Flies

Background Information 

There are 7 different kinds of flies that we typically deal with including the house fly, cluster fly, blow fly, fungus gnat, drain fly, phorid fly and the fruit fly.   

• The house fly is a small gray fly most commonly seen inside your house or business.  They do not have any marks on their wings and are almost always in motion.  They typically feed on organic matter, garbage, animal waste and spoiled food.  They regurgitate their food and can pose a serious health risk with disease transmission.
  

  

• The cluster fly is a gray fly with yellow hairs on its body.  They are also known as winter flies because they are seen inside during the winter months.  These flies parasitize on earthworms in the yard during the spring and summer and move inside before it gets cold and overwinter in the walls and attic.  
  

  

• The blow fly is one of the easiest to identify because it is metallic gray, blue, black or green.  These flies eat animal waste and are scavengers on carrion.  These flies can be an indicator for something dead in the walls of the house or business and they are one of the first flies to find dead animals.  
• The fungus gnat is a small dark fly that buzzes around house plants.  They feed on the organic matter within the soil of the potted plant.   
• The drain fly is a small grayish fly that looks like a tiny moth.  They are found most often in the drains of a sink, tub, or shower.  They feed off bacteria inside the plumbing drains.
  

  

• The phorid fly also known as the humpback fly looks very similar to that of a fruit fly but they lack the red eyes and have a humped back; thus their name.  They are associated with plumbing drains and feed on organic matter.  
• The fruit fly or vinegar fly is very tiny and easy to identify with its red eyes.  They feed on yeast and fermenting fruit.  They are commonly found around mostly empty beer and wine bottles or spoiled fruit.   

Flies can transmit disease and are a nuisance because of their mere presence inside the home.  Their presence can be a clue to sanitary issues inside or around the house or an indication that some animal has died.  

Treatments for Flies

NOCO Pest and Wildlife Control treatment can be very specific towards the type of fly; thus, identification is key.  Flies associated with plumbing (phorid and drain flies) can be treated with an insecticidal dust down the drain, or we can use an enzyme to help break down the bacteria and organics within the pipes.  In some cases, especially in restaurants, the drains need to be cleaned.  Severe infestations can be due to a septic leak underneath the foundation.  The best solution to fungus gnats is to either throw the infected plant away or to re-pot the plant in a new soil mix.  Fruit flies fall into a sanitary concern and the best solution is to clean up the spoiled fruit/food and to empty the trash of all the empty liquor bottles.   To speed up the process, we can use a light trap to lure in and capture the adult flies.  This is a symptom relief only.  The best solution for house and cluster flies is through exclusion.  We will limit areas in which they can access the inside through exclusion with caulking.  Exterior insecticide barriers can help reduce the population, especially in the fall when the flies congregate on warm walls. but this is a reduction-type service, and it will not kill all the flies.  Blow flies are an indication of something dead inside the walls if you are seeing them inside.  Removal of the animal carcass with eliminate this concern.  If blow flies are seen outside, it is because they are feeding on a carcass or from animal waste.  Removal of the carcass or waste will help mitigate the fly problem.   

Service Expectations 

Typically, flies are a symptom of a much greater problem, i.e., sanitation, waste, or carrion.  Successful treatment will target the specific problem areas and changes need to be made to address the sanitation, waste, or carcasses; otherwise, the flies will continue no matter what a service technician does.  Fly services, therefore, come with a reduction service.  The technician will guide you through the process and will help find the source of the infestation and will help you eliminate that problem or make recommendations.  In addition, treatment can be done to limit the fly numbers.  Provided, a customer follows the advice of the service technician and the sanitation concern is fixed, or the house is sealed up, or the carcass is removed; the problem typically goes away within 1-2 weeks if not sooner.