Homes and businesses throughout Ireland are being told to expect a fly-infested summer.
The warning comes as Rentokill reports a 33% rise in callouts for fly infestations in the first three months of the year.
The pest controllers are blaming the increase on the mild winter and spring weather.
Rentokil is expecting infestation levels to increase substantially as we move into the summer months.
The company says this is the time of year when the insects breed and thrive.
The top four counties which accounted for the highest number of callouts for flies during January, February and March were Kerry, Dublin, Cork, and Galway.
To keep flies at bay, Rentokill recommends doing the following:
- Keep blinds and doors closed during hot weather
- Clear food debris and liquid spillages immediately from under kitchen units and appliances.
- Ensure all dustbins have tightly sealed lids.
- Clean up after pets. Not only are faeces a perfect breeding place for flies, they may land there before landing on your food.
- Always cover food so as not to attract flies but also to reduce the spread of diseases - flies spread diseases by landing on food before we eat it
- Check your roof for old birds’ nests as they can be a source of flies, amongst other pests.
