Help! I Need To Get The Flies Out Of My Cypress Home
What Causes Fly Infestations In Cypress Homes?
Cypress is a wonderful place to own a home, but humans aren’t the ones who love it here. Pests are also fond of conditions in Cypress, and they’re drawn to your home to access sources of food, water, and shelter. You’ve seen them, you’ve heard them, and you’ve likely tried swatting them away. You can find them buzzing around you, your windows, your pets, your trash bins, and your food. Fly infestation is an unsanitary nightmare, and as a homeowner, you should familiarize yourself with the consequences.
So, why are flies coming into your Cypress home, and how are they getting inside in the first place? Firstly, you must consider the fact that many species of flies overwinter as adults. They make a gradual migration indoors at the end of summer, surviving through the cold season by finding shelter and warmth in our homes. Once they find their way in, they remain there for the duration of the winter season, becoming the unwelcome house guests that never seem to leave.
These sneaky pests squeeze through tiny openings of your home, such as tears in window screens, cracks in foundation walls, or gaps under and around doors and windows. They’re skilled at squeezing through crevices in attics and basements, behind baseboards, and hidden areas between the inside and outside walls of your home.
As much as it pains you to admit, you can also be contributing to the presence of flies in your home. They can find their way into your house while you bring groceries inside or when you open the window for some fresh air. Even one pesky fly can turn into a full-on infestation when they get inside and begin breeding.
Flies commonly breed in drains, garbage disposals, and hard-to-reach areas, so you never know where more of them may be hiding. Once the end of winter makes way for warmer days, flies begin to emerge from these hiding places. If you see flies suddenly appearing in your home during the spring, they were probably hibernating in your house through the winter.
Here in Cypress and throughout Texas, fly infestations are a real problem that homeowners face throughout the year. Some of the most common species are flesh flies, fruit flies, and house flies in our area. Let’s go over some of the distinctions of these species to help you in your fly identification efforts:
Flesh Flies
Flesh flies live and thrive in warm climates, like Texas.
This species of fly looks very similar to house flies but is larger.
Adults are light gray and have a checkerboard pattern on top of their abdomen.
They have bright red eyes and three black stripes running down their thorax (sometimes with a reddish tip at the end).
They are attracted to properties that give them easy access to decaying matter.
Flesh flies are attracted to organic materials, especially rotting natural materials.
Areas with exposed trash, pet excrement, or compost bins will attract flesh flies.
Flesh flies give birth to live larvae inside carrion (dead animal waste), excrement, or open wounds.
Once in these sources, they feed on them and use the nutrients to develop into adults.
Flesh flies require live or dead tissue to complete their life cycle, hence their name.
Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are known for feeding on ripe fruits and vegetables, so they’re most common during the fall or harvest season.
They have distinctly vibrant red eyes, though some species have black or brown eyes.
Fruit fly adults are very small and only grow to be about 1/8th of an inch in length.
The adults have oval-shaped bodies, while the larvae have tapered, worm-like bodies.
Adults are brownish-black to yellowish-brown in color, and their wings are translucent.
Fruit fly larvae are whitish in color except with two dark-colored mouth hooks.
Their love of food poses a huge threat to restaurants, grocery stores, and food processing facilities.
Other vulnerable properties include spaces with gardens, compost piles, and areas of unsecured garbage.
Fruit flies can be brought inside the home via infested fruits and vegetables purchased from the store.
When fruit flies get inside your property, they’re typically found living in kitchens and pantry areas.
House Flies
House flies are a type of filth fly, and they’re the most common species of fly inside homes and businesses.
Adults are dull gray in color and have black vertical lines on the top of their bodies.
They also have two stripes on their face (one silver and one gold in color).
Adult house flies grow to about 1/8-1/4 of an inch in length.
Housefly larvae are off-white in color; they have a pointed head and no appendages.
The pupae are dark brown and round in shape, tapering from front to back.
They’re drawn to food sources where they feed and lay their eggs.
They can be seen around garbage, manure, and garden areas with fresh fruits and veggies.
They can often be found flying around kitchens, bathrooms, and food storage areas.
Of course, these aren’t the only fly species here in Texas. There are all kinds of different species buzzing around, and while it may seem like nothing more than a nuisance, the truth is that fly activity can lead to serious contamination. It’s a considerable threat that homeowners should be familiar with.
How Dangerous Is It To Have Flies In My Cypress Home?
Having a fly infestation isn’t only annoying; it’s also an occurrence that exposes you and your loved ones to a number of serious health risks. How? Well, Consider the fact that flies travel through all kinds of unsanitary areas.
They gravitate to dirty areas with fecal matter, dead animals, animal waste, and sewage. These sources of decaying matter provide them with the nutrients they need to progress through their life cycle. Flies gather their nutrients from all kinds of decaying matter, such as rotten food, manure, dumpster trash, garbage bins, and feces.
