Common Florida Flies to Look Out For

Common Florida Flies to Look Out For

Once flies get inside your home, they not only become a major nuisance, but they can also be difficult to eliminate. While flies can look very similar at first glance, there are different types, each with their own set of characteristics. It’s important for every homeowner to understand their difference to properly prevent them from invading their home! Check out the common flies you can encounter in Florida and tips on preventing them!

Drain Flies

Commonly found in kitchens or bathrooms, drain flies look like fuzzy moths. They thrive in dark and damp environments, such as floor and sink drains. You can tell these flies apart from others as they are light gray or tan in color and have a dark border around their wings. While these flies don’t bite, their presence can trigger asthma in some people.

Fruit Flies

One of the most common flies known to invade our kitchens is fruit flies. These flies are known to rapidly produce and will breed in dark, moist areas of your home, including drains, garbage disposals, and trashcans. These flies can lay around 500 eggs that hatch in as little as 24 hours! These pests are attracted to and will eat rotting food and usually prefer fruits and vegetables. While these flies won’t sting or bite humans, they will contaminate foods with bacteria and disease-causing pathogens.

Horseflies

Horseflies can often be found near bodies of water they utilize for breeding, both in suburban and rural areas. Horseflies are most active during the hotter days of the year and typically rest on paths and roads in wooded areas. Female horseflies can be a risk to our health as they are known to have a painful bite with their mouthparts utilized for cutting open flesh instead of sucking blood. Their bites are also known to cause allergic reactions too.

How to Prevent Flies from Your Florida Home

  • Clean up spills and leftover food crumbs as soon as possible
  • Frequently sweep, mop, and vacuum your home.
  • Store your food in tightly sealed containers, including your pet food.
  • Don’t leave your pet bowls outside and clean up any pet waste in your yard.
  • If you are going to open your windows to enjoy the fresh air, make sure to use screens to keep flies from entering.

If you’ve noticed more flies around your property than usual, it could be time to reach out to your local pest control company for help. These pest professionals will be able to find a fly prevention method that works best for your home.

Fruit Flies, Drain Flies, and Gnats, Oh My…

Fruit Flies, Drain Flies, and Gnats, Oh My…

Do you see tiny, flying pests invading your kitchen and the rest of your home? There is a chance that they could be either fruit flies, drain flies, or even gnats. It can be difficult to identify between the three of these, but there are unique characteristics to tell them apart. Identifying them can also be beneficial when trying to prevent them. Let’s break them down.

Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are the most common flying insects that will pester you in the kitchen. They are attracted to fresh and decomposing fruit, sugary juices, and alcohol. The two most common fruit flies, the red eyed fruit fly and the dark-eyed fruit fly, have striped abdomens. Their eye colors are what give them away.

Some ways to keep fruit flies away are to keep your kitchen and garbage cans clean of any accumulated debris that may attract them. Thoroughly rinse beverage containers, use produce quickly or keep it in the refrigerator, seal garbage cans, and remove trash regularly from the area.

Drain Flies

These moth-like, fuzzy pests are commonly found in the kitchen. They thrive in dark, damp conditions and often find an ideal home inside a drain, which can include a floor or sink drain. They don’t bite, but their presence can aggravate asthma in some people. Drain flies appear light gray or tan with a dark border around their wings.

Eliminating drain flies requires a few steps. Once you recognize that you have a drain fly problem, look to tape over the drains and where you suspect they are emerging from and leave it overnight. The next day, check to see if any flies have been collected. If this is the case, your next step is to clean the drain and flush the system.

Fungus Gnats

If you spot a swarm of bugs flitting above a houseplant, you probably have fungus gnats instead of fruit flies. Fungus gnat larva and pupa prefer moist soil to protect them as they develop. Before they progress to adult form, they can severely damage the root system of your potted plants. They have a mosquito-like appearance and are brown or black with light-colored legs.

Preventing fungus gnats should begin with the first houseplant purchase. Look for signs of these pests after purchasing potted plants, and any plant that has gnats already flying around it should be left at the store. It’s also good to be sure your plants aren’t overwatered.

If you have tried all these prevention tips and still think you suspect fruit flies, drain flies, or gnats, then reach out to your local pest control company for more assistance. The professional pest technicians will be able to find the prevention methods that work best for you.

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