Buzzing around you and landing on your food.  Clustered in a corner, staring you down and waiting for your next move.  Flies and wasps are bothersome, but like all flying insects, they have their pros and cons. Those who are plagued with them would most definitely put more weight in the conns list, but they do have their place in our environment. The real issue here is boundaries and how we might draw the line between our living space and theirs.

Flies are primarily a source issue.  A thorough inspection of the home and its surroundings can help identify what and where the fly problem is coming from.  

Most common flies found in and around homes:

• House Fly– animal manure, vegetable refuse, garbage, urine (animal or human), rotten fruit
• Flesh Fly– meat scraps, dog manure, animal carcasses
• Blow Flies(bottle flies)– animal carcasses, animal manure, decaying grass clippings and leaves
• Fruit/Vinegar Flies-rotten fruit, vegetables, trash containers, moist areas, fruit juice and soft drinks.
• Phorid Fly– decaying organic matter, drains, pipes, trash cans, trash compactors/disposals, rotting meat, over watered soil of plants, fresh flowers in vases, feces and animal carcasses. 
• Moth/Drain Flies-bathrooms, shower pans, crawl spaces of houses, sump pump pits, sewers, pits of grass
• Fungus Gnats– indoor plants, planters, atriums, mulch
• Midges (no-see-ums are part of these species)- rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, water supplies, sewage systems.

When it comes to fly control and or elimination, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) really comes into play.  According to the EPA website, “IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment.”

Species and source Identification will get you on the road to minimizing or eliminating your pest problem.  

Sanitation is key

• Locate fly breeding source
• Emptying garbage receptacles on a timely manner
• Assure garbage receptacles have a lid and stay shut when not in use ( you don’t want to allow them to deposit eggs in old trash)
• City receptacles should not be stored in garages or next to the home. ( if at all possible)
• Trash cans should be cleaned out regularly. Debris tends to stick to the bottom and into small cracks and crevices providing a great breeding site.
• Depending on the species of flies, pet excrement can also be a source. Picking up after your pets will help.
• Regular cleaning of drains.
• Reduce overwatering plants indoors and outdoors.

When it comes to these flying invaders, they are definitely a nuisance because they are known to attack if felt threatened.  Like all insects, wasps have a lot of subspecies, however most pest professionals would agree that the best control method is to eliminate wasps as they are grouped on their nest.

The following list are the most common around a home.

• Paper Wasp –  because of the paper nest they hang from, found at front and back overhangs.
• Yellow Jackets –  Yellow and black bands on the abdomen. Nest above and in the ground.
• Mud Daubers – Solitary wasp, Not aggressive, feeds on spiders. Constructs brood chambers from mud.
• Cicada Killers – 1-1.5 in. in length, Solitary wasps tend to group in general areas making them that much more intimidating. ( Not to be confused with Asian Giant Hornet also know as the murder hornet)
• Velvet Ants – Solitary wasp classed as a wingless wasp.(not an Ant). All black with areas often very bright red, orange, yellow or white. Pack a strong sting if stepped on or handled. 

The Pros…

• Wasps are beneficial insects, they control smaller insect populations including spiders.
• Spider Wasps are known to fly around in Central Texas preying on spiders and tarantulas. Tarantula Hawks being the larger species.
• Crime Solving Insects: Fly Larvae and other insects help to determine the time elapsed since death, or postmortem interval.  Can also help determine if a corpse has been moved from a crime scene. 

The Cons…

• House Fly Reproductive Potential- “A pair of house flies beginning operations in April may produce, if all were to live, 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 flies by August.” – C. Hodges (1911)  This number would cover the earth 47 feet deep.  Gross!
• The literal garbage diet of flies means that they can transmit a large range of diseases like typhoid, cholera and skin infections. 
• According to the CDC, in 2000-2017 the annual average of deaths per year in the US was 62 from flying insect stings.

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov and https://texasinsects.tamu.edu