Picture this: You’re outside enjoying a sunny afternoon, grilling some delicious food for your family. But then a housefly lands on the table next to your side dishes, or maybe even on one of the dishes themselves. Seeing flies land on your food might beg the question, “Are house flies dangerous?” After all, it doesn’t seem very sanitary to eat food after a bug has crawled on it.
The simple answer? Some fly species are dangerous, especially since they visit trash bins, manure piles and other unsanitary places. When they land on surfaces or food in or around your home, they can spread bacteria and pathogens from those dirty places. If you’re worried about houseflies ruining your afternoon (or appetite), take these tips from the pest control experts at McCall Service to heart.
3 Tips to Prevent Flies at Home
Keep Fruit and Veggies Refrigerated
Fruit flies and other flying pests are attracted to fruits and vegetables, especially ones that are past their prime. You might forget about your fruit sitting in a bowl on the counter until it gets overripe and lures flies to your kitchen. Consider keeping most fruits and veggies in the refrigerator. This can keep them fresher for longer and may help prevent flies from infiltrating your home.
Empty Your Trash Bins Often
Flies love trash. In fact, it’s one of their prime breeding grounds. Never let your trash bin get so full that it’s impossible to close the lid. When you take the bag out of the bin, don’t let it sit in the kitchen or outside the door. Take it to the outdoor bin and close the lid, and make sure the bags are tied off securely to avoid it from spilling out into your driveway or yard when the trash truck comes to pick it up. Emptying your trash bins and cleaning up often goes a long way in preventing a fly infestation.
Clean Your Sinks and Garbage Disposal
Your sink drains and garbage disposal trap bits of food each time you clean your dishes. As food rots over time inside the drains or disposal, it attracts fruit flies to your kitchen. The flies will lay eggs in the drains, leading to a massive fruit fly infestation before you know it. In addition to making sure you only put things in the disposal that really go there, clean your drains and garbage disposal once a month. This can stop flies from using your house as their home.
Keep House Flies Out with McCall Service
While house flies may not be as overwhelmingly dangerous and destructive as other insects, they’re still pretty disgusting. If you’re absolutely buzzing with annoyance over them, consider using professional pest control to help exterminate them. Cluster flies and other species can transmit diseases to people, so it’s important to contact McCall Service if an infestation is taking over your home. We’ll treat your interior living space for flies and take preventive measures to keep out another infestation.
