It’s the height of summer, which means one thing: flies are out in full force.
If you’re a dog owner, you know that flies can be a real nuisance – and they can also be dangerous since they can transmit diseases like rabies.
But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered, and I’ll show you how to stop flies from biting dogs’ ears in this post.
What are flies?
Flies are small insects buzzing around near you, and they are also called Musca domestic, Muscidae, or Diptera.
There are many different flies, including fruit flies, houseflies, and blowflies.
The most common type of fly is the housefly, and it usually has a metallic green color and six legs. The fly’s body is long, with wings at each end.
Flies have four stages of life, including egg, larva or maggot, pupa (cocoon), and adult.
They live for about one month during the summer and up to six months during the winter.
Some flies are even carriers of certain diseases that can be harmful to people. Some common flies that carry diseases are deer fly and horse fly.
For example, the deer fly can have Lyme disease, transmitted through its saliva and attached to its leg hairs.
Deer fly bites are excruciating, especially if this particular fly bites your eye or nose.
Horse flies can also transmit diseases like anthrax through their biting process.
The flies’ eggs are laid in the soil, on plants, and in the garbage. The eggs take about one day to hatch into a larva that develops into a pupa or cocoon.
After three days in the pupa stage, it becomes an adult fly and can live up to one month.
Flies are attracted to bad-smelling things like feces, garbage, and dead animals.
They can also find food in the house, such as sugar, wine, and meat.
Sometimes they even get trapped inside your home because of their attraction to light and movement.
Flies like to lay eggs on moist surfaces with a lot of organic matter, but some flies lay their eggs straight onto the meat.
The fly eggs can also develop on the surface of food where they lay their eggs, like how flies lay eggs on meat in restaurants or how houseflies lay eggs on fresh cow manure.
What do we do to attract flies?
Flies are attracted to bad smells, like feces and garbage, like sweet things, like sugar, wine, and meat.
Sometimes they get trapped in your house because they’re attracted to light and movement.
Why do flies bite dogs’ ears?
So why do flies bite your dog’s ear?
Dogs attract flies because flies feed on meat, including how they lay eggs on it.
The eggs that the fly lays either hatch on the meat or are put onto the meat by other flies at some point after the egg’s laid.
These bad smells seem to attract biting flies because it has a lot of nitrogen, which they use for food.
If there is any organic molecule around, it will attract flies to it.
This means that rotting vegetables, sweat from your dog, and even molecules in your trash can will attract flies.
Flies bite your dog through the earlobe when it lands on your dog’s ears. This is how flies feed and how they lay their eggs to reproduce.
The insect needs to insert its sharp mouthparts into the flesh of other animals so that it can suck out some blood and ingest some nutrients from the animal.
Biting flies like to lay their eggs in warm, moist places to provide a suitable environment for their babies.
Flies need at least 24 hours or more to produce offspring, and some may take longer than what people usually expect them to live.
Think how long you have been alive so far! It’s crazy how quickly flies can reproduce and how many generations they can have in such a short time.
If the fly’s egg isn’t in a moist place or meat, it will die eventually because the tiny organism needs something to eat and drink; otherwise, it would starve.
The only thing these eggs need is an organic material, which is how flies lay eggs on garbage or lay their eggs on meat and trap them in places like your house.
Are flies dangerous to dogs?
Biting flies are dangerous to dogs because they can carry some diseases that can harm your four-legged friend, including how flies transmit leptospirosis.
This disease causes liver damage to dogs, proving to be fatal if left unchecked. It is how flies transmit leptospirosis.
However, many people may not know how biting flies transmit leptospirosis.
This disease can also be passed from an infected dog to a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. The baby could develop congenital disabilities as a result.
Stable flies are a particular type of biting fly that can make your dog sick.
These insect larvae may look like other types of flies, but the best way to tell is to examine its wings and find out what it was laying eggs on.
Flies that lay their eggs in manure can be one clue for stable flies because this type will often lay its eggs in the fresh cow dung.
How to keep flies off dogs’ ears
Here are some of the best ways to get flies to stop biting your dog’s ears:
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a great natural solution to keep flies off dogs.
The acetic acid in the apple cider vinegar will help repel the flies, and it is a safe and effective solution to use.
You can either apply it directly to your dog’s skin or put it in a spray bottle and spritz it on their coat.
Natural fly repellent
Several different types of natural fly repellents are also pet safe.
The most common type is a citronella-based repellent, which can be found as a spray, lotion, or candle.
Other effective repellents include oil of eucalyptus, peppermint oil, and lavender oil.
You can either apply these directly to your dog’s skin or use them in a diffuser to keep the area around your dog fly-free.
Spray flies with essential oils
Essential oils, particularly citronella oil, are many ways to keep flies off dogs.
Citronella oil is a natural repellent that has been used for centuries to keep bugs like gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks away from people.
You can purchase it in most grocery stores or online if you would instead buy it without going outside your house and looking for it in multiple stores.
The substance needs to be placed close to the dogs’ ears.
The flies will sense how bad the citronella smell is and fly away before biting your dog’s skin.
If they do bite, there is a risk that your dog may become infected with leptospirosis.
Ammonia or household baking soda
A low-cost way to repel flies is to use ammonia or baking soda.
Suppose you want the relief of how your dog flies, then consider using one of the ingredients mentioned above for the best results.
Ammonia has a powerful smell that can make flies leave your dog’s ear and fly away for good.
It can also make these insects stop biting your pup to avoid ingesting this substance if they land on their wet nose at any point during and after feeding on blood.
Baking soda is another natural replacement that animals often like.
