At this time of year it is worth being vigilant about Cluster Flies

Across the world taken as a whole there are over 120 000 species of flies. Flies are considered pests for good reason: they can pose a serious health risk to humans, pets and livestock. If you were to notice a few flies in your business premises or your home, it may not mean that you have an infestation of flies. We are all familiar with the irritation of the odd two or three flies buzzing around our homes in the warmer months of the year. If, however, a small fly problem is ignored or left uncontrolled, it has the potential to turn into a serious infestation. A fly problem has the potential to develop rapidly: some species of fly are able to mature from eggs to adults in just seven days.

Flies have the potential to infest your home or business and transmit diseases such as Salmonella and E. coli. A few species may even bite humans and animals. Salmonella is a group of bacteria that causes typhoid fever, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, enteric fever and other illnesses. People become infected mostly through contaminated water or foods, especially meat, poultry and eggs. E. coli is a type of bacteria that normally live in the intestines of people and animals. However, some types of E. coli, particularly E. coli 0157:H7, can cause intestinal infection. Symptoms of intestinal infection include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever.

The potential harm caused by flies includes, as mentioned, the spread of diseases; the contamination of food; and even bites – some species will bite humans and animals.

There are simple ways in which you can identify the signs of a fly infestation and reduce the need for fly control. A proactive approach involving deterrent measures will also help you avoid costly treatments.

Common signs that you might have a fly infestation in your business premises or home include:

1.       Small dark clusters of spots – the spots would be the around the size of a pinhead. You would be most likely to identify this sign in lighter areas

2.       The presence of maggots. Maggots are flies in their larval stage of development. The presence of maggots in your business presence or home might be an indication of a potential breeding site.

3.       Regular sightings – if you see and hear flies around your home or business premises, around food or bins, you might have a problem

If you have discovered any of these sign in your business premises or home you could choose to install some deterrent measures such as fly products, like light traps, around your property. Such measures might reduce the number of adult flies but are unlikely to affect a potential breeding site.

The removal of a breeding site is essential for long-term fly control. That’s where Key West Pest Control comes in. We’re here to help, advise and install the necessary deterrent measures in your home or business such that it shouldn’t be necessary to remove a breeding site. At Key West we’re eminently flexible whether acting reacting to an existing problem or taking proactive measures to prevent potential pest problems.