Flies: One of the peskiest of pests
There isn’t anything good to say about flies. They are pests all over the globe (except the polar ice caps), they breed prolifically and they spread myriad diseases and micro-organisms. While they might keep your pets entertained, flies are extremely dirty creatures to have around the house. Millions of micro-organisms flourish in a single fly’s gut, while a half-billion more swarm over its body and legs.
Flies spread diseases because they move quickly from rotting, disease-laden rubbish or sewage to exposed human foods and utensils. Because they only have two wings, flies land often and therefore can deposit thousands of bacteria and other nasty microbes each time they land. If a fly lands on food or utensils, diners may ingest germs that can trigger serious illnesses such as diarrhoea, food poisoning, meningitis and bloodstream infections. They are also known to spread typhoid fever, cholera, dystentery and hepatitis.
Even worse, flies regurgitate on solid food and then eat the liquid. They are capable of transmitting disease when they vomit, groom themselves or just walk on surfaces.
They prefer warmer temperatures and are most active in spring through to early autumn. Their average life span is between 8-60 days, depending on the species, and one pair of flies can produce more than 1 million offspring in a matter of weeks.
Cluster flies are also very unwelcome pests. They are slightly larger and darker than the common housefly and move more sluggishly. They are swarms of flies that seek warm locations and they can crawl through small openings to get inside buildings. They tend to cluster around light areas, particularly windows. Contact Pest Services immediately if cluster flies gather around or in your home.
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How to Reduce The Risk of Infestation
Identifying flies, what they feed on and where their breeding sites are will be key to removing them from your home. Pure Services can do all three and deliver appropriate control methods to achieve this. If flies are driving you mad, call us and we’ll deal to them.
These tips will help you keep their uninvited presence in your home to a minimum:
- Limit flies’ access to your home as much as possible by keeping doors and windows closed, or putting fly screens over them and over vents.
- Keep rubbish bins clean and securely closed. Cover compost bins with fine mesh or a lid.
- Remove or securely contain any other source of rotting material or animal waste.
- Keeping surfaces clean will make your home less appealing to flies.