Summer comes with many blessings but flies are surely not one of them. No matter how much you keep the kennel clean, these uninvited guests just love to show up. Well, there are some effective ways you can keep the dogs safe from the flies.
Why Do We Call Them Filth Flies?
Flies are not merely some annoying creatures, they’re more than that. Flies carry many deadly-disease organisms that are harmful to both human and animal health. Flies breed in the bacteria-filled environment and they carry over one million bacteria. It sounds disgusting, right? Well, keeping the flies off the kennel is a must for ensuring good health to your furry friends as flies can transmit 60 different types of diseases.
7 Tips to Get Rid of Flies from Dog Kennels
1. Environmental Control
Flies tend to reproduce in warm weather and to limit their presence from the dog kennel you must limit their breeding. The environment around the dog kennel should be unappealing for them to reproduce.
Keep the kennel inside the house during the day as that’s the time when the flies are more active. However, if that’s not possible and if the kennel is kept outside then keep the space around the kennel clean and tidy to ensure that the flies are not breeding around it.
Never leave any food scraps or leftovers on the kennel or around it. Those will only scream “come to papa” to the flies and they’ll come rushing to it. Wash the dog’s eating bowl after the Fido is done eating and clean the feces right after they take a dump to keep the place more sanitary.
The next environment control method may sound like a scam as there’s no solid scientific evidence for it. However, it does work like a charm. Keep a zip-lock bag filled with water and a few pennies. This has proven to be an effective method to keep the flies away. It may sound like a scam but do give it a try and see the results yourself.
2. Collect the Feces Regularly
For the dog parents, the most effective way to keep away the flies is to proper management of the dog feces. Dog poop are the breeding ground for the flies so make sure clean off the kennel regularly to keep the flies from breeding and spreading. Bury the feces as soon as possible or dispose of it properly in a bag.
If you have the outside the home or in the yard then make sure that you collect the manure frequently and dispose of them before the flies can lay their eggs on it. The decomposition of the feces will reduce the chance of fly breeding and keep the fur babies safe.
However, if the kennel in on concrete then tries to wash the floor every day to prevent fly infestation. Make sure that the wash goes down directly to the sewer as otherwise it’ll create more damage than good and spread the infestation.
3. Weed Control near the Kennel
Flies are prone to rest at small weeds and grasses. So, if you have any excess mass growing near the kennel then make sure you trim the grasses regularly to keep the flies away from the kennel. Large grasses and weed will encourage the flies more and lure them towards the kennel.
4. Use Some Essential Oils
Using essentials oils have been proven to be a very effective method to keep the flies away. You can create your own blend of non-toxic fly repellent with the essential oils. The essential oils are made with completely natural ingredient hence, they’re also not harmful to health or skin.
However, do not put it excessively as that might cause an allergic reaction to the pooch. Also, before putting it on the dog’s entire body, try it on a small spot to carry out an allergy test.
Some specific essential oils have natural fly-repellent in them. Rosemary, geranium, lavender, and lemon essential oils are some excellent sources of keeping the flies away while ensuring safety to the furballs.
Make sure you maintain a proper distance from the nose and the eyes of the dog as that will cause severe damage and burns. Also, do not put the oils directly to the skin or fur. Put two/three drops of the oil and dilute it with a sufficient amount of water and then spray it on their fur or skin.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar to the Rescue
Apple cider vinegar comes with many health and beauty benefits. They’re also equally excellent when it comes to keeping the flies away. Just like the essential oils, use apple cider vinegar on the dogs and spray it around the kennel to keep the flies away.
Dilute the apple cider with vinegar in equal portion and spray it all around to ensure the flies don’t lay eggs or breed around the kennel.
6. Get a Bug Zapper
A bug zapper is an excellent way to keep away the flies. The bug zapper will not only catch flies but also catch all other types of bugs and keep the dogs safe. Bear in mind that you’ll need an electrical power outlet near the kennel to connect the bug zapper.
However, flies are not essentially attracted to the bug zappers. Hence, this method might not be as effective as others in terms of keeping the flies away.
7. Plant bug-repelling flowers and herbs
Planting bug-repelling flowers and herbs will keep the fur babies safe from the nasty flies and save them from many diseases. Basil, lavender, daisy, and marigolds are a few that flies avoid.
Plant some of these around the home and the kennel to effectively keep away the flies. Keep a plant inside your home to keep the environment safe for both humans as well as pets.
Our Last Opinion
Flies are nothing but a nuisance and they’re just as harmful to pets as they are for humans. Flies can transmit varieties of diseases and they’re filthy to start with. Keeping the flies away from the dog kennel is crucial for ensuring safety to the health of the dogs.
All the methods that we described work excellent in terms of keeping the flies away. So, do give them a try to keep the kennel
