Flies & PEople
Flies have been a regular part of human lives, in fact, for time immemorial. Several species of the genera Drosophila are associated with human settlement, including the house fly, stable fly, cluster fly, flesh fly, fruit fly and blow fly. All of them are considered pests. Some of these flies are known as “filth flies,” and can be carriers and transmitters of disease. Speaking broadly, the transfer of bacteria and filth happens when flies, which feed on and lay eggs in fecal or other moist, decaying organic matter, enter a home and land on skin, food, or surfaces, contaminating them by contact, defecation, or the expression of saliva.
Contact: Flies have sticky pads and hairs on their feet and legs that act as taste buds, telling them if they’ve landed on something edible and tasty. Particles of whatever they land on can cling to them and transfer between surfaces and they move around.
Defecation: As flies eat they leave waste behind, which can be contaminated with any bacteria, etc. that were a part of their diet. Their waste is visible as small dark specks.
Saliva: Flies don’t have “mouths” like ours; they have a proboscis, which works like a sponge, or a straw. The fly uses its proboscis to draw liquid food up into its stomach. If it wants to eat something solid, it uses its saliva and regurgitated stomach contents to dissolve the food and convert it to a liquid so it can be ingested. These digestive liquids can also transmit disease.
An indoor fly infestation can perpetuate if female flies have laid eggs somewhere and they are allowed to hatch and come to maturity. Usually eggs are laid in exposed food or garbage, so keeping kitchens, drains, and garbage areas clean, and disposing of or containing unused food portions can dramatically limit fly issues. Keeping flies out in the first place is the second most important part of limiting human-fly contact, so having windows and doors covered with in tact screens, or just keeping them shut, is an important part of pest control. If an infestation is not controlled by these measures, traps and sprays are available. However, if filthy areas remain to attract flies, these things will be short-term remedies only. An aggressive and thorough search and sanitation campaign will be necessary.
Contact: Flies have sticky pads and hairs on their feet and legs that act as taste buds, telling them if they’ve landed on something edible and tasty. Particles of whatever they land on can cling to them and transfer between surfaces and they move around.
Defecation: As flies eat they leave waste behind, which can be contaminated with any bacteria, etc. that were a part of their diet. Their waste is visible as small dark specks.
Saliva: Flies don’t have “mouths” like ours; they have a proboscis, which works like a sponge, or a straw. The fly uses its proboscis to draw liquid food up into its stomach. If it wants to eat something solid, it uses its saliva and regurgitated stomach contents to dissolve the food and convert it to a liquid so it can be ingested. These digestive liquids can also transmit disease.
An indoor fly infestation can perpetuate if female flies have laid eggs somewhere and they are allowed to hatch and come to maturity. Usually eggs are laid in exposed food or garbage, so keeping kitchens, drains, and garbage areas clean, and disposing of or containing unused food portions can dramatically limit fly issues. Keeping flies out in the first place is the second most important part of limiting human-fly contact, so having windows and doors covered with in tact screens, or just keeping them shut, is an important part of pest control. If an infestation is not controlled by these measures, traps and sprays are available. However, if filthy areas remain to attract flies, these things will be short-term remedies only. An aggressive and thorough search and sanitation campaign will be necessary.