Keeping fly infestations at bay can feel like an impossible task. With drain flies sneaking in through the plumbing, fruit flies breeding in the potted plants, and house flies following you through your front door, it can be tempting just to give up and live with the annoying buzzing. However, fly infestations can lead to a lot more than a bad mood. You can't exclude them from your Charlotte pest control plan.
What Causes Fly Infestations In Homes?
Flies are attracted to many different things in your home. Most types of flies eat a lot of the same things we do, so just about everything in your kitchen, pantry, and trash could be drawing them in. Anything you spill and don't clean up all that well might also attract flies in.
If you suddenly see a massive uptick in fly activity, you might not be doing anything in particular to attract the flies. A female or two will get into your home and lay eggs in a clandestine place. If that place happens to be trash, you'll throw the eggs out. But if it's in your potted plants, pantry stores, pet foods, or other items you're not going to dispose of, those eggs can hatch and develop into flies before you notice. It's easier to miss maggots than you might think.
How Dangerous Is It To Have Flies In My Home?
You might think it's just a nuisance to have flies in your home, but it's highly unhealthy. Flies spread food-borne illnesses that can make you and your family very sick. Flies are known or suspected to distribute around 65 different diseases to humans, including:
- Typhoid fever
- Dysentery
- Cholera
- Poliomyelitis
- Anthrax
- Tularemia
- Leprosy
- Tuberculosis
It's not just the diseases they spread. Flies are also capable of attracting some other nasties to your home. Spiders are a big one. Many different spider species build aerial webs to catch flies. So if you have a house full of flies, it's a good bet you'll have a place full of spiders (some of which could be dangerous) soon enough.
Effective Fly Prevention Tips
There are tons of pest control methods to keep flies out of your house. Of course, keeping attractants inaccessible is the best place to start. Ensure you're covering all garbage and compost with tight lids to mask smells and make them impossible for flies to land on. Also, make sure you're keeping pantry foods stored in airtight containers for the same reason. That includes sweets, candies, fruits, and nuts – basically anything without a wrapper, shell, or peel.
You can also work to keep flies out physically. Ensure window screens are free of rips and holes. And install weatherstripping in any gaps between door sweeps and the floor. Different flies come in different sizes, so even if your screens and weatherstripping can keep out house flies, they might not be good enough for smaller flies.
Total Fly Control for Charlotte Residents
If you start seeing flies buzzing around or other signs of flies, such as maggots or dead flies, it may be too late to do anything about it on your own. Fly infestations can quickly become established, and once flies start laying eggs in your home, they can birth generation after generation and fill up your house in no time. To keep that from happening, visit our contact page or call us here at Go-Forth Home Services before your fly infestation gets out of control.