BAYOU GEORGE, Fla. — Bayou George residents are taking ‘shoo fly, don’t bother me,’ to another level, as thousands of flies have made their way into homes in the area.
“It’s been this way every day, for a week,” said Tony Thompson, a Bayou George resident whose home has been invaded by the flies. “And it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.”
Thompson said almost every inch of his kitchen is covered in flies when he wakes up in the morning.
“[Even with] windows closed, AC on and screens, they still get in,” he said.
Some residents think the root of the problem is the Bay County incinerator nearby, which broke down earlier this month; sending thousands of flies wherever the wind takes them.
Unfortunately for residents like Jamie Hewitt and her family, that meant spending Thanksgiving swatting the bugs away.
“The whole table was full of food and we had these little camping nets that you can put over your food,” said Hewitt.
According to the Bay County solid waste director, all of the waste has been removed from the incinerator as of a week ago and mosquito control has been spraying there twice a day.
Officials said residents should see improvements soon if not already.
In the meantime, Thompson says it’s a disaster.
“It would be wonderful if we could get some kind of help to get these things out of here,” he said.