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I had painters here about 6 weeks ago. After closing all windows, etc. I had to kill numerous flies - 50?

I am still seeing flies, though not nearly as many in my house. I don't know how they are coming in. I asked the painter to come back and he cannot find that they left an opening in the wood they replaced on the house.

Any ideas?

user18168
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  • my best guess would be its either something has dies under your floor, or a sewer cover has been left off/open...

    unless of course they used bright yellow paint, which attracts flies...

     – Digital Lightcraft Nov 18 '13 at 17:27
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    Duplicate? http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/13667/where-could-all-these-flies-be-coming-from – Niall C. Nov 18 '13 at 17:40
  • Are these typical black flies? Or small flies like fruit flies? If they are fruit flies then they are not "getting in" but perhaps a piece of fruit was left in the trash bin... most citrus fruits are already full of eggs we just consume the fruit before the larval stage... – Matthew Nov 18 '13 at 22:59

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I'm a cabinetmaker. One year I sprayed outside some awesome cabinets I'd made for a customer. I had fruit trees on my property. Within seconds I had thousands of fruit flies descending on the wet paint. The reason? The paint, particularly when sprayed and "atomized" is sweet smelling and the fruit flies go for it. I've had it happen again at another location. Different paint, but also sweet smelling.

The solution: You'll have to screen off the area. Any open doors or windows and they'll find a way in.....

ThreePhaseEel
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Tom O'Brien
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Something about fresh paint attracts flies.

After five years of being in our home, we just had the exterior painted and oddly flies would just gather and land on the paint shortly after it dried. I would almost swear there was honey in that paint, but something is in it that they seem to like.

Flies are only coming in because they're coming for the fresh paint, then flying through open doors / windows. There isn't anything particular inside to attract them...no larvae, waste products, shoe debris, etc.

Debbie
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I have had this problem for about 5 years in a row.every year in the spring,house flies would just appear in large numbers.Kill them,they would re appear.Wave after wave.And oddly,if you have this problem,and wait patiently in the right room of your house where they are coming from,you would just see them fly upward to the ceiling and fly around.That would be the way to tell if your having the same problem i've been. Glad to say I have finally found out what I know is causing this problem.Everyone, TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES OR CLEAN YOUR SHOES,WELL BEFORE ENTERING YOUR HOUSE.YOU'RE ALL BRINGING THIS LARVA IN THE HOUSE YOURSELF.Every year when this would happen I would find a maggot on the floor in the kitchen.kill it,about a week later all the flies would come and visit.Early spring I found the usual maggot on the floor.Investigating further I found my sons sneakers,which had been there on the mat a few days with maggots actually stuck in the tread of it squirming to get loose in my kitchen.Evidently, this larva must be really small with hundreds maybe thousands of eggs.And I'd bet as you walk in from your door your leaving an egg trail on floor and even rugs .A week later,the flies came.Killed them all,we have been very conscious of our foot ware and even cleaning the bottoms of our bare feet before entering the house.Esspecially the garden. Next season we will have a shoe brush at each entrance.I know this will end the fly dilemma.Good luck.

Anthony vespa
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