Why You Should Call The Pros About Flies In Your Houston Home

What attracts flies? What repels flies? How do flies reproduce? For all the buzz about flies, here's what Houston residents should know about the characteristics of common flies, the health hazards they cause in your home, why they're difficult to get rid of, and how pest control in Houston can make all the difference in a fly infestation.

Characteristics Of Common Flies

When it comes to flies and fly infestations, there are three main types of flies that love to infest Houston homes:

• Fruit flies: You may already be familiar with fruit flies as they are often spotted around rotting or decaying fruits and vegetables as well as other rotting foods.

• Drain flies: With a hairy body and wings, drain flies may be a little easier to recognize, and they can become a big problem if they start breeding inside your drain system.

• House flies: Perhaps the most typical fly that people picture when they think of flies, house flies can eat just about anything, but their preference for human food is the reason they're often found in homes.

Some other must-know facts about these flies include:

• Flies have taste receptors on their feet, so they can usually get a taste of their next meal by landing on them.

• Flies have compound eyes, which means they can see behind them and evade danger more easily.

• Flies also tend to be difficult to kill due to their extremely fast reaction times, which allow them to process what's happening and fly away quickly.

• Flies are incredibly unhygienic, especially when it comes to breeding, and they can spread harmful bacteria to people when they contaminate your food or other surfaces in your home.

• Besides spreading bacteria, flies can also transmit certain diseases, like dysentery, typhoid fever, tularemia, cholera, and even tuberculosis.

• Flies don't chew. Instead, they use enzymes to turn their food into a liquid and consume it.

• While it can vary from species to species, flies may only live a few months or less, especially if there's not a sufficient food source.

• Flies are most active during the day, which is why you may see them buzzing around your home as you go about your business or try to prepare food.

• Flies have a great sense of smell and tend to "lock" onto a food source.

These facts are all good to know, but when it comes to flies in your Houston home, the most important thing to know is how to keep them out.

The Health Hazards Of Flies In Your Home

Most people recognize flies as a nuisance, but they pose a larger threat than just being annoying. Many flies, including the common house fly or fruit fly, can be vectors for disease. Flies aren't picky eaters, and their diet of excrement, rotting food, and spoiled meat, ensure that they pick up plenty of bacteria and pathogens during their lifespan.

Some of the most common bacteria and germs that flies can spread include:

• E. coli

• Cholera

• Typhoid fever

• Shigellosis

Not only do germs cling to a fly's body, but when they land and feed, flies can sometimes defecate and vomit – which is another way they spread bacteria. If a disease-carrying fly lands on your food, it can leave these germs behind and put you at risk.

Why It Can Be Difficult To Get Rid Of Flies On Your Own

Most flies only live a couple of weeks, but despite their short lifespan, they can be extremely difficult to get rid of on your own. For one thing, flies can be very hard to kill. These are fast, agile fliers, and if you've ever tried to take one down with a fly swatter, you know just how challenging they are to pin down.

Smaller flies, like fruit flies, are even harder to kill on your own. Not to mention, flies reproduce exceptionally quickly. Many female flies can lay up to a hundred eggs per batch, which means you could be dealing with hundreds or thousands of these pests in your home within days.

Professional Pest Control Makes For The Best Fly Control

Whether you've got house flies, fruit flies, drain flies, or other types of these insects, there's only one way to completely and effectively get rid of them – and that's by working with the professionals at All-Safe Pest & Termite. Dealing with flies in your home can be dangerous due to the unhygienic nature of these pests, but our effective home pest control treatments can keep your home fly-free throughout the year.

If you are seeing flies regularly buzzing around your house, there's only one thing to do – contact us today at All-Safe Pest & Termite to learn more about how our fly control program can solve your fly infestation in Houston.