The Best Way To Keep Pesky Flies Out Of Your Spring Home
Fly on a wooden table.
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The Best Way To Keep Pesky Flies Out Of Your Spring Home

There isn’t a country on the planet that’s without pests. Some species aren’t present in every region, but flies, on the other hand, are global. With more than 120,000 kinds in existence, they are one of the most common insects. In North America specifically, there are around 18,000 kinds of flies. These insects are prevalent for a few reasons. An obvious one is that they can fly, so it’s easy for them to travel. Many will end up miles away from where their eggs hatched.

A more complex reason is their reproduction patterns. While flies usually don’t live long, they can swiftly lay many eggs in various places, for example, compost piles, plants, and feces from pets. Their eggs are incredibly small and often difficult to see. Given this, it's often hard to notice them and realize there is a problem. Flies are drawn to our homes because resources that are vital to their survival are in abundance. Moreover, it is simple for the bugs to get indoors. With all of the aforementioned facts in mind, it’s a battle to get rid of flies.

Killing a fly or several with a swatter is nearly impossible, as they can get away from you quickly. Since they thrive outdoors, you won’t be able to completely eliminate their natural environment. Professionals in pest control in Spring have the tools and expertise to wipe these insects out. You can’t have hope with yard spray for flies or other commercial products; they’re too expensive, tricky, and risky. Considering these insects are a threat to human health, you shouldn’t waste time with ineffective treatments.

Flies harbor lots of germs and it is possible for them to pass them along to you. If these insects land on your food or food preparation surfaces, there’s no telling how contaminated or tainted they could be afterward. Research indicates that flies are associated with at least 70 diseases. Unfortunately, they are more than just a nuisance, so you have to take action right away if you spot them fluttering about.

As with many buzzing insects, flies are annoying and make it difficult to enjoy any type of exterior activity without them swarming around you. This is especially the case when food is nearby. On top of that, you have to worry about illnesses. Keep reading to learn more about local flies, how to manage them, and what Modern Pest Control can do to assist you to keep flies away.

The Many Kinds Of Flies You Can Find Around Spring

There are a number of different flies in the area. Three of them are house flies, flesh flies, and fruit flies. House flies receive their name justifiably, as they are a frequent home invader. Also, they are rampant in the United States. Their dark gray bodies are oval-shaped and a little bit hairy, and two sets of black stripes decorate their thorax. Along their figures are antennae, six legs, and two wings. Their compound eyes are red and have more than a thousand lenses, which enables them to have wide vision. Once they reach adulthood, they’ll be about ⅛ to ¼ of an inch long, with females on the larger end. Thankfully, house flies don’t have stingers or teeth.

The eggs of house flies may remind you of rice grains. Larvae, also called maggots, will emerge from them. The young will be ¼ to 3/8 of an inch long and cream-colored. It will seem as if they are covered in grease. When they get to the pupal phase, they will have a hard exterior shell that’s dark. Should you see any house flies or their larvae, there is an active infestation in your home. You’ll likely hear buzzing noises, which these pests produce by hitting their wings together.

Flesh flies are dominant in warmer climates. While they are often mistaken for house flies, this species is bigger and light gray in color. Furthermore, they have an abdominal pattern that looks like a checkerboard and three stripes on their thorax with red tips, and their eyes are bright red. Flesh flies birth live larvae. Mature fruit flies are 1/8 of an inch long, and they too have antennae, red eyes, and three pairs of legs. Though their stomach area is gray or black, their thorax is tan.

Different types of flies will be drawn to your yard if there is access to plants, organic debris, decaying matter, water, garbage, human food, and anything with a potent scent. They feed on these things as well as animal carcasses. Warm air currents can also be alluring. Flies can get inside your home through openings around windows, doors, and foundations. Sometimes, people accidentally bring eggs or larvae indoors with infested greenery or other items. The four stages of a fly’s life are egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Depending on the species and environmental conditions, flies may survive for two to seven weeks.

Every creature has a purpose for being on this planet. For flies, their role in the ecosystem is to be pollinators, composters, and a food source. Flies fertilize flowers and crops when they pull nectar and pollen away. Both are key sources of food for humans, animals, and pests. It is not just bees, wasps, and butterflies that contribute to this process. Flies are composters because they eat carrion, rotting things, and excrement. When other animals feed on flies, it maintains the natural food chain. Birds, frogs, spiders, and lizards are four of the species that will happily munch on flies.  

A Fly Infestation In Your Home Is Hazardous To Your Health

Flies can put your health in jeopardy because of their germy habits and behaviors. When they feast on the flesh of deceased animals, they can pick up disease-causing organisms, which they can carry in their mouths and on their legs and skin. The pests will no doubt collect bacterial cells from fecal matter, trash, and rotting material, and you can’t be sure that all of this won’t be transferred to your food once flies land on it. The same goes for your tables, counters, shelving, and other surfaces. Should you eat a meal they have surrounded or if you touch an affected area, it’s highly possible that you could develop an illness. Not to mention that flies constantly release feces.

