The word “fly” can be used as a general term for any small insect that has wings, which also includes mosquitoes. In North America, there are about 16,000 species of flies. Most of the time the term “fly” is referred to as a “house fly”, a common household insect usually found in the kitchen.
They are considered to be the widest-distributed insects around the world. Flies prefer warm weather and can be seen in both tropical and non-tropical countries, but also can adapt to cold weather. They have even been reported to have invaded and survived some parts of Antarctica that are already warming up due to global warming.
Fly Management Methods
A fly has a grayish-colored body, and its large red eye is very noticeable. Their average measure ranges from 6 to 7 millimeters. They have a short lifespan of about 28 days. A female fly can lay about 500 eggs during her lifetime. Eggs transform into adult flies within 7-10 days. They are mostly active during the day and rest during the night. Flies can fly faster than mosquitoes and are very hard to kill using a human hand. While some species may bite humans, flies that are found in homes normally do not bite.
Contaminating human food is their habit and flies can eat all kinds of human food. They have a daily routine of perching on human food while also perching on human and other animal’s feces, potentially going back and forth in between. Unlike cockroaches who hide most of the time and attack human food while nobody is around, flies are fearless to share food with us the moment that we begin eating. Flies may transmit diseases and pathogens such as typhoid, cholera, salmonellosis, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis, anthrax, ophthalmia, bloodstream infections, diarrhea, and meningitis.
Below are a few tips to help prevent and control flies from entering and inhabiting your home:
- Sanitation – the first step in controlling flies and other pests. Using traps and pesticides without keeping your house clean will just keep pests from coming back. Keep the kitchen clean, wash the dishes immediately after every meal, store food and utensils properly, tie garbage bags tightly, and take the trash out of the house regularly.
- Glue Trap – should be placed in areas where houseflies are regularly perching like in the kitchen. Very effective in trapping other household pests like ants, spiders, snakes, scorpions, and mice.
- Electronic Trap – should also be placed in areas where houseflies are perching. It works by shocking every housefly that enters the trap.
- Fly Baits – there are ready-to-use bait available in the market. It may come in spray form or powder form. Spray form works by spraying it on walls and other surfaces. The downside of using any kind of bait is you have to clean and remove the dead insects one by one. Since baits work fast without being noticed by the insects, they stay and die inside the house.
- Insecticide – most insecticides are very noticeable to pests. Once they have smelled it, they would know it is poison and will quickly run away from the house.