Flies

Appearance

Usually gray, with four black stripes on their backs; less than 1/4-inch.

Habitat

As their name implies, house flies are the most common type found in homes. They lay their eggs in almost any warm, moist material that will supply suitable food for the larvae. House flies excrete and regurgitate whenever they come to rest. This habit, combined with their many body hairs and the sticky pads on their legs, makes them well adapted for transporting disease organisms.

Diet

A wide variety of food, including human food, animal food and carcasses, garbage and excrement.

Control

To minimize problems with flies, eliminate their breeding sites by throwing away trash in plastic bags. Let trash cans dry out, and keep them as far from your home as possible. Regularly pick up pet waste. For commercial establishments, professional cleaning of dumpsters and nearby areas may be necessary.

Equip all doors and windows with tight-fitting screens, and apply weatherstripping to the edges of all doors and windows; flies can squeeze through amazingly small cracks.