As they crawl around these filthy surfaces and feed on unsanitary sources, flies pick up a host of germs and pathogens. Then, they spread these bacteria around, contaminating every other surface they land on. Through this widespread contamination, a lot of important things are put at risk, including your food, countertops, and meal prep areas. They spread germs throughout kitchens and vulnerable surfaces.
If you consume contaminated food, you are exposed to all kinds of illnesses and diseases. There are at least 70 diseases that can be transmitted through flies. Some of the diseases that can result from fly-related contamination include anthrax, cholera, dysentery, leprosy, parasitic worms, poliomyelitis, salmonella, tuberculosis, tularemia, typhoid fever, and yaws, just to name a few. If you want to avoid these health conditions, fly control is something that you should consider for your Cypress home.
Effective Fly Prevention Tips For Cypress Homes
As we’ve established, flies aren’t just nuisances. They’re also very threatening to your health and well-being. Their unsanitary nature puts you at risk. Because fly infestation can cause serious contamination, it’s essential to be as proactive as possible in your fly prevention efforts. To keep flies away from your Cypress home, consider implementing the preventative tips below. By putting these habits in place, you can reduce your exposure to flies and the dangers that come with them:
Check for holes or tears in existing screens and repair them in a timely manner.
Clean up crumbs promptly and store your food properly.
Cover any holes in your siding, and fill gaps around doors and windows.
Don’t let sugary liquids linger too long to prevent sticky residue from building up.
Eliminate clogged drains and avoid the buildup of dirty dishes.
Get rid of sources of standing water and keep drains clean and clear.
Get screens for windows and doors, or replace damaged/torn screens.
Install screens over attic vents, and seal off any cracks in your foundation.
Keep your doors and windows closed to prevent flies from entering.
Keep your outdoor trash bins tightly covered so flies can’t get in.
Maintain a high level of cleanliness throughout your home to discourage fly activity.
Make sure to clean up any food or drink spills immediately after they happen.
Store your food in airtight containers or in the fridge to prevent access to flies.
Take out the trash regularly and store it in well-sealed garbage bins outside.
Tidy up pet and food waste right away, as flies love to lay eggs in these areas.
Wipe down countertops and tables, and clean dishes right after your meal.
These tips can certainly prove to be helpful, but even if you remain diligent about every last detail, the truth is that sometimes flies can find their way into your home anyways. Once you discover a fly infestation in your home, it’s not always easy to eliminate. Common methods of elimination include sticky traps, flypaper, baited traps, electrocuting grids, fly swatters, automatic misters, ultraviolet traps, and insecticides. But we’re here to tell you that these methods aren’t always effective, especially when they aren’t performed by a certified pest professional.
Total Fly Control For Cypress Homes
The most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of fly infestation is to call in the experts to address your fly control and prevention needs. Contact Modern Pest Control for extensive, year-round protection from flies. Our services are proven to last, and we stand by the work that we do.
Using advanced pest control methods and dependable IPM (Integrated Pest Management) strategies, we’re able to bring you the latest and greatest in Texas pest control. Since 1952, our independently owned and operated company has remained committed to efficient and effective pest solutions that bring our valued customers the protection they deserve.
Our philosophy is to deliver prompt, personalized pest control using the latest pest control strategies and methods. We have over 70 years of industry experience, and as a Quality Pro Service provider, we bring a high level of professionalism and expertise to every job we do. The Texas Department of Agriculture also licenses us, and all of our pest management professionals undergo rigorous training so we can provide you with the very best.
When you go with Modern Pest Control, you go with quality. Not only do we provide complete fly solutions for residential properties, but we also service local businesses with year-round fly control. Our customized approach takes into account industry regulations, corporate policies, and specific pest issues to bring you lasting results. Our process includes:
Visual inspection of facilities and ground
Customized treatment and pest prevention plans
Addressing sanitation issues and modifications to pest-free the building
Installing pest monitoring devices around the active infestation
Develop treatment strategy that will deliver results
Ongoing access to pest control records and logs 24/7
Once we’re done treating your facility, we come back for re-services to make sure things stay pest-free throughout the year. If your fly problem returns between scheduled service visits, we’ll come back to re-treat the area at no additional cost to you. Our staff is trained by professionals from Food Industry Sanitation Auditors (FISA), and the American Institute of Baking (AIB), giving us a high level of expertise for pest issues in food handling facilities.
We also work with organizations such as BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association), the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Our commercial fly control solutions have helped all kinds of businesses, protecting the local community from infestation and contamination. Some of the properties we’ve worked with include multi-unit housing, restaurants, hotels, commercial lodging, food processing facilities, office buildings, management properties, healthcare facilities, retail stores, daycares, schools, and supermarkets.
The bottom line is this: if you’re dealing with flies, you can count on the team at Modern Pest Control to help. We’re here to rid your Cypress property of flies and keep them away for good. Call us to discuss your fly control needs today, and we will schedule a time for your free inspection.