When fresh donuts come out onto the rack, it is the alluring aroma that draws in the crowd. In the darker world of insects, it is the scent of a dead corpse that may draw this creature in from 16k away. The corpse doesn’t have to be seen and you are unlikely to see the adult enter your premises, but the blow fly will leave you hundreds of invaders.
Deep in the voids
Many times animals such as rodents or birds end up dying inside of hard to observe places. These may include:
- Wall voids
- Ventilation ducts
- Small appliance cavities
- Crawl spaces
- False ceilings
If a mouse dies in a warm air conduit, the blow fly will find it. If a bird dies in a wall void, a blow fly will find it. When this relationship occurs in nature, we appreciate the built in corpse removal systems. When flies or maggots invade living spaces or places of business, it is less than appreciated.
Corpse Consumption
The fine tuned sense of the blow fly is key to its development. The mother fly deposits her eggs into the rotting corpse so the hatchlings will enter life with a plethora of protein-rich food for their fast-paced development. As the flies turn into adults, they will fly off to continue their life cycle. This will mean passing through your space you wish to keep fly free. In some situations, as the food dwindles, maggots will start to meander to new places in search of enough food to sustain them.
How to unsee the previously unseen
Once the flies establish their presence, undoing the situation will require removing the food source and cleaning out the area. Once the attractive element and home base have been removed, the flies will disappear shortly thereafter. Additionally, supplemental treatments may be done to speed up the blow fly eviction such as crack and crevice treatments or fly traps. This supplemental treatment approach may be especially important in areas that have other susceptible areas such as high flow trash receptacles.
Establish a no fly zone
Areas of business and dwelling should be no fly zones for flies. Your best defense against fly invaders is keeping regular control measures in place for other pests. This minimizes the chances of corpse occurrences and also keeps active monitoring measures in place for early detection of any situation that needs addressed. Meet with Rove’s fly defense team to see how they can keep this unseen thing from popping up on your premises.
Solving the Autostereogram
Wondering how to solve an autostereogram? You can get some helpful tips here. Otherwise, feel free to scroll through the original image and then the hidden image.
About Rob Greer: Pest Control Expert and Industry Leader
Rob Greer, co-founder of Rove Pest Control, has a deep connection with nature, developed during his upbringing in rural Idaho where he raised horses and cattle. He began his career in pest control in 2001 to support his university studies. After earning a BS in Business Management, Rob, along with Lenny Gray and McKay Bodily, founded Rove Pest Control.
Rob has played a pivotal role in shaping the operational framework of Rove Pest Control, with a focus on personal development for team members, public health awareness, and tailoring services to meet the needs of individuals and communities.
As an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) and Subject Matter Expert (SME), Rob has made significant contributions to the pest control industry. He has collaborated on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s UMN Extension certification manual and exam development, the National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual for the EPA, and the Quality Pro Customer Service Credential Task Force. His expertise has also been recognized in his testimony for the pest control industry before the Minnesota state legislature as a State Policy Affairs Representative. Currently, Rob serves as the President of the Minnesota Pest Management Association Board. Learn more about Rob Greer.