House Flies in Central Arkansas
The housefly is found on every continent in the world, except for Antarctica. Globally, the house fly is the most recognized out of all insects. Houseflies prefer to live near animals and humans and are most common during the hot summer months. These pests use decaying organic material and animal waste to breed in. As they will use food waste and animal corpses to breed it, this is how they are capable of picking up viruses and bacteria that will cause disease in humans. This is largely possible as house flies will defecate nearly every time they land. This contaminates food and leads to the potential for disease.
House Fly Habitat
In rural areas, manure piles are often the main source of house flies, and in urban areas, piles of fermenting lawn clippings commonly generate large numbers of flies. Animal manure is a favorite breeding medium for flies with the most important sites being horse manure, human excrement, cow manure, fermenting vegetable refuse, dumpsters and refuse containers, and household garbage. Some species of flies can live and breed in recycling containers, and fly problems are common in recycling centers.
House Fly Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers
While house flies do not bite, they have the capability of transferring over 100 different types of pathogens. Some of these include tuberculosis, typhoid, and salmonellosis. When flies land on sewage, filth, or garbage, they will pick up the pathogenic organisms that will contaminate human and animal food. From wherever they come at their breeding sites, if they land on your food, your food may be diseased.
If you are experiencing a house fly infestation on your property, contact your local fly exterminators for help.
