Summertime in Houston brings a lot of great things with it—cookouts, pool parties, lakeside camping and weekenders to Galveston to catch the blue water if you’re lucky. However, other things that come with it aren’t so good such as heatwaves, burnt out lawns and the swarm of flies. Yes, those cookouts and pool parties probably see their fair share of flies buzzing around your food and your face. It can be downright plague-like in some areas.
You know it’s bad when Houston pest control companies have to offer overtime just to handle the call load from homeowners wanting advice on dealing with them. While flies can be a huge annoyance to many people with their invasive buzzing around and getting into food—some people don’t take flies as a serious health concern. Flies can be fascinating when you look into their breeding, feeding, andbehavior, but they do in fact pose a legitimate health concern. Flies can cause diseases such as dysentery and tuberculosis—there’s actually a lot about flies you may not know.
INTERESTING FLY FACTS
- Houseflies Can Only Live On Liquids
Even though that fly may be landing on your steak and enjoying himself, he’s really drawn in by the after the juices—which are plentiful unless you cook it well done, and why would you ruin a good steak like that? Yes, flies actually lack the mouthparts to bite and chew food so they find liquid nourishment instead. Here’s where it gets gross, so if you’re eating, read this later. Since they still need to eat, if they can’t find liquid food, they regurgitate their own digestive juices on to solid foods. These juices break the food down into mush which they can then drink. So remember, when you think flies on food is not that big of a health risk, just remember that fly threw up all over your food several times. Imagine those germs just living on your plate now.
Tip: Most Houston pest control companies suggest a temporary solution for outdoor cookouts—fill a clear baggie with water, drop 3 pennies inside, seal it and hang it by your patio. Fly’s will stay away.
- Flies Taste Buds Are On Their Feet
Flies walk on food a lot because their taste receptors are located on their feet and lower legs. Before throwing up on your food,(always remember that) they take a walk around to have a good taste first. Did we mention flies also eat feces? Still not convinced they are a significant health threat? Houston pest control companies beg to differ given what we’ve seen.
- Speaking Of Feces, Flies Defecate Fast and Often
And they aren’t picky about where they do it! Since houseflieslive on a liquid diet their digestive system moves very fast and offer. Flies typically defecate every time they land on a new food source or even a person.
- They Are Rife With Diseases
Due to the manner in which they feed and breed, (we’ll get to that lovely subject in a moment) flies comepick upa huge range of harmful bacteria like E.Coli, Salmonella and more. When they land on household utensils, dinner plates, children andcountertops—they spread that bacteria as well. If you have an infestation your safest course of actions is to contact one of the many Houston pest control companies and get it under control.
- House flies can walk upside down
No, house flies aren’t possessed, although they sure do fly erratically and may seem a bit off kilter, flies anatomy allows them to walk upside down. Each of their feet containtwo footpadsthat have tiny hairs that produce a sticky substance, almost like glue. This substance is made of sugar and oils and gives them grip sufficientfor scaling any surface or angle.
- Flies Literally Have Eyes In The Back Of Their Head
Every time you think you are about to best that pesky fly and sneak up from behind—you usually end up whiffing at air right? Of course you do, because they see you coming. Yes, flies have compound eyes which gives them a nearly 360° field of vision making it impossible for you to sneak up on them unless he found a nice cold beer to sip on for way too long—then you might have a slight chance.
- It’s A Hard Knock Life For Flies
Flies are very much the “carpe diem” creatures of the insect world—after all,they only live about a month. Yes, thirty very short days is all a fly gets. In that time however as many Houston pest control companies will tell you, they get a lot done! In only 30 days, house flies can lay up to 400 eggs, typically in batches of 75-125. So essentially, they may not live long but there’s always a new generation ready to annoy you once the old onespass. It’s a perpetual cycle.
- They Have Amazing Reflexes
Have you ever been downright defeated by a fly while madly wielding a fly swatter only to have them zip around your head like you were King Kong? Have you ever questioned why they are so hard to swat? It comes down to their quick reflexes and amazing agility and speed. House flies brains process visual input at amazing speeds. To put it in relative perspective, we process images around 60 per second. Flies on the other hand, process images at about 250 a second. Doesn’t seem fair does it?
TIRED OF LOOKING FOR HOUSTON PEST CONTROL COMPANIES?
Are you tired of fly infestations in your home and pesticides that don’t work? Contact the professionals at Champions Pest Control. We will send out knowledgeable, professional inspector to locate the source of your infestation and help you maintain it once we eliminate the problem. Give us a call today and let us put an end to your insect infestation right away with our expert pest control solutions.
