About Flies

Understanding Flies: Common Species and Control in Human Settlements


Flies are among the most pervasive pests in human environments. Far from a simple nuisance, they are major health hazards that mechanically transmit dangerous bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. Whether managing a residential home or a corporate facility, understanding how these pests operate is crucial for maintaining a hygienic and compliant environment.

Common Types of Flies and Why They Invade

Flies enter human settlements on a perpetual hunt for accessible food sources and moist breeding materials. They generally fall into a few distinct categories based on their habits:

  1. Filth Flies (House & Blow Flies): Large flies drawn to garbage, decaying matter, and feces. They possess an acute sense of smell and enter through open doors, structural gaps, or un-screened windows.
  2. Fruit Flies: Tiny pests attracted to ripening fruits, vegetables, and sugary spills. They frequently hitchhike inside on grocery produce or thrive around recycling bins.
  3. Drain Flies: Moth-like flies that breed exclusively in the gelatinous organic slime layer that builds up inside drains, grease traps, sewers, and pipes.


Workspace Spotlight: Common Office Fly Threats

Office buildings host unique micro-environments that attract specific small fly species, often disrupting daily operations and employee comfort:

  1. Fungus Gnats (Office Plants): The most common workspace nuisance. Overwatered indoor potted plants create damp soil conditions where their larvae feed on fungi and root hairs.
  2. Fruit Flies (Breakrooms & Desks): Rapidly triggered by unrinsed soda cans in recycling bins, forgotten fruits, and desk trash bins left un-emptied over the weekend.
  3. Drain Flies (Restrooms): Found around restroom floor drains, water fountains, or janitorial sinks that are infrequently used, allowing organic matter to build up in the traps.


Conditions That Favour Infestations

Flies multiply rapidly when a property provides specific environmental advantages, particularly slipping sanitation or structural issues:

  1. Exposed Organic Waste: Open trash bins, rotting food residues, and unwashed dishes left out overnight.
  2. Stagnant Moisture: Leaky pipes, standing puddles, and clogged drains that trap decaying organic material.
  3. Overwatered Soil: Indoor landscaping and decorative desk plants that lack proper drainage and air circulation.


Highlights of the Fly Lifecycle

Flies undergo a remarkably rapid complete metamorphosis that allows a minor issue to escalate into an outbreak within days:

  1. Prolific Breeding: A single female house fly can lay up to 500 eggs in her brief lifetime, depositing them directly onto decomposing material.
  2. The Maggot Stage: Eggs hatch within 24 hours into legless, white larvae (maggots) that feed voraciously on their immediate surroundings for a few days.
  3. Rapid Turnaround: Under warm conditions, the transition from egg to adult takes just 7 to 14 days, causing multiple generations to overlap continuously.


Techniques to Control Flies

  1. Strict Sanitation: Seal all trash bins tightly, empty breakroom garbage daily, and clean up food spills immediately.
  2. Eliminate Feeding Sites: Never leave food or dirty dishes exposed overnight on counters, breakroom tables, or desks.
  3. Deep Clean Drains: Flush drains regularly with enzyme-based cleaners or hot water to destroy the organic slime layer where drain flies breed.
  4. Regulate Plant Watering: Allow the top two inches of soil in office plants to dry completely between waterings to starve fungus gnat larvae.
  5. Structural Exclusion: Install fine-mesh screens on windows, seal gaps around exterior walls, and use air curtains at high-traffic building entrances.
  6. Deploy Light Traps: Install professional UV insect light traps (ILTs) in dining areas, warehouses, and breakrooms to safely capture flying pests.