It helps get rid of bad smells, thanks to its alkalinity, when mixed with water or other liquids such as lemon juice!
Petroleum jelly
You may find a fly biting your dog’s ear in many situations. If that is the case for you, try using petroleum jelly to keep them away.
It’s not hard to get flies away from your dog’s ears. All you need is some petroleum jelly and put it around their ears.
The flies will leave because they don’t like the sticky feeling of the petroleum jelly, and it will also protect your dog’s ears from getting bitten.
Use a fan to blow the bugs away
The easiest way to deter flies from your dog is by using a fan.
This technique will work for most people because the sound and force of the air produced by the fan can easily send any bugs or unwanted pests flying in another direction.
No matter what type of pet you have, it is good to buy one that can help keep insects from crawling around your home and causing trouble.
By placing it nearby, the size of the area becomes larger, so more flies are likely to be pushed away when they sense its power. In turn, this will reduce the chances of dogs getting.
Fly traps
Fly traps are one of the most effective ways to get rid of flies. They work by luring the flies in with bait and then trapping them inside.
This way, you can get rid of all the flies in your house without having to deal with any nasty chemicals.
The easiest way I’ve found to kill flies
There are many ways to kill flies, but the easiest way is by using a fly swatter.
Fly swatters are effective because they allow you to kill the fly quickly and easily without getting too close to them.
You can also buy flytraps to attract and kill the flies. Flytraps work by attracting flies with a sweet smell or the stickiness of the trap.
When the fly lands on the trap, it gets stuck and dies.
You can also use chemicals, such as insecticides. Insecticides are designed to kill insects, and they are available in aerosable or aerosable-grade form.
You can also use bug zappers to zap the flies. Bug zappers work by attracting flies with a light and then electrocuting them when they fly into the device.
No matter which method you choose to repel flies, follow the directions carefully to avoid harming yourself or your pets.
What if you have a fly infestation?
Ugh. Fly infestations are the WORST.
If you’ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with one, you know just how awful they can be.
They are annoying because they swarm around your head and make it impossible to concentrate. Still, they can also be dangerous because they spread diseases.
You can prevent fly infestations by keeping your home clean and garbage-free.
You should also make sure that there are no cracks or holes in your walls or floors where flies can enter.
If you do have a fly infestation, the best thing to do is to call an exterminator. Exterminators will be able to get rid of the flies quickly and efficiently.
Other gross issues I’ve seen
Flies don’t only bite a dog’s ears, and they get into all other kinds of stuff.
Flies in the dog’s coat
If flies get stuck in your dog’s coat, you will need to remove them as soon as possible. One way to do this is by using a flea comb.
The teeth of the comb will help remove the flies from your dog’s fur. You can also use a pair of tweezers to grab the fly and pull it out.
If the fly is stuck in a difficult spot, you may need to use scissors to cut the fur around the fly. Be careful not to cut your dog’s skin.
Once you have removed the fly, you will need to disinfect the area to prevent infection. You can use a mild antiseptic or diluted hydrogen peroxide for this.
Flies in the dog’s food
I was sitting in the kitchen, eating a piece of toast, when I saw a fly crawling on my plate.
I shooed it away and continued to eat, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the fly, and it made me wonder how many other flies were in my food.
I decided to inspect my dog’s food bowl to see any flies in it. Sure enough, several flies were crawling around in the bowl.
I quickly removed the bowl and disposed of the food. I then cleaned the bowl with soap and water to ensure that no fly eggs were left behind.
If you find flies in your dog’s food, the best thing to do is throw the food away and clean the area.
It would help if you also disinfected the area to prevent infection. You can use a mild antiseptic or diluted hydrogen peroxide for this.
Flies in the dog’s bedding
I was at a client’s house one day when I noticed flies in the dog’s bed.
I was about to remove the bedding and clean it when I realized that there were eggs in the bedding.
I knew that I had to take action quickly, or else the eggs would hatch, and the fly population would explode.
I removed the bedding and took it outside. I then sprayed it with insecticide and left it to dry in the sun.
Once it was dry, I brought it back inside and placed it in the washing machine. I washed it on the hottest setting to ensure that all of the eggs were killed.
If you find flies in your dog’s bedding, the best thing to do is remove the bedding and wash it in hot water.
It would help if you also sprayed it with insecticide to ensure that all of the eggs were killed.
If you can’t wash the bedding, you can place it in the freezer for 24 hours, and this will kill the eggs.
Is there any way to prevent flies from the start?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent flies completely. There are a few ways you can minimize the risk, though:
- Start by cleaning up any food or liquids on the floor and wiping anything near you that could attract them (i.e., garbage).
- Try some essential oils mixed with water if you’ve already got flies buzzing around.
- Be sure to spray in all the cracks and crevices where they might be hiding.
- Finally, keep a fan running to keep them away from your face.
Biting flies on dogs: When to call a professional
Taking care of your dog’s health is the most important thing. Suppose you notice that your dog’s ears smell like ammonia or baking soda.
This could mean that its skin is becoming irritated due to its allergy to these bugs.
If your dog has inflamed ears and heaviness in its head, it can also be related to an inner ear infection due to how flies were biting them.
If you think that your pup’s ear infection is severe, please take them to the vet as soon as possible for a professional diagnosis and treatment.
Conclusion
In this article, I outlined several different ways that you can use to prevent flies from biting your dog’s ears.
I provided a brief description of each method and what ingredients are needed.
If one way does not work for you, try another until you find the best solution for you and your pup.
Remember to have fun and enjoy quality time with your furry friend!
