Fly Infestation Pest Control | Housefly and Lesser Housefly

Fly Control

An outbreak of house flies in any property will be linked to a build-up of rotten foodstuffs or perhaps a dead animal (eg, mouse, pigeon etc), overflowing bins and the like, therefore finding this source and removing it is key to effective fly control.

Ensuring good hygiene measures is very important due to their well known feeding habits that can easily lead to food poisoning incidents.

Disinfecting food preparation surfaces, keeping raw and cooked food covered also  washing exposed crockery, cutlery and cooking tools before use is important.

Keep dustbins covered and remote from food preperation areas is good practice and cleaning of bins or skips to remove foul odours will reduce their attractiveness to these insects.

To kill adult insects, we can carry out insecticidal spray treatments to fly landing sites, eg. window frames and nearby light coloured walls and ceilings. If practical, insecticidal fogging or space spraying treatments will have good results.

Fly eggs do hatch out in batches, so you can expect two or three outbreaks over a short period of time.

If the source is not accessible or easily controllable, eg shared bins outside or carcass in a wall void, preventitive measures include electric fly killers of various types and sizes, perhaps teamed with insect screens to windows and doors.

Such preventitive measures is especially important in commercial kitchens where the Food Safety Act is in force.

Due to the variety of such sources and solutions, EBS Surveyors will always need to survey your site first to provide the right solution and advise what you can do to help yourselves. 

1. To discuss your situation without obligation, please call us on 0845 094 0845, or email us HERE

Fly Biology & Habits

 The eggs are just over 1mm long, white and although laid singly, will be in quantities up to 500, laid in batches of 100-150 over a 3-4 day period. They are usually laid in moist, decaying matter (manure, rubbish heaps, decaying food, animal carcasses etc)

This ’scheduled’ laying of eggs can mean multiple outbreaks of maggots if the source is not found after the first outbreak.

The larvae (maggots) are up to 12mm long when mature, hatching out after 8-20 hours and are a dirty cream colour with a pair of dark hooks at the head end.

Adults are about 6mm long with the thorax having four distinct stripes. The fourth vein on each wing bends sharply forward.

When ready to pupate, the larvae will travel up to 50 ft to a dry location near a food source to pupate. Pupae is dark red-brown and barrel shaped, around 8mm long. The adult will emerge up to 28 days later and can lay eggs 2 days after emergence. They live for 1-3 months. Larvae, Pupae and adult can overwinter in suitable, sheltered locations.

They spread disease by transmision of bacteria from decomposing material, manure etc to our food or surfaces. Common illness will be sickness and diarrhoeh, however  much more serious intestinal diseases such as typhoid, cholera or polio. can be transferred from infected faeces.