Flies are winged insects that come in various sizes and of which there are literally thousands of different species. Flies represent a hazard to human health as many of them carry a number of diseases so it's important that we deal with them and deal with them effectively.

The presence of flies in any establishment is associated with poor hygiene and consequently, they are particularly unwelcome in restaurants and food outlets or anywhere that food is being prepared or consumed, including in the home. Electric fly killers can be an excellent method of control, particularly in places where flies are inclined to keep coming back, for example, anywhere that food is likely to be exposed for any length of time. It might help if you can recognise common flies and what they are looking for. Some of the more well known types are as follows:

The common housefly (Musca domestica)

A very common type of fly that can travel significant distances to find a suitable place to feed, their flight range is a staggering 8 kilometres at least. As the cycle from eggs to adult is rather rapid, these flies can become a major problem in a very short space of time if not dealt with effectively. In appropriate conditions, the adult female fly will lay her eggs, around 100 at a time, on old and rotting food and organic debris. The eggs then hatch in a matter of hours, the larvae will feed for about a week before entering the pupa stage and the adult fly emerges a few days later to start the cycle all over again. A housefly cannot eat solid food so when it lands on your plate, it vomits part of its stomach contents on to your food to soften it, and then it stamps it in to break the food down and liquefy it so that it can suck it up. During this process it can also deposit a number of germs.

Bluebottles or Blowflies (Calliphora sp) and Greenbottles (Lucila sp)

These are much larger than the common housefly and as the names imply, have a distinctive metallic blue or green colour. They also make quite a loud buzzing noise when flying around. Again, when found indoors, these are associated with poor hygiene or poor refuse control, or in severe cases, the presence of a dead rat, bird, mouse or other animal lying undetected somewhere. There cycle is similar to that of the housefly but they are different in that their eggs are laid in dead animal matter or animal faeces. Unwrapped or uncovered meat, chicken and fish can attract these flies.

Fruit flies

Fruit flies are small yellowish or brownish flies that are attracted to alcohol so can be found in places where there is rotting fruit or fruit peelings. These flies can be present in large numbers so are annoying and are associated once again with poor hygiene although they are not thought to be harmful to health.

Cluster Flies (Pollenis rudis)

These look similar in appearance to the common housefly but are generally outdoor flies and prefer to feed off earthworms rather than food. They tend to be found indoors hibernating in large numbers in little used rooms such as attics and basements where they have entered in order to escape the cold. If the weather warms up a bit then they can start flying around which can be unpleasant due to the fact that there are so many of them congregating together at once.

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