Revenge of the Flies

Dallas might be having a bit of a fly problem. Recently, residents of Dallas have been complaining online about the swarms of flies invading their homes, their lives and their minds. Even Jennifer Gracheck of MosquitoNix pest control in Dallas, said over the last month and a half they have received more...

By Nashwa Bawab

October 5, 2018

Lakewood resident Sonali Kumar said the flies in her home are at least half an inch long. A gray fly with stripes and no protruding biting mouth parts means this fly is most likely just a house fly. Sonali Kumar

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Dallas might be having a bit of a fly problem.

Recently, residents of Dallas have been complaining online about the swarms of flies invading their homes, their lives and their minds.

Even Jennifer Gracheck of MosquitoNix pest control in Dallas, said over the last month and a half they have received more calls for flies and mosquitoes than in previous months.

If you live anywhere from Oak Cliff to Lakewood, chances are you’ve probably noticed the problem. Before everyone freaks out, Mike Merchant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service urban entomologist, or a lord of the flies if you will, said the problem is most likely the cause of the lovely weather the city's seen lately.

“Maybe the rain and some of the weather fronts that have been coming through is causing people to notice more of them,” he said. “They need moisture, so that could be a contributing factor to them being here in large numbers.”

Rain makes ideal breeding conditions for many flies and mosquitoes. Merchant also confirmed that other sources of the problem could be your compost or even your dog’s poop — apparently, dog poop is a great breading source for many flies, especially in urban areas.

Christopher Creel lives in Oak Cliff and said he started noticing the pests last week.

"We have never had flies inside before, but this year has been worse for both mosquitoes and flies. ... We were concerned we were plagued," he said. "Two days ago they disappeared like free tacos."

Since the abnormal number of flies is a problem most likely triggered by the rain, it is one that will go away once the weather dries up and the flies’ short life span is up.

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Nashwa Bawab is an editorial fellow at the Dallas Observer and a recent journalism graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. She's from Arlington and is excited to begin writing important stories from DFW.

Contact: Nashwa Bawab

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Twitter: @nashwabawab