Flies
Key
Features of Flies
"God in his wisdom made the fly and then
forgot to tell us why" (Ogden Nash).
A family of
two-winged polluters that is, too often, tolerated within
our homes.
Biology
Flies are serious nuisances and transmit diseases through
their foul feeding and breeding habits. They walk over
food sources and rotting matter indiscriminately, carrying
bacteria. They vomit onto their food to soften and digest
it and lay their eggs in putrefying material.
Distribution
Worldwide.
Significance
Apart from the biting flies, all species feed by vomiting
saliva on to the food surface, treading it in and sucking
up the resulting liquid. In the course of doing so,
the fly contaminates the food with bacteria from its
gut and its feet. Thus, it may transmit food poisoning,
dysentery, typhoid or cholera in countries where these
occur. The eggs of parasitic worms may also be carried
by flies.
Control
Good hygiene is the first step to controlling flies
– as is keeping food sealed and protected.
Electric fly traps are very effective for a wide range
of fly species, and there are various chemical treatments
that can also be effective as part of a treatment course.
