4 Reasons Why Homes Have Lots of Flies

Are you wondering “why homes have lots of flies lately?”. If yes, then you are not alone. Look for answers on why homes have lots of flies in this article!

Why do homes have lots of flies?

One sure reason homes have lots of flies is the ability of flies to breed quickly in a short time. This makes it impossible for large fly populations to ‘flood’ your home in just a matter of days.

In addition, as with other pests that invade your home, many flies in their homes are looking for or have even found shelter, food sources, and water or moisture sources.

The following are the top four reasons why homes have had lots of flies lately:

1. Flies can breed quickly
2. Flies eat and lay eggs in the same place
3. Flies are everything-eating pests
4. Flies are attracted to warm conditions or temperatures

1. Flies can breed quickly

Adult flies are not actually long-lived, as they can only survive between 15-30 days. The lifespan of flies is also highly dependent on factors such as fly species, food availability, environmental conditions, and natural predators.

Even though adult flies are not long, that doesn’t mean they can’t double their population in a short time! Due to the fact that flies breed rapidly in large numbers and can potentially become a serious problem over time, especially if left uncontrolled.

Flies breed quickly.

The average female home fly can produce 500 eggs in six batches or periods over its lifetime. The fly life cycle is also known to be quite short, between 7 and 10, from egg stage to adult fly.

That’s why homes are constantly infested with flies, and it feels like an endless problem. Because when flies reach adulthood, they’re ready to fly into your home to feed and find breeding grounds.

2. Flies eat and lay eggs in the same place

Flies need a food source to breed. Flies breed by laying eggs, which they lay in the same place as their food source.

Flies lay eggs and feed in the same place

Flying insects naturally prefer to breed outdoors, but that doesn’t mean they can’t breed indoors. When they are indoors, adult flies will usually feed in the most dirty places in your home.

Some of the places that have always been the main destinations for many flies in the home are kitchen trash cans and bathroom water drains.

Home flies

Every day, your trash can is filled with leftover food waste that has a strong odour and is the cause of many flies in your home.

If you can see that larvae (or maggots) are present in the trash can, this is a strong indicator that both home flies and green flies are able to lay eggs and feed on food that you have thrown away in the trash can.

Waste flies

On the other hand, waste flies are another type of fly that is known to be a problem in the home because of their breeding and feeding habits.

Waste flies are attracted to breeding in standing water, and the larvae are known to feed on decaying organic matter found on the surface of your bathroom drain.

3. Flies are everything-eating pests

Similar to rats and cockroaches, flies are also known as omnivorous pests. Although they do not have mouths or teeth to digest food, they do have mouths that act like sponges to help absorb food.

Flies are attracted to many things inside and around your home, especially those derived from fermented or decaying organic matter. Whether it’s human food or even something we don’t think of as food, such as animal waste or trash.

Flies are attracted to many things to eat

We may often overlook a lot of small things in our homes that we don’t think are attractive to flies. In fact, our negligent habits can be a trigger for houseflies at any time.

Here are some bad or negligent habits that have been found to affect the ease with which flies find food sources in your home:

• Leaving trash cans in an open kitchen can make it easy for houseflies to arrive immediately
• Leaving bathroom drains dirty and clogged will attract waste flies and home flies at the same time
• Leaving pet feces or carcasses in the vicinity of a home is a major reason why many green flies or meat flies are at home
• Leaving cooked fruits or vegetables uncapped on the countertop will attract fruit flies to your kitchen

Also read: What food do flies like?

4. Flies are attracted to warm conditions or temperatures

Do you realise why many flies in the rainy season? Here’s the answer!

Do you know? The shift from warm to cold can be a trigger for many flies in the home.

Most types of flies prefer warm conditions or temperatures. Flies will develop more quickly and find their feeding source to enlarge their population in warm temperatures. Under normal temperatures, home flies hatch into larvae within 20 hours. But when temperatures reach 32–37 °C, fly eggs can hatch 2.5 times faster, or in less than 8 hours.

Many flies n the rainy season

On the other hand, when conditions or temperatures get colder, like in the rainy season, most types of flies become inactive and will seek temporary protection. Some will move into gaps in the building as a safe place. While others will enter a building, including your home, to find warmth through gaps or openings around the home.

When a fly comes into a home in the rainy season, you’ll usually see them flying low and lazy around the room, sticking to places like ceilings, floors, and window glass

How do I avoid having many flies in my home?

Finding a fly in your home may not cause you significant concern. But what if a house comes into contact with large numbers of flies? This means you are facing a severe and serious home fly problem!

Before it’s too late, there are 3 precautions we recommend taking to avoid many flies in the home:

1. Manage waste properly
2. Close-fly access into the home
3. Prevent flies from approaching your food

Manage waste properly

The cause of many home flies is that fly species are generally attracted to soiled matter related to waste. Doing proper waste management in your home can prevent future homes from being visited by flies.

Here are some ways you can treat waste to avoid attracting flies:

• Bond plastic waste and dispose of it in a trash can with a lid
• Make sure waste isn’t too full in the trash can, so you can still close it
• Don’t leave trash in the home overnight, and regularly throw it out in the trash can
• Routinely wash your trash can with soap and water so that no food remains on the surface of the can
• Do not place trash cans near windows or access into your home, especially in kitchen areas

Close-fly access into the home

There are several ways you can gain close-fly access to the home, including:

• Once the sky is dark, close your windows and doors or block the light with curtains
• Immediately repair cracks and crevices in walls and building foundations
• Install window or door wires (especially in kitchen areas) to ensure flies cannot enter the home

Prevent flies from approaching your food

How to prevent flies from approaching your food, especially in kitchen areas, is to:

• Store food in a sealed container
• Wash all cooking and eating utensils after use; do not leave stranded soil in the kitchen sink
• Immediately clean up remaining food and spills of liquid, especially above and below kitchen counters and cookware

Remove flies with the help of Rentokil.

Do not wait until the problems with flies at home become more serious and concerning. Immediately contact the mosquito remover in Rentokil to help you effectively and safely remove flies at home.

Rentokil fly control services include, without limitation:

• Pre-inspection of the property to identify the level of fly pest problem present and the species of fly being encountered
• Removal of fly breeding sites in and around property
• Effective selection of fly control solutions for both indoor and outdoor areas, including the use of chemical or electrical fly traps
• Expert advice on how to prevent fly problems from recurring later

Contact Rentokil for a long-term solution to the many fly problems at home today!