Shooing a Pesky Housefly is Never Enough

Briefly Understanding the Housefly

If mosquitoes attack like WWII planes, how would you describe large houseflies? Same thing, bomber planes! I could picture them diving and though their hums do not arouse to scare, they are insanely bothersome. These are household-invading flies! And I swear, they make me swear!

There is the Household-Invading Fly and Household-Infesting Fly. Household-invading flies invade homes in certain times of the year like summer even through winter, but breed outdoors. Household-infesting flies perform a complete life cycle indoors where they find their own convenient breeding sanctuary (hidden spots). Infesting flies multiply great in numbers contributing to cause diseases and harm. Both these flies still carry millions of bacteria on their bodies for they picnic on filth, so nothing is safe here.

You will find below a table of some common houseflies. They mostly average in the same classified breeding over waste matters and deceased flesh. Large adult houseflies like the ones I am referring to in this hub are metallic in appearance. They can also be dark gray, bluish or black with large red eyes.

Houseflies want to share homes with humans especially during summertime, thus, they got their name for their presence of their free boarding in homes, barns, some cellars, and abandoned buildings. These pesky domestic flies are definitely unwelcomed. Screening doors and windows, spraying, fly swatting, acting responsibly on proper garbage and waste disposal, and even a Venus Fly Trap are just a few of our efforts to get rid of them.

They breed fast under warm temperature, multiplying actively more in the countryside and hot regions. Houseflies are disgusting insects the fact that they are transmitters of diseases, which include eye infections, and infecting wounds especially to farmers and children in poor rural areas. These flies stick around on livestock and other domestic animals usually on stray dogs, its food and manure, poor irrigated systems, ditches, drainage, in makeshift toilets, in pitiful dwellings and shacks, and even on crops.

Houseflies continue during wintertime and stay indoors in homes. They may go on flights and continue in their breeding periods on moderate winter temperatures; otherwise, if the temperature is too cold for them, they stop breeding.

Female houseflies leave tiny white eggs on any open food in your kitchen, may it be warm or moist. We all know that they feed on liquid or other soft matters such as over-ripened fruits, fish, other decaying organic substances, garbage, and they just do not feast on ordurous matter too (especially a dog’s doodoo or heaps of cattle dung left on the ground). Houseflies constantly deposit their own feces, as they do not starve on food round the clock. If they just scavenged on a decayed animal such as a rat, raccoon, bird, cat or a squirrel nearby and land on your food, yew, gross! How disgusting is that! Do not miss to watch the video attached to this hub by NatGeoWild.

We have to remind especially little children and ourselves that flies are a dreadful carrier of germs (just like the roaches) causing food poisoning including diarrhea and vomiting, plus other illnesses. Food and sweet beverages even sugar touched by flies should be disposed immediately. Other edible foods like fruits and vegetables left on a table or counter top have to go through washing before biting into it and before handling them for cooking preparation.

There are also the drain flies (or moth flies) those that hide and lay eggs in slimy sink drains. These drain flies love to hang around in kitchens and bathrooms. Clean your drains from organic slimes regularly with boiling water, bleach or vinegar which also kills the flies. Though the stubborn eggs could remain still and the slime as well, you may also find it useful for a short trip to a store and grab a bacterial or enzyme drain cleaner.

Stop the Nuisance

So killing them under your roof, you must have used Oxy or Windex too and other bug sprays. However, none of these are safe to the things in your kitchen, say, would you remember to rinse or wipe them clean after? I bet you have also heard of the practical benefits simple vinegar can do.

The vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar), which is a common kitchen item, is safe and great in killing insect pests which is popularly used to getting rid of fruit flies or vinegar flies or pomace flies); also, not just ants and crazy bugs, but with the ever-annoying large invading houseflies too! Down goes a bomber plane and more!

