Chapter 20. The Misguided Fly Fight

Last year, I tried to get rid of flies. I had a litter of puppies, and I tried very hard to make sure the poops were picked up immediately, but the flies were just horrible, and in fact may at one point have made the puppies sick. Well, I had fly traps near where the puppies stayed when they were outside (of course they were indoors a lot but they needed exercise too!). I figured I wanted to catch the flies that were right there...Come to find out, my fly traps were just bringing filthy disease-ridden flies from all around.

I should have hung them over the fence into The Asshat's back yard.

And. Come to find out that moisture draws flies. And what is the one thing I'm having so much trouble controlling in my unfortunate back yard? Moisture. That's what this whole thing is all about. Moisture is where they breed and pupate or whatever you would call it when they are developing into flies!

The Asshat caused the flies! That rat bastard! He likely caused me to lose three beautiful innocent puppies. That breaks my freaking heart.

I have ordered some Fly Predators for this year.

OK that looks kind of...well not gross, but irritating. Just what I need, more flying insects, right? Except that I'm pretty sure that's a US penny he's standing on. He is teensy. And he has no interest in bothering anyone except flies.

They won't start coming until mid March, as some computer somewhere determines when the flies will be laying eggs in my area. The eggs become (oh man) maggots (I swear I never saw any maggots in my yard! Holy crap, I would have freaked! Were they getting born elsewhere???) and then turn into little chrysalises, and THAT is where the predators go. They lay eggs in those things and so, rather than becoming another fly, a chrysalis becomes a bedroom chamber for a bunch of new predators.

Works for me. But I guess the little buggers grow up and leave home, ingrates that they are, and so the mailman brings more every month. Cheap.

My fingers are so crossed that they're even more bent than usual. I really really do not want another fly fog to descend upon this beleaguered yard.