Pittsburgh's Fly Identification Guide
Cluster flies can easily be mistaken for house flies if you don't know what characteristics set them apart. Hopefully, we'll clear some of that up for you today as we look at fly identification in Pittsburgh.
What Does Your Fly Look Like?
You can tell house flies and cluster flies apart if you know what visual characteristics to look for. A Cluster fly is a little larger than a house fly. It is a dark gray color with black markings on its abdomen. This may make its abdomen look checkered. It also has golden hairs on its abdomen that give it a golden sheen. A house fly is dark gray with four black stripes on its back.
How Does Your Fly Behave?
When you have a house fly infestation, you usually have one or two flies here and there. They are likely to be in your kitchen or in an area where there is rotting organic matter, such as around a trash can in your garage. Cluster flies don't eat rotting organic matter, so they aren't usually found in kitchens. You're more likely to find cluster flies on the higher levels of your home and, in particular, your attic spaces. You're also going to find them in large quantities. That is why they're called cluster flies. They cluster together.
How to Deal With Flies in Pittsburgh
If you have a cluster fly problem, it will sort of go away on its own. What do we mean by sort of? Cluster flies can't complete their life cycle inside your home. They get inside when it gets cold outside. When temperatures warm up, any flies that are still alive in your home will go back outside. So you don't have to worry about an ongoing infestation. But cleaning up hundreds or thousands of dead flies every year can get old. If you want to stop the cycle of infestation, you need to seal entry points in your exterior walls.
If you have a house fly problem, it may not sort itself out. House flies can find a way to complete their life cycle indoors. When they do, they can be an ongoing health threat for you and your family. To arrest a house fly infestation, you're going to need to locate the breeding site the flies are using and clean it up. House flies breed in rotting organic matter.
Where Professional Pest Control Fits In
When you have a residential pest control plan from Witt Pest Management, there are many pests that never have the chance to get into your home. We provide routine treatments to your exterior that repel and eliminate simple organisms like house flies and cluster flies. We also give you insight into what conditions are present around your home that may be conducive to pest activity. This will help you zero in on trouble spots and address them before pests become a problem for you.
Fly Threats
It is important that you know that common house flies can be a danger to your family. Studies have shown that house flies are linked to the transmission of over 65 diseases. They are not just annoying pests. Cluster flies, on the other hand, are not linked to the spread of diseases. They do not have the behavior patterns that expose them to harmful organisms that make us sick.
Help with Flies
If you're dealing with flies in Pittsburg, remember that Witt Pest Management is always available to assist you with your pest control needs. We'd also love the opportunity to show you how ongoing pest control for your Pittsburg home can save you money and keep your health and property protected. Reach out to us today.