It’s bad enough when house flies invade your outdoor barbecue, but when they sneak into your home they can be a real nuisance. They can also be dangerous to your health, whether inside or outside. Researchers have found that house flies can transmit at least 65 diseases to humans, including typhoid fever, cholera, anthrax, leprosy and dysentery. The less contact you have with house flies, the better.
House flies are the most common type of fly in the U.S. As adults they range in size from ⅛ to ¼ inches long. They are dark gray or black in color with four dark, lengthwise stripes along their middle body (thorax).
The lifecycle of a housefly lasts about 2 ½ to 3 weeks. It includes these stages:
- Eggs – the female lays 100-150 at a time on a food source (garbage, animal waste, etc.)
- The eggs hatch into maggots—worm-like creatures—within a day
- The maggots go through three larval molts before they pupate
- Adults emerge from the pupae and mate within a day or two
Houseflies can eat only liquid food, but they excrete saliva that changes solids into liquids. Fly specks are the excrement they behind wherever they alight. Houseflies have been known to travel up to 20 miles to find food, although most tend to stay within ½ to 2 miles of where they were born. They are active only during the day.
As a Home Protection Plan customer, if you’re not satisfied with our pest control service, we will service your home at no additional cost until your issue is solved or receive your money back from your last scheduled service.
- Keep your yard clean. Remove grass clippings, animal waste and other materials where flies might lay their eggs.
- Keep garbage cans covered and clean them out regularly.
- Have screens on all doors, windows and vents
- Use ultraviolet light traps
- Hang flypaper strips
Call in the professionals at Brody Brothers (410-653-2121) to schedule your pest control service.
