Flies can carry many diseases and parasites, so it’s essential to keep them away from your food.
With summer coming to an end and Labor Day right around the corner, having a backyard barbeque or get-together is a great way to end a fantastic summer. But it’s also important to know what insects are around during these activities and what gross things they can bring us. Unfortunately, flies are one of the most accessible insects that can transmit all sorts of parasites to us humans!
Flies can transmit all kinds of diseases and parasites.
When you think about it, flies can go anywhere and land on anything they want … and we mean ANYTHING they want to. This is what makes flies so capable of spreading diseases and parasites. They can go from a horse barn to a dumpster to right on top of your hot dog at the barbeque! When they fly around and land on your food, skin, or any object near, they can transmit things like Cholera, Typhoid Fever, Salmonella, Worms, and Dysentery.
Flies can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifespan.
A fly can lay up to 500 eggs within their 15-30 day lifespan, and some of those could end up on your food! Flies like to lay their eggs in warmer environments and somewhere where they’ll know their larvae can feed instantly. So keep an eye out for maggots appearing in your yards, garbage cans, or anywhere that is moist and has decaying matter. You’ll know if a fly has laid any eggs when you see maggots appearing in as little as 24 hours.
Flies are constantly regurgitating and defecating.
Flies do a lot of gross things! One disgusting aspect of flies is that they are constantly regurgitating and defecating every time they land - making it easier for germs to spread. Also, since flies don’t have any teeth, they’re on liquid diets. So to digest and eat their food, they vomit onto their next meal, which has digestive enzymes that break down the food so they can slurp it up.
Solutions to keep flies away.
Aside from keeping your food inside the house, you can always put up food tents over each item to keep those gross guys away. If you’re more of an aesthetic-looking host and want the presentation to look nice, you can always have small pots of basil, lavender, rosemary, and other plants that repel flies. Or, Hilton Head Exterminators is always happy to help and give you the best care. Give us a call at our Hilton Head office, 843-632-5049, or our Bluffton location, 843-627-2509. We’ve been serving our communities since 1968 and look forward to helping you.