Until today I was convinced that it was only in my imagination that there were more flies than usual this year. However, when I saw some of the garbage cans out, filled to overflowing, I started to wonder if the new pay as you use it garbage collection system might have led to an increase in the fly population.
Until this year, we paid an annual fee for 52 collections. Everyone put their garbage can out every week. This year, however, we pay so much for the collection service and then a variable amount depending on how often the can is put out. I know we've cut way back on our garbage to where we're only putting the can out once a month. The incentive to keep to that schedule is that a 13th pick-up this year will result in an additional €31 in costs.
I know a lot of people in this neighborhood have cut way back on their pick-up frequency. I would bet almost nobody is having their garbage collected more than twice a month. That means there's a lot more garbage just hanging around in this neighborhood than would have been the case in times past. And, with the sudden burst of warm weather I suspect flies are having a field day.