Feeling like a Ninja

Catching a fly in mid-air does make one feel like a ninja. I thought so and my daughter commented so, “Mom, you’re like a ninja catching flies!” As I was spraying the flies with vinegar, trapping them towards the window behind the curtains, I was ready with long tweezers and a small jar. A few of them still did escape and flew above me, and there I was swiftly trying to catch them with tweezers. I thought, hmm, chopsticks could have made it more possible.

How to Trap Flies at Night

Houseflies are much more active during daylight and weaker as it gets darker from dusk towards the night. The best time to get most of them at least is around evening. You will need to have one source of light and turn off all other light source in the household. Houseflies just like moths are attracted to where it is brighter to them. Like lost souls, guide them to the bright side! They will be easier to catch and you can do your ninja trick.

If you have a daughter like mine who is scared of flies and yelling, “Mom, kill it! Kill it!” would you act on it right away, or tell her to go lock herself in her bedroom? You do not need to gather your family members to form an S.W.A.T. team. Refrain from swatting flies using magazines, newspapers or a fly swatter; it will just make it more disgusting and gross. Sticky paper flytraps work wonders and quicker in more fly-infested areas like outside the house, but rather look filthy indoors. Remember how filthy these flies are. Avoid killing or squeezing them in between curtains right on the glass pane. That is just another gross thing to do. Oh well, yes; use the homemade spray with vinegar. A couple or three sprays the fly cannot fly too far, it drops to the floor, and again, you can show off your fancy ninja moves.

• Get rid of houseflies in a safe way like using vinegar as an alternative spray instead of other household cleaners and chemicals.

• Prevent attracting flies into your home by properly storing garbage with lids and using the right waste disposal.

• Protect illness in the household caused by bacteria-carrying flies. Remember to wash, rinse fruits, vegetables and utensils touched by feeding and breeding flies which includes counter tops. Store left-over food in tight containers, or cover them with lids, wraps, or better keep them fresh in the fridge.

• Do not play with flies. Teach small children to wash their hands after touching a fly. One fly carries millions of germs around its body (hind and stomach, legs and mouth).

• Watch closely for tiny white eggs especially on foods landed by flies and get rid of them immediately.

• Remove any dead animal found outdoors to prevent flies from breeding on them and spreading diseases.

• Always scoop after your dog. Be a good and responsible owner of your pet not just at home, but anywhere you take your dog with you. Be a good neighbour too.

• I know this last part is not a rule, but try to purchase a plant pet like the Venus Fly Trap. It is great catching fruit flies, or help it get some nutrients by providing feed with other insects. I just find it amusing day to day as I help feed the small plant fly trap at home. To know about how to take care of a Venus Fly Trap, please fly to my hub http://coffeegginmyrice.hubpages.com/hub/Hungry-Venus-10-Things-On-How-to-Care-for-a-Venus-Fly-Trap

≈♥≈ Marites Mabugat-Simbajon

Do Houseflies Sleep?

In the night, the whole household maybe snoring including your pet, but the houseflies do not sleep. The flies do rest in dark, cooler hiding places like corners of a room, the ceiling, wall structures, and houseplants or behind curtains. In the kitchen, they can be resting underneath the shadowed areas of tables, chairs and counter tops. Covering leftover food is necessary and a must if left in the open. Warm temperature indoors will make the houseflies turn to outdoors but preferably away from winds. Houseflies can be found resting on electric wires or cords, clothes lines, pipelines, on fences, shrubs or bushes, flower beds, trees and even grass.

What happens if houseflies cannot get out of the house overnight? To my observation, if indoor is warm enough for these flies, overnight they would be kaput. I see drop-dead houseflies the following morning, or perhaps they have reached their age span between 15 to 30 days. A housefly lifespan could even be lesser as they are also vulnerable to prey like frogs and toads, geckos, other lizards, spiders, other insects like wasps, dragonflies and grasshoppers, mice, ducks and birds, bats, and Venus fly traps.

Did you forget to fly by at the Poll? Please take a minute to vote for the "most annoying insect".