There is another gross characteristic of flies that you have to remember. They generally don’t consume things by biting; it’s through sucking or drinking. First, they will let out a substance that is rich in enzymes. This digestive fluid will break down whatever they’re trying to feast on into smaller, softer, or liquified portions. Flies will use their mouthparts to take it all in. Conditions flies are linked to include the following:

  • Malaria
  • Salmonellosis
  • Tuberculosis
  • Typhoid fever
  • Dysentery
  • Cholera
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Tularemia
  • Leprosy

Malaria can be fatal, but severe situations can normally be prevented with quality and prompt treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 2,000 cases of malaria annually in the United States, and it is not contagious. Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. Fever and flu-like symptoms are to be expected. Some critical issues are seizures, kidney failure, coma, and cognitive confusion.

Salmonellosis leads to 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths each year in the United States, per the CDC. Hallmark symptoms are fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Strains of salmonella can result in bone, nervous system, urine, joint, and blood infections.

Tuberculosis mainly impacts the lungs. Patients often report coughing and/or coughing blood, and chest pains. Other problems can come into play if various parts of your body are affected. Ripple effects to the spine, brain, and kidneys have frequently occurred.

Typhoid fever can cause your body temperature to get up to 103 to 104°F. In addition, you may experience diarrhea, constipation, stomach pains, and headaches. This illness has a reputation for decreasing appetite. Many people develop a spotted rash. Although it’s a rarity, you should know that death and internal bleeding can occur.

Dysentery is an intestinal infection. People usually have mucus or blood in their diarrhea. Along with it may come a fever, painful cramps, and vomiting. It is extremely infectious.

Cholera is also an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhea. If the symptoms are intense, you might have great thirst, watery stools, cramps in the leg, and vomiting. Irritability and overall restlessness are common, too. Dehydration can manifest with low blood pressure and rapid heart rate. Untreated dehydration could end in a coma, shock, or death.

Poliomyelitis is also known as polio. Most individuals will not present symptoms, but mild ones are nausea, fever, sore throat, and other indicators akin to the flu. Major ones are paralysis and meningitis, which is detrimental to the spinal cord and brain. Few people have signs that are serious.

Tularemia can infect both humans and animals. What complications arise are contingent on how the condition was contracted. No matter the circumstances, the potential for a fever as high as 104°F is significant. When someone has tainted food or water, which can happen with flies, tularemia will cause sore throat and tonsillitis. Mouth ulcers and swollen lymph glands from the neck should be anticipated as well.

Leprosy isn’t as widespread as it once was, but it still exists. Your skin will have lumps, growths, ulcers, or discoloration. Nerve-related challenges are muscle weakness, paralysis of the feet or hands, or blindness. You could also be prone to nosebleeds and a stuffy nose.  

Five Eco-Friendly Fly Prevention Tips For Your Home

Though the earth needs flies and we as humans rely on them for crop fertilization, we shouldn’t tolerate their infestations. You can’t forget what a danger they are to your health and those you care about, so you have to put effort into preventive tactics. Don’t wait until these bugs appear to think about management; it’s much too difficult to control them after they’ve arrived. Use these five eco-friendly tips to deter pesky flies from your lawn and home:

  1. You shouldn’t be dismissive of structural holes. Flies can crawl or fly through cracks and crevices. Seal gaps you find in the foundation of your home, particularly those around doors and windows. If you don’t have weather tripping or door sweeps, get them. Make sure window screens are intact.
  2. Don’t be nonchalant about lawn care. It’s wise to keep your grass short. Don’t allow plants and trees to be overgrown; clip them. Remove any decomposing greenery or wood, and get rid of organic debris. Sit flowers and install gardens away from the house. Clean up any pet feces. Close your trash cans.
  3. Always inspect vegetables and fruit prior to purchasing. Look over what you’re about to eat as well. Avoid any rotting items. Put food and interior garbage in a container with an airtight lid. Refrigerate goods that aren’t canned, when feasible.
  4. Be detailed when cleaning your kitchen. Wash all the dirty dishes, sweep and mop floors, and wipe counters and tables with soap and water. Have tidy cabinets and pantries, and take out the trash regularly.
  5. Never let food build up in drains, sinks, and/or garbage disposals. Flush them out often. Eliminate strong smells with soap and water.

Home remedies for flies typically involve putting natural ingredients together in a bowl and sitting it out as bait. It is a popular method to pour apple cider vinegar in a dish and cover it with punctured plastic wrap. Fruit flies especially may get trapped inside and die. Lots of people use cayenne pepper, sugar, honey, and wine too. These avenues will be mildly helpful at best and fail to address the source of an infestation. Professional intervention is needed to fully eliminate flies. 

The Secret To Total Fly Control For Your Home

Retail insecticides and similar are largely ineffective against fly infestations. They are made for short-term application and minor problems. Moreover, they have perplexing instructions and hazardous chemicals. Let us at Modern Pest Control make it easy for you. We have safe, quality treatments for interiors, exteriors, and lawns. Call us today for a free inspection!