Flies Are More Than Just A Nuisance

Flies can actually compete with another type of pests when it comes to filthiness: the cockroach. They feed on human and animal wastes, spoiled foods, dead animals, and whatever is in your garbage. They eat anything. If you have an open wound, they would feast on that too. As you can see, they are annoying and would buzz around you like there is no tomorrow.

Due to their feeding habits, flies are more than just a familiar disturbance. They are also one of the major carriers of diseases. That is why each one of us should take extra steps to get rid of these pests before they become health hazards to our family. 

Overview

Flies are small insects with a pair of wings used for flying and another pair of hindwings that are used for balance. They are very abundant and can be found in all parts of the world, save for Antarctica. There are so far 190,000 species of flies that have already been identified, yet there are still more that have not yet been studied nor identified. Flies have compound eyes, which allows them to have 360-degree vision. They have movable heads and are equipped with mouthparts that can pierce and suck. 

Flies Are Disease Carriers

Because they eat and breathe so much filth, flies carry with them so much bacteria and viruses. This, in turn, allows them to transmit several diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that flies transmit around 65 types of diseases. The diseases they transfer include cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and salmonellosis. They are able to transmit these diseases indirectly since they do not bite humans. They do so by simply landing on our food. To drive home the point on how scary that is, well flies can only eat liquid or semi-liquid food because they are not capable of biting. This does not mean, however, that our solid foods are safe. In fact, it is quite the contrary because they vomit liquid made of saliva and digestive juices that can break down solid food. When we eat food that a fly landed on, we are in effect ingesting feces, saliva, urine, and vomit coming from flies.

Another thing is that flies carry with them bacteria and dirt on their legs. Simply landing on our food can transfer these pathogens to us.

Lifecycle

Flies have four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Adult female flies lay eggs, which then hatch to become larvae. Usually, flies spend most of their lives in this stage than the adult stage. The pupa stage comes next, then the adult stage, which is the stage of their lives that we are used to. This is usually short, and their only purpose at this stage in their lives is to mate and lay eggs. Their species are very successful because of their ability to effectively and very quickly during mating season.  

Identifying Flies

The most common types of flies here in the United States are the house fly, the little house fly, horse fly, cluster fly, and the black fly.

Housefly - These are the flies that usually find inside your homes. House flies are about ⅜ inches in length and grey or black in color with four dark lines in the thorax. The female house flies are slightly larger than the male house flies. They have large compound eyes that enable them to see things from any angle, even behind them. This explains why it is very hard to sneak up on them even from behind because they can still actually see you and manage to avoid swatters. They have hair-like projections found all over their bodies.

House flies can also be both a nuisance and health risks to restaurants. They can turn off customers just by their presence alone. They also are the top causes of disease among their workers.

Despite their annoying qualities, house flies are not capable of hurting us physically, but they are certainly disease carriers and that they are able to transmit these diseases to humans. They carry pathogens that come from feeding on animal feces, body excretions, garbage, and dead animals.

The bacteria and viruses they carry can cause diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, and food poisoning.

Little house fly - The little house fly has brown-grey thorax with three black longitudinal stripes. Adults little house flies are just ⅔ the size of the house fly, about 3.5 to 6 mm in length. Not like the house flies, the little house fly does not transmit diseases. They are just a nuisance pest, as they have the habit of flying around us. They are reluctant to get indoors, and they prefer to live outside houses. They tend to group themselves outside the house, like in the patios and garages. They simply take cover in buildings when temperatures drop.

Horseflies - Horse flies have yellow markings that look like those of bees. They have large eyes, small antennae, and sharp mouthparts that can bite. These are about ½ to ¼ inches long with black or grey bodies with green eyes but can grow to as large as an inch in length. Horseflies bite animals and humans, and they do so during the daytime. They like to breed in moist soil near a large body of water.

Cluster Fly - It is said that if it is not a housefly you have, then it is a cluster fly. They have checkered marks on their bodies. They move less quickly than house flies. When at rest, their wings would overlap. They are called as such because they like to live in clusters along with the windows of houses on a warm, sunny wall.

Black fly - These are annoying, little insects that bite. They have mouth parts that are capable of sucking blood. They also pose a threat to livestock because they transmit a number of diseases, though none to humans. Black flies are 5 to 25 mm in length and are black in color. Most female black flies need to feed on blood for the development of eggs. 

How To Control Flies

These flies certainly are annoying, but now we also know that they are carriers of various diseases. In order to protect ourselves from these pests, prevention is the most important thing to do. Here are some of the ways to get rid of flies for good:

1) Practice good hygiene. Flies are attracted to filthy situations and are always on the lookout for something to eat. Remember that they eat almost anything. Sweep the floors and use your vacuum cleaner to remove food particles that could attract flies.  

2) Put a cover on your trash bins. This is always a good source of food for flies.

3) Regularly dispose of your garbage.  

4) Eliminate excrement at once, especially if you have pets.  

5) Install screens around windows if you cannot have it closed at all times.   

If you already have a fly infestation at home, your best move to completely eradicate them is to call the best pest control management in North Carolina, Go-Forth Pest Control.

Let Go-Forth Pest Control Handle The Job

No home or pest is the same, so there is no cookie-cutter solution. At Go-Forth Pest Control, we have professional technicians who will examine your home and your lawn to evaluate your individual necessity. We will identify points of entry and make treatments as necessary. We only use state of the art equipment to keep up with these ever-evolving pests.

Go-Forth Pest Control is a family-owned commercial service solutions provider of modern pest control services and techniques, using the latest and most advanced technology in the business, making our service to you more efficient, safer and more convenient. We have a team of expert professionals who can provide the best pest control services to residents and business establishments all throughout North and South Carolina.

We bring in a new and fresh approach to the pest control industry, using family-friendly and pet-friendly methods of extermination that caters to your specific needs. Our expert experience in exterminating pests like cockroaches, wasps, weevils, mosquitoes, mice, flies, termites, ants, and spiders can really make you say goodbye to these pests in your home. You may check us on Facebook or Google us to see what our satisfied customers have to say about us.

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