What Do Flies Look Like?
Flies come in all shapes and sizes, but all true flies have one pair of wings, large eyes, and six legs. Black, brown, yellow, and iridescent green are common colors for nuisance flies. Some species, like blow flies, have little hairs, while fuzzy drain flies have a moth-like appearance. Flies vary in size from tiny gnats that are 1 mm long to horse flies that are over an inch in length. They reproduce quickly and gather around unclean areas, spreading harmful bacteria wherever they land.
What are the Signs of a Fly Infestation?
Fly infestations can happen for various reasons. House flies, fruit flies, and drain flies are attracted to decomposing materials such as garbage, overripe fruits, and clogged drains. Some species, like cluster flies, prefer to overwinter in homes and attics. They can also infest dead animals in walls or other hidden places inside homes. Flies can enter houses on food products or drift in through open windows and doors. The most common areas to find flies are kitchens, around trash cans, and on windowsills.
Professional Fly Control
in Milwaukee, WI
Advanced Wildlife and Pest Control offers fly pest control and extermination services in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. Our certified specialists provide safe, effective, and reliable pest solutions to eliminate flies from your home or business. Our quality pest treatments and maintenance services will ensure your property remains pest-free year-round.
What Damage Can Flies Cause?
Flies may seem harmless but can pose a health issue if left unchecked. These filthy insects can transmit over 100 pathogens, including salmonella, E. coli, typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera. Flies can spread pathogens by regurgitating and excreting food, utensils, and food preparation surfaces. Every time a fly lands, it deposits thousands of microbes, which can cause serious illnesses. Flies reproduce rapidly because a single female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in a short period.
How Can I Prevent Flies in the Future?
The following prevention tips will help deter flies from your property.
- Regularly wash dishes, vacuum floors, and empty the garbage.
- Store food inside airtight containers or in the refrigerator.
- Clean up crumbs, spills, and food debris.
- Fix leaky pipes, faucets, and fixtures.
- Place weatherstripping around windows and doors.
- Repair any torn door or window screens.
- Regularly clean clogged sink and shower drains.
- Inspect fruits, vegetables, and potted plants before bringing them indoors.
Fly FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What do flies eat?
Flies eat organic filth and waste, sugary substances, overripe produce, and other organic materials. They have soft, spongy mouthparts used for sucking up liquids. Flies will regurgitate digestive juices to liquefy solid food into a liquid that they can suck up.
Do flies bite?
Yes, some flies bite. Mosquitoes, deer flies, black flies, and horse flies can all bite humans. Their mouthparts pierce the skin to feed on blood, leaving behind painful, itchy red welts.
Where do flies lay eggs?
Flies can lay eggs in garbage, animal feces, fruits, vegetables, yard debris, soil, and the slimy organic film in drain pipes and garbage disposals.
What is the lifecycle of flies?
A fly’s life cycle is very short. Depending on the species, the life expectancy of a fly is generally a month or, in some cases, with overwintering flies, up to a year. Flies go through a complete metamorphosis. Female flies commonly lay their eggs on rotting material, feces, and other food sources. The eggs may hatch into larvae in as little as a day. Fly larvae, also known as maggots, are small, pale legless worms. During the larval stage, the fly molts several times and will create a pupal case. An adult fly will emerge from the pupal case in three to six days.
Can I DIY fly control?
DIY methods of fly control are often ineffective. Over-the-counter pesticides only kill a few foraging flies and do not provide any residual effects. Our trained pest control professionals use an integrated pest management approach to target the flies, along with their food sources and breeding sites. Sanitation, exclusion, and monitoring are necessary for long-term results.
Types of Flies
Common Flies in Wisconsin
Blow Flies
Cluster Flies
Drain Flies
Fruit Flies
Fungus Gnats
