How to Get Rid of Disease-Transmitting House Flies
House flies are one of the most prevalent insects that live within our homes, and although most people have come to accept their presence, they can be harmful to your family’s health. Most people understand the dangers of invasive pests like rodents and birds, but when it comes to house flies, people look at them as nothing more than a nuisance. However, this could not be further from the truth. Not only do house flies play hosts to a variety of deadly diseases, they are able to transmit these diseases throughout a home faster than most other invasive pests. Now that winter is fast approaching, and the temperatures are dropping, flies are looking for a warm place to stay. Make sure your family is safe this winter by keeping a fly-free home.
Diseases House Flies Carry
House flies may be a nuisance in your home, but they also are the hosts of many communicable diseases. In fact, house flies have been known to carry and transmit around 100 diseases to humans. The most common diseases they carry include typhoid, cholera, dysentery, salmonella, anthrax, and tuberculosis. House flies have also been known to transmit the eggs of parasitic worms. Although modern medicine provides treatments for these diseases, they can lead to severe illness or death if left untreated.
How Flies Transmit Disease
Flies collect and transmit pathogens on their legs when they land on decomposing organic matter such as feces, animal corpses, and garbage. The house flies carry these disease pathogens on their legs and the small hairs that cover their bodies, which they then transfer to the food or other surfaces when they land. Throughout a typical day, the average house fly will move back and forth from food and waste matter, which spreads infection and disease through a process known as mechanical contamination. Through mechanical contamination, a fly will quickly spread disease throughout the entire home leaving it unsafe for you and your family.
Prevention and Removal
The best way to avoid catching a disease from flies is to prevent and remove them from your home. There are simple ways you can keep flies out of your home, make sure your home is protected. This means finding all possible points of entry around your home and ensuring they are sealed off. Make sure all doors and windows have screens, and any structural issues with your home are resolved. Finally, it’s time to eliminate all adult flies in your home. This can be achieved through a number of means, including bait traps, fly swatters, and fly repellent.
When dealing with flies, a proactive treatment plan is your best line of defense. As soon as you notice flies entering your home, promptly remove them before they lay eggs. Once the flies have been removed, try and locate where they are accessing your home and seal the entry point. When possible, avoid using chemical-based pesticides in your home as they can be dangerous to your family and pets. Flies may be a nuisance, but their ability to spread disease throughout your home should be the real cause of concern this winter.
About the Author:
Daniel Mackie, co-owner of Greenleaf Pest Control , is a Toronto pest control expert well-known as an industry go-to guy, an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions, and is a regular guest on HGTV. Mackie, along with business partner Sandy Costa, were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation for the successful eradication of bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener.
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