Flies are a fact of life, unfortunately, but when they begin to swarm in unnatural numbers, something has to be done. Besides being a general nuisance, flies also bring a bunch of potential health concerns while being incredibly difficult to completely remove. As such, immediate treatment and subsequent prevention measures are recommended. In this post, we'll outline in more detail all of the above—the dangers of a fly infestation, how such infestations happen, how to prevent them, and the best way to go about solving one should it happen to you.
What Causes Fly Infestations?
Flies generally find their way inside through open doors and windows, searching for an easy meal or a suitable place to lay their eggs. Several factors attract flies to your home, including the scent of food, garbage, organic debris, and waste from pets. Cracks or crevices around the home, including the gaps between doors and windows can allow flies to enter. Outside, they can be attracted to any mulch or leaf piles, which, in turn, leads them to wander into your Houston home.
How Dangerous Is It To Have Flies In My Home?
These ubiquitous insects can be much more dangerous than most people realize. Flies are extremely efficient vectors for pathogens. They tend to land on undesirable surfaces such as waste, carrion, trash, and other generally diseased or dirty areas. Here are just a few of the diseases flies can spread:
- Typhoid fever
- Cholera
- Dysentery
- E. Coli
- Shigellosis
Flies will infest any food they can find, as well. Their eggs can hatch as quickly as 24 hours after they're laid, after which the maggots will become fully formed new flies in a matter of weeks. As you can see, it's easy for a fly population to spiral out of control.
Practical Fly Prevention Tips
Whether you need to cut down on a growing infestation or just want to make sure that you never get to that point, knowledge is half the battle. Although it's a challenge to prevent pests on your own, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself to an extent. To keep fly populations within tolerable ranges, try following these handy tips:
- Keep your yard free of any pet waste, mulch, leaf piles, or other organic material that could rot in your yard and attract flies.
- Practice proper garbage disposal, tying off trash bags securely and using tight-fitting lids on bins, storing them all far away from your home.
- Practice proper food storage, putting away leftovers using airtight containers.
- Keep the kitchen spotless, leaving no trace of food or drink to decompose in the sink, trash can, or on the counters or tables.
- Ensure your doors and windows are secure, replace sweeps and screens as necessary, and seal up any other potential entry points around the exterior of your home.
Despite your efforts to keep flies out of your home on your own, you still may find you have a fly problem. In the end, it's best to partner with a knowledgeable professional for ongoing guidance and complete protection.
The Key To Total Fly Control
To root out a stubborn fly infestation, you have to strike at the source. Oftentimes, this can be difficult to do on your own. It can feel like no matter what you try, the situation will only grow worse. Thankfully, this isn't the case—there's a guaranteed method that most people won't consider. The quickest and most effective means of fly control is to contact the professionals at All-Safe Pest & Termite. We'll work with you to eradicate the pesky little insects in record time and provide you with proven prevention measures to ensure a similar problem never crops up again. The experts at All-Safe are only a call away.