Why is it Important to Control Flies in and Around your Home or Business?

Whether they're buzzing around your head while you read or chasing you down as you tend to your garden, flies are, at best, annoying. At worst, they are dangerous. Certain types of flies can bite and cause blisters, and even harmless houseflies aren't so harmless in the long run. Learn about the flies in Louisiana and how to go about fly control in this quick guide.

Green Bottle Fly

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Types of Flies in Louisiana
 
Louisiana is home to hundreds of insect and arachnid species, including several types of flies:
 
●        Bee-Like Tachinid Fly: These flies are lethal predators, but only to insects that most humans find to be problematic anyway. They mostly feed on moth species and often do it from the inside out. These flies are typically found in marshes and flowers.
●        Deer Fly: Although related to the horse fly, deer flies are smaller. Even so, their bite is still painful and can cause welts. As the name implies, these flies usually feed on deer, but have no problem gnawing on a human if presented with one. Once they settle into a habitat, it is difficult to get rid of them.
●        Fishfly: Large in size and seeming to be uncoordinated in the air, fishflies' jaws look like saw-like teeth. They are often found near the vegetation above moving water and are mostly active at night. They eat other aquatic insects, worms and algae.
●        Yellow Fly: These flies look much like deer flies and are just as unwelcome. The females prefer to eat blood and will quickly target a human's head and ears. They also bother the backs, legs and faces of farm animals. Bites from a yellow fly become red and irritated and are often painful. Many humans are allergic and end up with painful blisters. These flies are most active around dusk in the months of May and June and a big reason for fly control needs.
●        Common Green Bottle Fly: These flies are, as the name implies, common and likely to be found in and around your home. They eat dead animals and rotting foods. They not only carry disease, but also attack healthy sheep on occasion. These attacks can result in death if not treated.
●        Flesh Fly: Like the common greenbottle fly, flesh flies feed on the skin and organs of dying animals, including humans. They may also eat feces and rotting foods. They are most active in spring and summer, and can be found anywhere from fields to parking lots.
 
Why Flies Are a Problem
 
When it comes to bacteria and disease, common houseflies are the biggest problem. These flies have always been known to carry diseases, but in recent years, researchers from the United States, Brazil, Germany and Singapore have discovered that flies are an even larger problem than previously thought. Not only do they transfer bacteria simply by landing on food or other surfaces, but they transfer many more types than previously thought. This means they are particularly problematic for businesses that rely on food production to survive. Fly control is an essential aspect of doing business for these companies.
 
Potential Diseases Flies Can Carry
 
The various fly species found in homes and businesses transfer a wide variety of bacteria. The most common bacterium in flies is Psychrobacter sp. Prwf-1. This bacterium is in about 25 percent of housefly samples. While normally existing in cold environments, the strain easily adapts to warm ones and is closely associated with food spoilage. A range of other problematic bacteria was found as well:
 
●        Enterobacter cloacae: This bacterium is widespread and can cause a range of health problems, including lower respiratory issues, skin and soft tissue infections. It can also contaminate intravenous medical devices.
●        Staphylococcus: Increasingly common, this bacterium is often found in hospitals, but can be in homes as well. It typically infects open wounds and may lead to more serious issues.
●        Acinetobacter baumannii: Widely found in nature, this bacterium is known for causing urinary tract infections, secondary meningitis and several other health issues typically picked up in hospitals.
●        Enterococcus faecalis: This is a normal component of the gut, but can cause serious issues when there is too much of it. Infections can be life-threatening due to the bacterium's resistance to antibiotics.
●        E. coli: There are many types of E. coli, and six of them can cause gastroenteritis if you have contact with contaminated food or water.
●        Salmonella enterica: Salmonella is a common cause of food poisoning and one of the most important reasons that fly control is important.
 
Other common bacteria found in flies includes Bacillus cereus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Helicobacter pylori.
 
How Flies Contaminate Your Space
 
Flies transmit bacteria in one of three ways. Most commonly, they contaminate food, humans and surfaces when they land. However, they also transmit bacteria when they regurgitate during feeding or via excrement. Their legs and feet are most commonly covered in the microorganisms.
 
How to Prevent Flies
 
It is nearly impossible to completely prevent houseflies. They tend to follow you in as you enter and exit your home or business. However, there are ways to keep them from multiplying and becoming a problem. The easiest way to prevent houseflies or fruit flies from taking over your home or business is to keep it clean. If you use a garbage disposal, keep it clean and run it often. Never leave organic material in the drain. Take the garbage out often, and use disinfectants to prevent bacteria from traveling throughout your home or business. Clean your garbage cans often, and never leave standing water, such as that in buckets, around for flies to land in.
 
When to Call Pest Control
 
No matter how hard you try to prevent flies, sometimes, do-it-yourself fly control simply isn't enough. If keeping food put away and cleaning often hasn't helped you to get rid of the housefly or fruit fly problem on your property, it is important to call a professional. Pest control companies have the tools, knowledge and experience necessary to remove the problem and help you find ways to prevent it from happening again in the future.
 
Without the proper fly control, these insects can easily take over your home or business, leaving you and your family sick, or your company unable to operate properly. When at-home remedies don't work, hire a reputable and licensed Baton Rouge pest control company. Doing so could mean the difference between saving your business and going bankrupt.