Scientists warn that flies are actually two-times more likely to spread germs than rodents, cockroaches, ants, and snakes. The common house fly is a pest all over the world. During daylight hours they will rest on floors, walls and ceilings indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, the ground, fence wires, garbage cans, and other similar surfaces. At night they will rest on ceilings, electric wires and dangling light cords indoors. They always prefer corners and edges or thin objects such as wires and strings. Night resting places are usually near daytime sources of food and are usually 5 to 15 feet off the ground.
What do House Flies Eat?
Flies eat the nastiest things imaginable. Poop, garbage, and rotting animal carcasses to name a few. Flies cannot chew, so in order to eat, they spit-up enzymes onto their food that dissolves it and allows them to slurp it up. The enzyme spit-up is not actually what makes us sick, it’s the bacteria and viruses that get stuck to their bodies that do. They only need to touch your food for a split second for their legs and the tiny hairs all over their bodies to transfer germs to your food from all the nasty things they eat. Flies can transmit serious, contagious diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. You should avoid eating anything that a fly comes into contact with. You should try to get rid of flies in your home to prevent them from landing on food. Chances of you getting sick aren’t great as the amount they transmit to you will be small but multiple flies can make you sick.
Controlling Household Flies
In controlling flies, the first steps are exclusion and sanitation. After that you can use insecticides that come in many forms. Like aerosols, fogs, traps and baits. Fly traps have been a favorite for some time. Some types of fly traps include disposable fly traps and electronic fly traps with replaceable light bulbs and glue boards. Dust will flow into void areas in cracks and crevices when using insecticide dust. Aerosols have immediate results as they work quickly and have no lasting residue. These aerosols provide a quick kill and reduce populations of flying insects for short term results. The flies will pick up enough of it when they land and will die. The surface should be wet enough but not wet enough to cause runoff. Fly baits are granules placed along walls, window sills, or other areas where flies congregate inside buildings. Outside sanitation is very important with the use of baits. Remove breeding sources by removing trash so the bait will be the only thing available to eat and make sure that children and pets can’t come into contact with it. When possible, remove materials that the flies have landed on as eggs may have been laid. Killing adult flies will reduce eggs laid. Use garbage cans and dumpsters with tight fitting lids and clean them regularly. Get rid of extra moisture by making sure drainage is working properly and openings to buildings should have tight fitting screens.
House Fly Prevention & Control in San Antonio, Universal City, New Braunfels & Cibolo Texas
If you notice house flies around, you need to eliminate them as quickly as possible to prevent any chance of getting sick. Call A Five Star Termite & Pest Control today for all your fly and pest control needs!
