Large flies go by many names: Filth flies, houseflies, bottle/blow flies and flesh flies. These flies are drawn to food and can transmit at least 65 diseases to humans, making them particularly threatening for restaurants and food retail.
Large flies are a hazard to your business, and understanding their behavior can help with fly control in your facility. Ecolab's commercial fly program has helped thousands of customers get rid of flies and protect their brand.
Fly Biology and Risk
What you're up against when your restaurant or business has a fly problem:
- A female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime.
- The common housefly carries more than 200 different pathogens and can carry 1.9 million bacteria on its body.
- Environments with temperatures above 70°F/21°C (such as a restaurant kitchen) cause rapid decomposition of vegetation and other organic matter, providing ample food for flies and larvae.
- House flies will often regurgitate and excrete on the surfaces they land, potentially transmitting at least 65 diseases to humans. This includes E. coli, typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, tuberculosis and Salmonella.
- Large flies are persistent in their search: they can travel a mile or more to find suitable food and breeding material.
