What Are Flies?

Flies are among the most common pests in Carolina homes and businesses. House flies are the ones most people picture, but drain flies, fruit flies, and blow flies show up indoors too. They differ in size and habits, yet they share one thing: they breed quickly and are drawn to food, moisture, and waste.

House flies are gray with four dark stripes on the back and are strong fliers that gather around garbage and food. Fruit flies are tiny and tan and swarm around ripe produce and drains. Drain flies are small and fuzzy and breed in the slime that builds up inside pipes. Blow flies have a metallic green or blue sheen and are often the first to find decaying material.

Because a female fly can lay hundreds of eggs, a small problem can become a persistent one in a matter of days if the breeding source is not addressed.