Flies are perhaps one of the most common pests that we all find in our homes, particularly during summer months and on warm days. And they are one of the easiest ways to spread disease.

What are flies?

Flies come from the order Diptera and include in their families an estimate one million named species. However, the most familiar species to us are the housefly and bluebottle Calliphora vomitoria and are winged insects which lay their eggs on food and faeces. Houseflies are smaller than the larger more colourful bluebottle with its metallic blue shiny body, but they are equally capable of spreading disease by laying their eggs on uncovered foods (even crumbs), pet food, decaying rubbish and faeces which can include unwrapped nappies.

During the entire adult stage of the house fly life cycle, females are likely to lay 5-6 batches of about 75-150 eggs spread out over several days between each batch. During a typical lifespan, an adult female may produce about 350-900 eggs in her 15-25 days as an adult.

What are the signs that flies or bluebottles are present?

Apart from the obvious sightings of the flies or bluebottles themselves, you may notice small oval eggs which have been laid – usually on meat, pet food and decaying rubbish. You may also notice these in pet faeces or baby’s nappies which have not been properly disposed of. The following larval stage is more obvious as the larvae feed, grow and move before they seek out a cool cry place to begin their pupal phase.

What can I do to prevent fly infestations?

You can try to ensure that flies do not enter your home by filling a curtain or grille over your windows and doors but this is difficult in summer moths when we are more likely to have all of our windows open. Cover up any left over food and discard or cover uneaten pet food. Wipe surfaces carefully and bag and tie rubbish before placing in a clean tight lidded dustbin.

If you find however, that your fly infestation has got out of hand, then it’s time to call in the professionals. Hillbans technicians are knowledgeable about each fly species and have a range of treatments to effectively deal with flies and minimise the nuisance caused by them.

We deal with many types of fly infestation, including the following;

• Houseflies
• Blue Bottles
• Cluster Flies
• Fruit Fly Pest Control
• Mosquitoes