How Do Flies Get in the House?
Flies often enter homes through open doors and windows, damaged screens, or cracks in foundations. Drain flies in the house often get inside through gaps around pipes. Some species such as fruit flies lay eggs in store produce, while fungus gnats deposit their eggs on the damp soil of potted plants.
Fly Reproduction
How long does a fruit fly live? It doesn’t really matter. The real trouble with these insects is how quickly they reproduce. For example, house flies can lay up to 150 eggs that hatch and mature within a few weeks. Fruit flies in the house develop even faster due to the temperature. A single female can deposit roughly 500 fruit fly eggs at once. In homes kept at 70 degrees or so, the pests transform from larva to adult in only 8 to 10 days.
How to Get Rid of a Fly Infestation
What attracts flies is the odor of decay, so maintaining a clean environment helps reduce your chances of an insect problem. Cleaning kitchens and bathrooms regularly along with prompt disposal of overripe fruit and garbage limits the pests’ food sources. Also, check that your produce is fresh to avoid accidentally bringing fly eggs home.
Since these insects breed rapidly and enter buildings in different ways, it can be hard to know how to get rid of a fly infestation. If you think your home or business may have a fly problem, contact the professionals at Western Pest Services.