DID YOU KNOW?


Flies have a mobile head with eyes and in most cases, have large compound eyes on the sides of the head with five small ocelli on the top. The antennae take a variety of forms, but are often short, to reduce drag while flying.  Flies come in great populations due to their ability to mate effectively and in a short period of time during the mating season.

Because no species of fly have teeth or any other organ or limb that allows them to eat solid foods, flies consume only liquid food and their mouthparts and digestive tract show various modifications for this diet.

The house fly and other types of “filth flies” can become nuisance pests, but also are important for their potential to harm humans and animals. House flies, for example, can spread diseases such as food poisoning and dysentery. Flies, including stable flies and mosquitoes, can inflict painful bites while feeding on the blood of humans and other animals and some species, transmit disease.

The habits of filth flies favor the spread of bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. Filth flies often feed and lay eggs on garbage, manure and carrion before contaminating human foods and food preparation surfaces by landing on them. When feeding, house flies regurgitate their stomach contents onto food to liquefy it before ingesting it. They also may contaminate food and surfaces by defecating on them.

Of all the flying pests, gnats might be the most annoying. Though they're harmless, they hover and buzz around our heads, driving us crazy. Gnats are also known as vinegar flies or fruit flies because of their attraction to the smell of rotten food. This explains why they particularly enjoy the areas around drains and trash cans.

Gnats are most commonly found around fruit, saturated house plants, compost piles and other rotting, smelly food or plants. The problem is there's no such thing as one gnat. In fact, one gnat can lay two to three hundred eggs in its two to four month life span. If you frequently see gnats hovering around your sink drain or trash can, there's a good chance they're laying eggs inside your home.