Summer is here and so are the flies. If flies would just live up to their name and keep flying away from us, it wouldn’t be so bad. But when they settle on our belongings, food and skin they irritate us, our pets and other animals.
Flies irritate us, our pets and other animals too.More important than being merely annoying, flies are known to spread disease. Their sticky foot pads, used to anchor them to surfaces, carry leftover particles of excrement or garbage, which in turn can be transferred onto your food. Flies also defecate every four to five minutes, which could be a further contaminant of food.
Flies are known to spread diseases like malaria, dysentery, gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, cholera, conjunctivitis, tuberculosis and diarrhea. They also cause parasitic tape worms in poultry and horses.
Homeowners who neglect to empty and disinfect their garbage bins on a regular basis should be reminded that a single unemptied bin could become a breeding ground for thousands of flies. Females lay up to 600 eggs in batches of 75 to 150 eggs, and can reproduce a new generation every two weeks, as house fly larvae take a mere seven to 10 days to develop into adults.
Empty your garbage cans at least twice a week and keep them as far away as possible from doors leading into the house.Each fly egg hatches into a small, grub-like creature (larvae), which looks more like an inchworm than a fly. Those little maggots you see in decaying food or dead animals are baby flies. By consuming nutrients from soil, faeces or stagnant water, they will grow to adult fly size within a few days. Hot weather increases the probability of a large scale infestation that requires professional fly control.
Rentokil shares tips on how to get rid of flies this summer…
Preventing a fly infestation
1. To get rid of flies before they become a problem, limit their ability to breed and feed by removing potential food sources like leftover food and soft fruits, as well as any stagnant water, which is prone to be their breeding ground.
2. During summer, place a household fan near the most vulnerable areas in your home like your fruit bowl, and keep it blowing across the fruit. Flies cannot land in a cross wind.
Make use of basil or lemon basil, rosemary, lavender, bay leaf, mint, tansy and sweet woodruff to get rid of pesky flies.3. Empty your garbage cans at least twice a week and keep them as far away as possible from doors leading into the house. Make sure that they are always tightly closed too.
4. Seal any entry points around windows and doors using a sealant as caulking to plug any holes or entry points.
Dealing with a fly problem at home
1. Opt for insecticides delved from natural origins
Fly sprays are absorbed by the fly’s central nervous system, paralysing them and resulting in death. Besides the fact that these chemicals are toxic to flying insects such as bees and dragonflies, pyrethroids (artificial insecticides) are lethal to flies and invertebrates that constitute the base of many aquatic and land-dwelling food webs.
Sometimes the only way to get rid of a persistent fly problem is to call in the experts.Rather opt for pyrethrin based insecticides to get rid of flies. While this chemical is slightly poisonous, when used in lower concentrations, it can be used as an insect repellent. Originating from Chrysanthemum flowers, pyrethrins are biodegradable and break down on exposure to light or oxygen. This insecticide ensures that there will be no excessive build-up of insecticides that are distributed in the area being treated.
2. Rely on Mother Nature by making use of herbs
Herbs have been used for thousands of years as household cleaners, disinfectants and insect repellents. Make use of basil or lemon basil, rosemary, lavender, bay leaf, mint, tansy and sweet woodruff, which you could plant in your own garden.
3. Call in the experts
Sometimes the only way to get rid of a persistent fly problem is to call in the experts. Correct identification of the species of fly is important so that the breeding sites can be located and the problem fixed for good. Professionals can offer treatment programs directed at both the larval and adult flies to achieve effective and efficient fly control.
Here’s to a fly-free summer!
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