House Fly (Musca domestica)

Common houseflies are ubiquitous insects with a flight range of at least five miles. They are very active indoors, where they can breed the whole year round. In colder conditions breeding generally ceases before winter, the insects overwintering as pupae or adults.

Because they cannot take solid food, a drop of liquid is expelled from the proboscis - or elongated mouth and the solid food substance either in solution or in the form of minute suspended particles is re-imbibed with it. Hence the flies disease carrying and spreading potential, its last meal may have been in manure. Fly spots are regurgitation marks left after a meal and are similarly potentially disease carrying.

The life expectancy of a fly is 8 days to 2 months.

Flies plague every part of the world except the polar ice caps.

One pair of flies can produce more than one million offspring in as little as six to eight weeks.

Flies transmit pathogenic protozoa, bacteria, virusses, worms, rickettsia and fugues. They also serve as host for staphylococcus aureaus, salmonella entireties, E. Coli, strep agalaciae and strep agalctiae. As many as 33 million microorganisms may flourish in a single fly's gut, while half a million more swarm over it's body and legs.

Flies spread diseases readily because they move quickly from rotting, disease-laden garbage to exposed foods and utensils.

If a fly deposits one bacterium on a container of egg custard, at the end of 24 hours, that one bacterium will multiply to 280, 000, 000, 000, 000 bacteria - more than enough to cause food poisoning symptoms. A fly deposits thousands of bacteria each time it lands.

For every fly seen, there are an estimated 19 more hidden from view. This mean humans don't even see 95 percent of flies present at an infestation.

When flies eat they regurgitate an enzyme called volidrop, along with a portion of their stomache contents, which softens their food, making it easier to digest.

• Removal of high moisture areas - simple drainage can greatly aid in fly management.
• Have garbage picked up frequently.
• Garbage cans and dumpsites should have tight fitting lids and be cleaned regularly.
• Dry garbage and trash should be placed in plastic garbage bags.
• Wet garbage should be wrapped in old newspaper and then put in plastic garbage bags.
• Keep all garbage receptacles as far from doors as possible.
• Openings to buildings should be tightly screened having a mesh no larger than 12 to the inch for the larger flies and 18 to the inch for smaller insects (including mosquitoes).
• It is usually unnecessary to screen above the third storey of a building.
• Monitor fly management programme regularly to keep the problem from re-occuring.
• Non-poisonous fly traps can eliminate the use of pesticides in sensitive areas.
• Move light sources above an exterior door to a location 10-15 feet away.

Successful Control of flying and crawling insects requires regular service by a professional pest control company. Eradication requires a close understanding of the pest species, its biology, lifestyle and habits.