House Fly Control in Manchester

Housefly Problems

It may not seem it, but houseflies are a major concern for any service or food-preparation business, especially those that preparing food for public consumption or are customer-facing. Due to their feeding habits, houseflies are high risk disease vectors and have been suspected of carrying and spreading a multitude of diseases and food poisoning bacteria such as:

• Anthrax
• Cholera
• Typhoid
• Dysentery
• Salmonellosis
• Parasitic worms

While this may sound over the top, the impact of a fly infestation on your business cannot be overstated, and it may result in severe legal, regulatory and financial costs. It is therefore very important to have effective control measures in place, as well as to deal with any potential outbreaks quickly and effectively.

What to look out for:

There are two main species of housefly that we encounter in the UK – the Common and the Lesser housefly. Both are very similar in appearance, life cycle and feeding habits, so the information we provide can apply to both types.

They will commonly be around 6mm long, grey in colour and will bear distinctive dark stripes running along their thorax (this is the part of their bodies under the wings). Females can lay up to 100 eggs in batches, and can lay up to 5 batches at a time. With up to 500 eggs laid at any time, all of which will hatch in 24 hours, population numbers can quickly spiral out of control if the problem is not dealt with quickly.

Once hatched, the larvae (commonly known as maggots) can pupate and hatch into adult flies in days if environmental conditions are helpful. The maggots will feed on all kinds of decaying matter, from rubbish to food waste, to biological waste from pets or humans, and even to dead bodies. Of course, they are also happy to feed on any uncovered food that is left open. Adult houseflies will feed on similar things, and do so by first vomiting a mix of their digestive juices over whatever food-source they have found, before lapping or sponging up the resultant dissolved mess. Flies will habitually ‘taste’ every surface they land on in this way, whether it is a food source or not, and often one of the main signs of a fly problem is finding speckles or smears on lightly coloured or glazed surfaces such as counter tops or window sills.

Treatment & Control:

As with most pests, prevention is the best form of cure. A high standard of hygiene and cleanliness in your property of business will remove the conditions attractive to houseflies, and appropriate food storage and disposal procedures will remove any potential food-sources for them. You can also employ simple measures such as fly-papers, sticky boards, and fly screens to control houseflies in your property. Please note though that unlike other insect pests, houseflies are not attracted to ultraviolet light and therefore traps of this nature will not be effective on houseflies.

If an infestation should occur, contact us at Protec Pest Control as soon as possible so that it can be dealt with as soon as possible to reduce the impact on your business or property. Our highly skilled technicians will carry out an initial assessment of the problem and then advise on the best course of action to deal with the infestation.

These treatments can range from simple surface insecticides that can applied to affected areas, to more large-scale treatments such as fogging and smoke generation. Some treatments will not be suitable for food-preparation or storage areas, and our technician will be able to advise you on the best course of treatment for your property and circumstances.

Protec Pest Control are fully accredited by the British Pest Control Association and approved by Safecontractor and Trading Standards. Our treatments conform to the highest regulatory and safety
standards and our technicians can visit at a time suitable for you.

You can contact us via our website www.protecpestcontrol.co.uk or via telephone on 0161 448 1782 to arrange a visit and treatment as soon as possible. We cover the entire Manchester and Stockport areas and will be more than happy to provide you with fast, efficient and cost-effective treatments and advice.