The common housefly is the insect that is despised the most in every country on the globe. These irritating buzzing pests are difficult to get rid of once they have infested a residence and can be found almost anywhere in the world.
The common housefly, or Musca domestica in scientific terminology, is a non-biting fly. But each one might contain more than a million bacteria and a trusted source transferable to surfaces and food.
Houseflies can be controlled using various techniques, such as drain treatments and insect sprays. This article looks at how to eliminate houseflies. Before we discuss four ways to eliminate houseflies in the bathroom, let’s look at the following:
Appearance Of Housefly
House flies often have four black stripes on their thorax and a grey look. An adult house fly length ranges from 1/8 to 1″ (4 to 7.5 mm). They have one pair of wings, a slightly hairy body, and compound red eyes with millions of tiny lenses that give them a larger field of view.
Typically, female houseflies are more significant than males. Both teeth and a stinger are absent from house flies.
According to Britannica, the housefly, which possesses lapping or sponging mouthparts, cannot bite; in contrast, the stable fly, a close relative, can. The surface-tension qualities of a secretion produced by small glandular pads (pulvilli) beneath each claw on the feet are likely why the housefly can walk on vertical window glass or hang upside down on a ceiling.
The female lays between 600 and 1,000 slender, pale eggs, each measuring 0.8 to 1 millimeter in length at a time. In 12 to 24 hours, these eggs will hatch. The 12 mm long dirty-whitish larvae (larvae), which have undergone multiple molts, eventually become pupae.
When fully grown, the adults rip off the end of the puparium and extend a pouch (called a ptilinum) on their heads to come out.
Signs Of Housefly Infestation
The flies’ appearance is the most typical indication of a housefly infestation. As they develop into pupae, larvae may be observed creeping out of their breeding material.
People may hear house flies about the house in addition to seeing them. Because their two wings are beating in unison, house flies make a buzzing sound.
Food sources, water, and light are what house flies are drawn to. Around decaying waste, where they can find both food and moisture, flies frequently congregate in swarms.
Maggots, or fly larvae, can be found in the trash and rotting food. Before pupating into their adult form, the tiny white worms continue to eat tenaciously for several days.
You might hear the distinctive buzzing sound of house flies’ beating wings when they are nearby. Pay attention to the sounds near trash, dumpsters, drains, and light fixtures.
3 Common Signs:
- Patches with a little black cluster in a bright region (the size of a pinhead).
- Frequently seeing flies about your home, food, or trash.
- Maggots are fly larvae, which may indicate a prospective breeding spot on your land.
5 Causes Of Housefly Infestation
1. Housefly Reproduction Is Rapid
The primary reason there are so many flies at your place all of a sudden is that they multiply swiftly! The average lifespan of flies ranges from 15 to 30 days, depending on the species, the availability of food, and environmental conditions. Although adult flies only live a little while, they can still multiply in a short period.
Large populations of flies are known to multiply quickly, and if allowed unchecked, they could eventually pose a severe threat. A single female house fly can often lay up to 500 eggs throughout six batches in her lifetime.
The fly’s entire life cycle, from the egg stages to adult flies, barely lasts 7 to 10 days. The adult flies are prepared to enter or be near your home shortly after they have emerged to find food and a place to breed.
2. Houseflies Take Advantage Of Structural Issues
House flies gain access to a home by taking advantage of structural issues like broken weather stripping or window and door openings. Air currents and odors draw these pests to buildings.
In chilly weather, house flies are drawn to warm air currents from buildings. In warmer weather, the opposite is true since their ideal temperature is 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius).
3. Housefly Populations Depend On Warm Temperatures
The majority of flies prefer warm temperatures. Under warm temperatures, flies will grow more quickly and reproduce in large numbers. In 20 hours, house flies will molt into larvae at average temperatures.
Fly eggs can, however, hatch 2.5 times more quickly, or in less than 8 hours, when the temperature reaches 32 to 37 °C.
On the other hand, some fly species become dormant and seek temporary shelter during the rainy season. Some of them will seek refuge in the crevices and cracks of a structure.
While some people will enter a structure, such as your house, through cracks or openings around the building to stay warm, including others.
Once they enter your home, you will typically notice them flying around a room at a low altitude and idly wandering around surfaces like the ceiling, floor, and window glass.
4. Flies Lay Their Eggs Close To Food Sources
To reproduce, this little pest needs a food source; eventually, those food sources double as a place to lay eggs.
Although flies typically breed outdoors, this does not preclude them from doing so indoors. They will enter your home through various openings and undoubtedly move to the messiest area in search of food and a place to breed. Your kitchen trash can and clogged drains are excellent places for flies to congregate.
Your garbage bin is constantly stuffed with foul-smelling, rotting food waste, which is frequently the cause of the numerous flies in your home. The presence of larvae (or maggots) is a sure sign that they were successful in laying eggs on the food waste inside your garbage bin.
However, other fly species breed and find food sources inside your home, such as drain flies or moth flies. Drain flies are drawn to standing water, and their larvae have been observed to feed on the moist, decomposing organic matter right at the drain’s opening.
5. Flies Eat Anything
As omnivorous pests, flies are comparable to rats and cockroaches. They lack a mouth and teeth, but they have a mouth resembling a sponge that helps them absorb food.
