Flies: Facts, Identification & Control

More than 100 pathogens are associated with the house fly including: Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E.
coli & Shigella.
These pathogens can cause disease in humans & animals, including: typhoid fever, cholera, bacillary dysentery, hepatitis, polio, tuberculosis & infantile diarrhea.

Sanitation is critical to controlling these pests, but accurate identification is essential for successful fly control.
Here are some other things you should know about flies & fly control

- Depending on the species, the life expectancy of a fly is eight days to two months, or in some cases, up to a year

- Flies belong to the Order Diptera, meaning two wings.
There are 16,000 species of flies in North America

- Flies plague every part of the world except the polar ice caps

- One pair of flies can produce more than 1 million offspring in as little as six to eight weeks

- As many as 33 million microorganisms may flourish in a single fly's gut, while a half-billion more swarm over its body & legs

- Flies spread diseases readily because they move quickly from rotting, disease-laden garbage to exposed human foods & utensils

- Because they only have two wings, flies land often & therefore can deposit thousands of bacteria each time they land

- U.S. Department of Agriculture sources reveal that flies contaminate or destroy $10 billion worth of agricultural products

- For every fly seen, there are an estimated 19 more hidden from view. This means humans don't even see most of the flies present at an infestation