HOUSE FLY INFORMATION & FACTS

House flies are grayish in colour and range in size from less than 4 to 7.5 mm.

While house flies may simply seem like a nuisance, they are actually major carriers of disease as they feed and breed in feces, garbage and other filth. They are known to transmit at least 65 different types of diseases to humans, including anthrax, dysentery, leprosy and typhoid fever.

House fly eggs are laid in material that will supply suitable food for the larvae. Their preferred breeding grounds are feces and other decaying matter. Females can lay up to 500 eggs, in batches of 75 to 100 eggs each. The eggs hatch into worm-like creatures called maggots, which feed on the material they were born in. The life cycle from egg to adult normally takes three weeks.

Killing house flies with a house fly trap may seem like the best way to deal with a house fly infestation, but the only way to truly get rid of house flies is through preventative measures and ongoing cleaning and sanitation practices:

• Sanitize your sinks, counters and drains daily.
• Regularly clean and sanitize your garbage disposal, if you have one.
• Immediately clean up food and liquid spills from countertops, sinks, floors.
• Regularly move appliances to clean up food and liquid that has fallen or dripped down along the sides.
• Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator or sealed containers.
• Inspect your fruit & produce and dispose of any that is overripe, damaged or decaying.
• Replace any broken screens on doors and windows to prevent house flies from getting into your home.
• Use tightly sealed lids on garbage cans, recycling bins and compost bins (used both indoors and outdoors), and regularly clean and sanitize these.
• Clean food containers before putting them inside the recycling bin, especially if indoors.
• If you have a pet, pick up any waste they leave on the lawn.
• Eliminate sources of standing water outside your home (or business).
• Keep gutters clean.
• Remove rotting or decaying plants and wood.

If you have tried all the above, and your house fly issue persists, seek the advice from a fly control professional, like Environmental Pest Control.