What are House Flies and Filth Flies?

House flies (Musca domestica), also known as “Filth Flies”, are one of the most widely dispersed insects on the planet and the most common of all flies found in New York homes and buildings. Adult House Flies are between ¼ – ½ an inch long with a gray body, punctuated by four dark lines running along its length. Both males and females have a small amount of yellow underneath the thorax, one pair of wings and red eyes but females are slightly larger than males with a larger gap between the eyes. Females can produce around 500 eggs in several batches of 75 to 150 at a time and within one day the larvae hatch from these eggs to feed. Fly larvae live in and feed on garbage, feces and dead or decaying organic matter for about 1 week, after which time they crawl into a cool dry place to begin the transformation into pupae. From that stage, adult flies emerge and begin to continue the cycle. House Flies cannot ingest solid foods so must therefore either take in liquid or semi-liquid foods or spit out saliva or vomit to predigest solids before taking them on. They take on food in such quantities that they defecate almost constantly which is what has made them such a dangerous carrier of pathogens and diseases.

Why do I have a fly problem?

House Flies, as the name suggests, will inhabit buildings, houses and their surroundings because of waste products created by humans. Not only will uncovered food attract flies but they will also live and feed in rotting organic matter and feces. Anywhere with a source of warm, damp, rotting organic matter in which they can lay eggs and provide a source of food for the larvae will attract them.

Are they dangerous?

Flies are known to be dangerous as carriers of pathogens and diseases such as:

• Typhoid
• Cholera
• Bacillary Dysentery
• Campylobacter and E. coli
• Diarrhea
• Tapeworms

Disease is usually spread when House Flies feed and lay their eggs on garbage and rotting material, then land on human foods and food preparation areas, contaminating them.

How do I get rid of House Flies?

Getting rid of House Flies can be a difficult and unpleasant task as unless the source of the infestation can be pinpointed, killing House Flies will simply not remove the infestation but will allow the remaining flies to go on reproducing. One call to Assured Environments is the solution to all of your House Fly issues as our pest control professionals will track down and eliminate the source of the infestation and get rid of the House Flies for you.

Can I do it myself?

While it is possible to attempt to get rid of House Fly infestations using Do-It-Yourself methods, sometimes it’s just not practical or healthy to do so. Great care must be taken as any chemicals used may be toxic and harmful to humans and pets which is why Assured Environments are your one-stop solution to eradicate your House Fly infestation.

How soon can you get here?

Assured Environments make a commitment to be there when you need us. For that reason we will do everything we can to be with you the same or very next day.

Is the treatment for flies safe?

Any pest control products used by Assured Environments have first been checked and passed for pest control use by the EPA. Only then are they used and applied following a set of strict guidelines, to ensure that no harm comes to humans or pests while treatment takes place.

How can I prevent this in the future?

Preventing House Flies invading your property is often not possible. However, steps can be taken to minimize the risk, such as ensuring garbage is properly bagged and disposed of, all food is kept in air-tight containers, food preparation areas are kept clean and tidy, areas of moist and rotting organic matter are removed from properties.