WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLYING
We all look forward to spring and warm temperatures. Unfortunately, this beautiful season also brings with it annoying and uninvited house guests - flies. Questions arise: Where do the insects come from? How can you protect your rooms from them? Are flies just a nuisance or perhaps dangerous for people?
HOUSEFLY
Flies have always been a nuisance to humans, so much so that they were once called devil bees. Biologists classify flies as arthropods in the order Diptera. The housefly (Musca domestica) is one of the most common pests in the world and lives in close association with humans and animals. Houseflies feed mainly on waste, rotting vegetables, etc. Their life cycle - eggs, larvae, pupae and adults - can be completed in less than seven days under optimal conditions. As the distances between farms and urban areas are becoming increasingly smaller, the greatest threat posed by flies is their ability to mechanically transmit pathogens such as E. coli or salmonella directly to our food.
HOW LONG DOES A HOUSEFLY LIVE?
One can only be thankful that the life span of a housefly is very short. Under favorable conditions and in the absence of enemies, it can live up to 2 months. However, the average life expectancy of houseflies is 10-20 days.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A FLY
Houseflies are able to breed just 2-3 days after pupation. Each female lays around 150 eggs at a time. These are usually found on spoiled food scraps and waste and are not visible to the human eye. Over the course of its life, the fly can lay up to 3,000 eggs. The fly larvae hatch on the first day and grow at a rapid pace. The young larvae develop into adult flies within a week. All developmental stages from egg to adult pest take 12-14 days.
WHAT DO HOUSEFLIES EAT?
Flies are not picky. They feed on all types of food and organic waste. They prefer sweet liquid food and can smell edible food from 700 meters away. To eat solid food, they use their saliva to soften it and then turn it into liquid.
Fun Fact: Flies rub their legs to remove dust and dirt from the sticky pads on their feet. After cleaning their front legs, flies also wipe their eyes and head. Then they use their back legs to clean their wings.
ARE FLIES DANGEROUS TO US?
Not directly: They don't bite and don't cause allergic reactions. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that they don't transmit diseases. Their behavior and the way they crawl around on food make them a source of danger for humans. Flies can transmit deadly diseases such as typhus, dysentery, cholera, anthrax, leprosy and tuberculosis.
6 FACTS ABOUT FLYING
- Flies have been found on all seven continents.
- There are more than 120,000 species of flies.
- Flies are attracted to movement rather than color.
- The fly's territory is usually limited to 3 kilometers.
- A single trash can, if not emptied, can serve as a breeding ground for 30,000 flies.
- Flies are only active during the day. They cannot see at night.
PREVENT A FLY INFESTATION
It is always easier to prevent the spread of a fly infestation than to try to get rid of them later - you should keep this in mind and try to react and take precautions as quickly as possible. Houseflies are not interested in rooms with unfavorable conditions for them. For this reason, you will not find breeding grounds in clean apartments. Do not underestimate the rapid reproduction of pests: a single fly can quickly lay up to 3,000 eggs. If you do not act in time, you will have to deal with a fly infestation and possible associated diseases.
To prevent a housefly infestation, pay attention to the following points:
- Do not leave food, crumbs or fruit lying around. Keep food in containers or cover it.
- Prevent pests from entering by installing mosquito nets on the windows.
- Prevent pests from entering by installing mosquito nets on the windows.
- Keep trash cans clean and closed.
- If you have an outdoor trash can, keep it closed and clean.
- Use fly traps and fly catchers.
- If you have a severe fly infestation, use effective insecticides.
In our next blog we will look in more detail at effective methods for controlling flies.
