Flies are a common household pest which may require pest management services year round. These household pests are not only a nuisance and annoyance to both humans and animals, but they also pose a serious health threat. This is because flies live and feed on things such as animal excrement, decaying animal carcasses, and food waste. Flies can spread diseases such as salmonella, parasitic worms, and cholera. When flies are feeding, they defecate on the food on which they are feeding. This means that food left on kitchen counters or in open containers could potentially be contaminated by flies in the home. Because flies reproduce quite rapidly, it is important that homeowners quickly get a fly problem under control.
Flies Commonly Infesting Homes
They type of fly with which most homeowners in Australia have to deal is the green blowfly. The green blowfly is metallic green in colour and 12mm or less in length. This insect makes a loud buzzing sound when it flies, which makes its presence in a home quite evident. While the blowfly is most active during the summer months, these flies may also be found in homes during the winter months as well. Blow flies typically develop in feeding mediums such as food waste, manure, or other animal materials such as decaying carcasses.
How Infestations Develop
Green blowflies generally breed on decaying flash or animal excrement. Dead animals around the home such as birds and mice or left over food scraps may attract blowflies. Flies lay eggs in batches of 100 to 200, and these eggs will hatch within a day. The life cycle of the fly is: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. From the time the egg is laid, it takes about 20 days for the fly to become an adult. The life cycle of the fly is usually 5 weeks or less.
Pest Management Techniques
Because blowflies have several food sources on which they breed and because they can reproduce quickly, managing blowflies can be quite challenging for homeowners. A pest inspection may be required in order for homeowners to determine the source of the fly infestation. Once the source has been located and removed, proven pest control techniques can then be used to eradicate the infestation. One weakness of the green blowfly is its tendency to rest during the night-time. A pest control method that is effective at eliminating fly infestations is treating services on which flies will rest while they are inactive. Baits will also produce desired results.
