The summer months are known for many things such as hot dogs, fire works, swimming at the local pool and many other things.  But one of the more unenjoyable characteristics of summer are the onset of flies.  These insects are bothersome and often can carry disease.  They work to clean up the environment by consuming dead carcasses and dung, which make them necessary, but undesirable.  Let’s talk about different kinds of flies found here in Oklahoma and how they can be treated.  

 

Flies are a necessary part of our ecosystem.  They are natures clean up crew.  When an animal dies, flies are one of the many insects that help to break down the carcass and make it food for plants.  Flies will lay their eggs in decaying meat, so that when they hatch, the larva form will have the necessary nutrition to grow into an adult fly.  They will also consume dead and decaying meat for nutrition.  Because of their connection with dirty and decaying things, they can spread disease through contact.  Dangerous bacteria are carried on their feet and bodies and transmitted to food when they land.  Because of this, they must be removed from kitchens and food preparation areas whenever possible.

FLY LIFECYCLE

Flies are short lived insects.  They usually live anywhere from a few days, to about a month, depending upon the species.  Flies go through a complete metamorphosis.  This means that flies start as an egg and then hatch into larva.  These larva are often called maggots.  Maggots find their way into trash, dead carrion, drains, sewage and many other places with large amounts of decaying food sources.  Maggots will go through three larval stages.  At each stage the larva will increase in size until the last stage where it will enter the pupa stage.  If you’re having problems with flies, contact your Broken Arrow exterminator today.

At the pupa stage, the last larva stage will develop a very thick skin called a puparium.  Flies will stay in this faze between two and six days, depending on the temperature and other factors.  Once the adult fly is fully formed in the pupa stage, it will us an appendage on its head, called a ptilinum, to break through the casing.  This organ is much like a ballon on its head used to hammer through the cocoon.  Once the fly gets free, it is now an adult.  It will last a few weeks, multiplying often.  The reproductive capability of flies is enormous.  If a pair could reproduce from April until August, and every fly survived, the pair would produce 191 quintillion flies!

FLIES AND DISEASE

Many different flies begin their life on something rotten.  Flies will lay their eggs on dung, a dead carcass or other waste material.  For this reason, the average house fly can carry as many as one million pathogens on it.  Some of the pathogens commonly transmitted by house flies are Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Chlamydia, and many other illnesses.   If flies are permitted to land on human food, they can easily pass these diseases from contact with their feet, mouth parts, or vomit that they use to eat.  When flies want to consume something, they will vomit digestive fluids onto the food in order to break it down before they eat it.  

Other types of flies, such as stable flies, are blood feeders.  They can transmit diseases by biting someone.  These flies feed on blood in their adult stages of life, and can transmit diseases such as anthrax, equine infectious anemia (EIA), and anaplasmosis to animals.  Studies have found pigs, pelicans, horses, cows and other animals to be susceptible.  Even though it is assumed that stable flies can transmit diseases to humans, I could find no clear data on an instance or disease that this has happened with at the time of this writing. Even so, it is important to eliminate any stable flies in and around your home to keep from being bitten.  Stable flies can be handled by your Tulsa exterminator.

TYPES OF FLIES

There are many different kinds of flies. One of the most common is the common house fly.  They are dark with grey stripes on their abdomen, and like most flies, they reproduce in filth.  This means that they can readily transmit diseases.  The blow fly is another common fly found in Oklahoma.  It has a body that is metallic in color, usually yellow, blue or black.  They also are found around carcasses and dung.  

Stable flies look much like house flies, but are mostly found outside.  They are blood feeders as adults, but lay their eggs in filth like other flies.  Face flies are another fly known for being attracted to the face of livestock and animals.  It often transmits pink eye to cows and horses.  Cluster flies are more of a cooler weather fly.  They are unique in that they will lay their eggs in the soil and when the larva hatch, they are parasites of the earth worm.  Once they grow to adulthood, they will tend to cluster in the upper levels of buildings and attic spaces.  Eliminating flies is best done by your Broken Arrow pest control company.  

CONTROLLING FLIES

The best control for flies is to exclude them from our homes.  Keeping screens closed and in good condition helps to protect our homes.  Keeping their food sources to a minimum can also help.  You can do this by eliminating trash and throwing away old fruit as soon as possible.  Rotting meat and dead animals can be a problem as well.  If a mouse has died in the walls, it’s important to find a way to get rid of the carcass to keep flies away.  

Keeping flies out of your home or office is important for the safety of you, your family and your loved ones.  If you are having an issue with flies, it may be time to contact your Tulsa pest control company.  Here at TermMax Pest Control, we can take care of any fly problem that you may have.  We service the greater Tulsa area including Owasso, Broken Arrow, Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Turley, Prattville, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Bixby, Jenks and more.  Call today for a free estimate.  We’re here to help!

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