COMMON HOUSE FLY
Important Facts About the Common House Fly
Flies, particularly the common house fly, are easily recognized and are universally annoying. To say they are unappealing is an understatement. Flies enjoy spending time on decaying organic filth, including rotting meat and feces. They then manage to enter your home and land on your kitchen counters and any uncovered food, demonstrating the nuisance of this fly.
House flies do more than just buzz around and steal your food. They can transfer over 65 diseases, including cholera, dysentery, poliomyelitis, and tuberculosis. Flies accumulate nasty pathogens when they rest on sewers, trash, feces, and any other moist or decaying material. Clearly, the common house fly poses serious health risks.
Flies lay their eggs on food (fruit in your fruit bowl), other animals, and even rotting flesh. When the eggs hatch, the tiny rice-like larvae are called maggots. Few other bugs provoke nausea and an overall disgust like tiny, squirming maggots, a consequence of a house fly infestation.
How To Keep Flies Out Of Your Home
There are a number of ways to eliminate flies and their larvae from your home. The most common practices include using sticky fly traps, ultra-violet lights, and baited traps. Fly swatters are effective when trying to get rid of the lone house fly. A timely smack from a dish towel can also be employed.
There are simple daily practices that will help keep flies from taking over your house. Store food in sealed containers, wipe crumbs off the counters and don’t leave food out. Grass clippings, garbage, and decaying matter will also attract flies, so get rid of these items immediately. Keep your trash cans tightly covered and clean them on a man-made surface where the run-off can’t seep into the soil, minimizing house fly attraction.
Whenever possible, use door and window screens to keep flies from entering your home. However, flies can find holes and gaps, so remember to check your screens occasionally and ensure they are impenetrable. Flies can also find openings in pipes or conduits that lead inside. As a means of prevention, caulk those areas that channel into your home to prevent fly entry.
ZipZap Termite & Pest Control’s Treatment For House Flies
At ZipZap Termite & Pest Control, we know how pesky the persistent buzzing of the house fly can be. With kids running in and out, it is nearly impossible to keep flies from getting in. Backyard parties are hard to enjoy when you’ve got flies buzzing around and landing on your food. A professional treatment can effectively reduce your fly problems.
Jeffery Preece BCE,PHE
Jeffery is a Board Certified Entomologist at ZipZap Termite & Pest Control and an expert in handling house fly issues.
