and free of food related trash and spills.

Make sure that all vents have the proper screen sizes to prevent pest entry. Normal window screening will exclude filth flies.

Check automatic doors for proper closure. Does the door stick open or not seal properly when closed? If so, get the doors repaired.

Use insect light traps inside the store to trap and monitor for these pests.