Dangers of a House Fly Infestation
Attractive, isn't it?
Houseflies have appeared in stories dating as far back as the Bible and Greek mythology, and have probably been around long before there were houses! I wonder what they were called then?
They have reared their ugly little heads in historic art and have long interested scientists because of their unusual sex determination mechanism.
While their common name suggests that they’re supposed to dwell in houses just like people, they have the potential to be dangerous when they mingle among humans and their pets.
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Flies commonly visit sites rife with disease carrying bacteria, such as garbage dumps, decaying animal corpses and feces of all kinds.
Housefly regurgitation, excretion and even just just foot contact can transmit diseases that include typhoid fever, cholera, leprosy and tuberculosis. Because of these, a house fly infestation should be avoided at all costs.
Signs of a House Fly Infestation
An annoying fly or two in your house probably isn't cause for alarm. But you probably have a fly problem if if you constantly see large numbers of flies buzzing around your home or have spotted lots of dead ones inside.
The other thing to watch out for is maggots. If you open your kitchen bin and a fly comes out, there's a chance that she's laid eggs inside onto kitchen scraps. How many? Several hundred. For flies.it's a numbers game. A Spring Valley fly infestation will occur rapidly from the sheer number of eggs laid, maggots hatched and adult flies emerged, all in a matter of a couple of days.
Learn how to spot the signs of an infestation by checking the areas that houseflies love: light and water. Look for clusters of houseflies in areas such as light fixtures, gutters, mulch piles and garbage bins. They also like food sources, especially ones that are decomposing. You might find clusters of feeding flies in areas where food is kept out in the open, such as fruit bowls or spills in a pantry. If you see several flies in areas like these, as well as dead flies scattered around your home, take measures to stop the intruders from invading any further.
Spring Valley House Fly Life Cycle
To control a house fly infestation in Spring Valley, it is useful to understand the life cycle.
Then you know how best to interrupt it and terminate the fly infestation before it gets started.
The first step is to kill any adult flies as soon as you see them, before they have a chance to lay any eggs.
Always have a knock-down flying insect spray on hand and kill flies inside the house (that's why they're called house flies) as soon as you spot them. GET RID OF THE DEAD BODIES STRAIGHT AWAY! Female flies have been known to lay eggs even after they are dead! It's an incredible species survival ability.
In her brief lifetime, a female fly can lay between 2 and 3 thousand eggs!
If you don't manage to interrupt the life cycle at this stage, you have to wait for the larvae, or maggots. The eggs are simply too small and too hidden for you to see. They look like really small grains of rice. Eggs hatch within 24 hours, and house fly larvae emerge.
House fly larvae, or maggots are similar to pale worms. Their sole purpose is to eat and store energy for their upcoming pupation. Larvae feed for approximately five days, after which they find dry, dark locations for pupal development.
House fly larvae can be commonly found on rotting plant or animal material. If an animal dies, maggots will most likely feed on the corpse. These larvae also fall prey to many other species, including reptiles, birds and other insects. Certain wasps are known to lay their eggs inside maggots. When these eggs hatch, young wasps devour the maggot from the inside out.
When entering the pupal stage, white larvae develop hard, dark outer shells. Within a few hours of emerging from the pupa case, females are capable of breeding.
Inside the house, the maggots may have little or nothing to feed on, but they will still survive. You may never see them, which is probably a blessing, as a kitchen floor covered with maggots ain't a pretty sight. They will crawl into crevices and under things and your first sight of them will be as pupae. You need to vacuum ALL of them up and dump them outside.
The Spring Valley Housefly Infestation: Getting Rid of It
Give it to me, big boy
If you suspect a house fly infestation in your home, contact your Spring Valley pest control expert to conduct an inspection, specifically looking for any places where house fly eggs may have been deposited.
Since house flies enter from outside, internal breeding sites are not common. However, interior garbage rooms and compactors provide a suitable environment for house fly breeding sites and should be checked. If the breeding site is not thoroughly cleaned or removed, these pests will continue to be a problem.
Once the breeding site has been disposed of, eliminating the existing adult flies is the next step. A Spring Valley pest control professional will develop a house fly treatment plan based on the circumstances of the infestation, which may include the use of fly bait, applications or traps.
In order to prevent a house fly infestation from happening in the first place, vigilant sanitation is a must. Regularly removing trash and using well-sealed garbage receptacles can help to deter any house flies from hanging around waste bins. Additionally, pet waste must be cleaned up immediately in order to prevent the development of any house fly breeding sites.
Finally, fine mesh screens should be applied to doors and windows in order to prevent house fly entry into the home. If window screens are already present, make sure there are no visible rips or tears.
There is a lot you can do to prevent a Spring Valley fly infestation, but if it gets too much, don't hesitate to call in your Spring Valley pest control expert.