Almost anything can be eaten by flies, and they are drawn to various objects in and around your home, including rotting, fermenting, or decomposed organic matter. Either as human food or even something, we don’t typically think of as food, like garbage or animal waste.
Now that we know the appearance of a housefly, signs of housefly infestation, and causes of housefly infestation, let’s take a step further and discuss the four steps to eliminate houseflies in the bathroom.
4 Steps To Eliminate Houseflies In The Bathroom
1. Cleaning The House
For flies to reproduce, water is required. Since flies can only survive for 48 hours, it is a vital component of their diet—a Reliable Source of water.
The accumulation of debris and too much moisture around the house are the leading causes of housefly infestations. Water can frequently accumulate in wet or humid places, such as sinks or drains.
Although they usually enter from the outside, houseflies can occasionally breed indoors. Buildings with interior garbage rooms and compactors tend to have more breeding sites. Housefly breeding grounds should be kept clean to help stop further infestations.
The filth associated with trash, waste, and/or scraps is attractive to many fly species. Flies won’t be attracted to your home if you keep it clean and practice good waste management, such as covering your garbage with tight lids and regularly taking it out.
Additionally, avoid placing the trash cans close to your windows and the door leading into your home.
Always check and clean places that include:
- Floors, removing food or food residue
- Sinks and bath or shower drains
- Drains
- Dirty mops
- Inside garbage containers
- Under appliances such as refrigerators
- Cracks in foundation or wall tiles where bacteria might grow
Always Pay Attention To:
- Areas with standing water, such as gutters
- Keeping doors or other points of entry shut
- Cleaning up after pets
- Keeping trash cans and the nearby regions clean
- Clearing decaying food, such as fallen apples from a tree
- Regularly cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces
- Sanitize Your Home Appropriately
The secret to controlling house flies for commercial structures and homeowners and property management firms will be thorough sanitation. You can significantly reduce the number of flies in your bathroom by eliminating the rotting food source, the breeding sites, and the smells that draw them in.
Step-By-Step Process To Sanitizing Your Home
- To keep flies from getting inside the structures, keep trash covered with tight lids and make sure exclusion measures are in place.
- When it comes to fly control (screens on the doors and windows, sealing the cracks, and repairing any openings are essential.)
- Do not let trash accumulate, and take out the garbage frequently.
- To stop flies from hovering around these filth sources to eat and lay eggs, pick up pet waste outside and remove any carcasses from dead rodents or food that may be lying around.
- Clean the counters, sweep the floor, and throw away any expired or spoiled food that is either outside on the counter or in the refrigerator.
2. Use Fly Traps To Catch Lingering Flies
After a thorough cleanup, most flies will disappear, but some will stick around. A fly trap like the Musca-Stik Fly Trap will come in handy. An insecticide-free web called Musca-Stik Traps uses pheromones to draw house flies directly to the glue-filled trap. These house flies will eventually perish after becoming immobile and becoming stuck.
Place the catch basin at the end of the stick with the pheromone packet inside, high above the areas where House Flies have been seen to be active.
As an alternative, we advise using the Mantis Fly Light if commercial buildings or warehouses are infested with house flies. The fly light trap in this product is portable and designed to draw house flies.
The product’s lights don’t zap or instantly kill house flies; instead, they entice them to fly inside, where a glue board will trap them. Once stuck, the house flies will eventually die.
3. Block The Entryway For Flies Into Your House
Ensure windows are sealed, and that foundation and wall cracks are repaired. Keep your doors, and windows shut after sundown, or use curtains to block the light. Install window screens to prevent flies from entering your home (especially in the kitchen area).
Food should be kept in airtight containers, and spilled liquids and food should be cleaned immediately, especially from underneath kitchen cabinets and appliances.
4. Spray Pyramid Aerosol
We advise using Pyramid Aerosol as an additional measure for reducing house flies. This pyrethrin aerosol can be sprayed directly onto insects to eliminate any lingering flies.
To quickly knock down and kill any House Fly on your property, point at it and spray. Apply for between one and three seconds for every 1,000 cubic feet.
Put away exposed eating or serving utensils if you are spraying in the kitchen. Pets and people should not enter treated areas until the rooms have been ventilated for 15 minutes. If spraying in the kitchen, clean the counters and any surfaces used for serving food after the treatment.
8 Health Risks Of Houseflies
Although they are generally not harmful, flies can be bothersome pests. They can include fruitflies or houseflies, which are common household pests.
Some flies carry pathogens that spread when they contact people or food, including bacteria and other infectious agents. These microorganisms may result in conditions and signs like:
- food poisoning
- cholera
- typhoid fever
- tuberculosis
- dysentery
- epidemic conjunctivitis
- eye infections
- a tropical infection called yaws
Summary
Infestations of house flies are rarely harmful. To deal with flies indoors, you can try various methods listed above. Keeping the house and outdoor spaces clean is crucial to treat and prevent issues that might be present.
Housefly control products include sprays and traps. One should exercise caution when using insecticide sprays, which can cause minor skin irritation. Let us know other practical ways to eliminate houseflies in the comment section below!
