When thinking of common household pests, the house fly is one that often comes to mind. Flies can be some of the most obnoxious pests because of the way they fly around your head and are difficult to kill. They move from place to place quickly and even just one fly in your home can be a nuisance that you can’t stand. But having multiple flies hanging around your Lewisville home can be a big problem. Not only are these pests annoying but they can also spread diseases and germs.
While you likely know what a house fly looks like, knowing the specifics can be helpful. There are many species of flying insects out there, so knowing the identifying characteristics of the common house fly can help you know what you’re dealing with.
The house fly:
- Is a dark gray color
- Has six legs and antennae
- Is small and oval-shaped
- Has translucent wings
- Has rather large, reddish eyes
How Flies Get Inside
House flies are opportunistic and adept at finding their way indoors. They often get inside through open windows, torn screens, damaged weather stripping, or any other small holes or openings around your home. House flies are attracted by various odors coming from your home such as the smell of food and pets. They prefer temperatures of around 83 degrees, so they tend to come inside when it’s cold out and hang around in the warmer interior.
Cleanliness and the House Fly
House flies can be obnoxious pests because of the way they fly around and land all over your home, but they are more than just a nuisance. House flies have a rather disgusting component to them and can pose health risks to you and your family. These flies eat many things that humans find revolting, including animal carcasses, garbage, and pet feces. But the issue doesn’t end there, they also eat many kinds of human food. This means that they land on a variety of unclean surfaces and then carry these germs into your kitchen and contaminate surfaces as well as food.
House Flies:
- Have the ability to transfer over 100 different pathogens.
- Can spread some serious diseases such as typhoid and tuberculosis.
- Will defecate consistently.
Because of the health risks they pose, house flies are more than just an annoying pest.
House Flies Contaminate Food Sources
In many ways, the fact that these flies can carry so many different germs and diseases is scary enough, but it’s also disgusting that they are able to contaminate food and surfaces in a variety of ways. First, they can cause contamination just by landing on surfaces such as countertops or your food. Second, the fact that they are constantly secreting their own feces means they are releasing germs wherever they go. Third, they eat food through liquifying it by regurgitating on it which leads to the spread of germs from source to source.
Getting Rid of House Flies
Because of the health risks they pose, getting rid of house flies as soon as you notice them around your Lewisville home is essential. The professional team at Adams Exterminating Company can help with both the prevention and elimination of house flies around your home or businesses. We’ve provided affordable, safe, and effective pest control to North Texas since 1947, so you can trust in our expertise and knowledge of pests in the area.