Flies feed on various organic substances including excrement, and sweet and other foods.
They can reach a length of 7 to 14 mm, and reproduce in dry areas, warm temperatures increase the breeding rate.
Flies lay up to 2,000 eggs, mostly in manure, faeces, compost heaps and rubbish tips (the Musca domestica species), but also on protein-rich substances such as meat (the Calliphora vicina species). The eggs develop into white maggots, which can grow up to 12 mm long.
Their movement between bad meat, excrement and foods is not only unappetising, it also makes flies the transmitters of germs and a source of food contamination.
As a result they can transfer pathogens for infectious diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, salmonellosis, hepatitis and poliomyelitis.
Flies that do not bite are:
- common housefly (Musca domestica)
- bluebottle (Calliphora vicina)
- meat fly (Sarcophaga carnaria)
- blowfly (Lucilia sericata)
- fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster)
Flies that bite are:
- tsetse fly, carrier of sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) - only in tropical Africa
- stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans)
- horsefly (Tabanidae)
Preventive measures and control:
- Avoid accumulating rubbish and rotting substances
- Do not leave food or meals uncovered
- Keep kitchens and cooking utensils clean
- Use insecticides (Fly Trap, Insect Strip, Flying Insect Spray)
- Insect repellents provide effective protection against biting flies (e. g. horseflies
Prevention is better than cure for some insect borne diseases so always apply your Autan Insect Repellent before going out to make sure that you and your family are properly protected
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