Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

Wenatchee and ?Quincy Home Inspection

As a home inspector and structural pest inspector I field funny calls at times.

Many people know or read that I am a structural pest inspector and with that think that I am an authority on all pests. Well unfortunately that is not true? I am not an authority on all pests. I cannot give you very good guidance on your little brother or a nosey neighbor or a host of other pests.

Structural pest are a select group of insects and organisms that will destroy the integrity of wood structural components. The main pests I am concerned with are termites, carpenter ants, moisture ants and Anobiid beetles. The other major concern is wood decay rot fungi. There are other wood destroying insects but are not very common in my area.

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But what is true I can usually find answers for people and or give them direction on who to call.

Case in point, I get a call from an associate of mine and she was beside herself. She said ?I did not know who to call. I have flies all over my house and it is driving me crazy?.

After a little giggle we get down to helping her out with her house of flies.

Flies can be a nuisance for sure. But they are like many things an indication of something, usually that you have something dying and decaying in the home.

A little Fly-ology- The most common flies we will encounter are;

House fly- House flies are 3/16 to 1/4 inch long with robust bodies and two clear wings. The thorax is marked with four dark stripes. Larvae are called maggots and are creamy-white and cone-shaped, with the hind end blunt and bearing breathing holes (spiracles) tapering to the head which bears black hook-like mouthparts.

Female flies lay numbers of eggs in suitable larval food sources such as decomposing food in garbage, animal excrement or other decomposing organic materials. Development from egg to adult can be completed in about a week under optimal conditions. Adults normally live up to 25 days but may overwinter.

Little House Fly- They are generally most numerous during the cooler spring and fall months. Adults are approximately two-thirds the size of the house fly and are missing the house fly?s distinctive thoracic stripes. They rest hold their wings over the back more than the house fly does, creating a narrower V-shape to the wing outline.

Females like to lay their eggs in animal wastes (especially chicken manure), but various moist organic materials can serve as suitable nesting substances. Their developmental time from egg to adult is somewhat longer than for the house fly at all temperatures.

Garbage Fly- A group of fly species with similar life histories and behaviors. Adult flies in this group can be readily differentiated from other flies by their coloration, which is a shiny, metallic green or blue often mixed with some copper color.

These flies can develop from egg to adult in as little as 7 days. Eggs are usually laid in decaying meats, garbage, or dog feces. Similar to other nuisance flies, garbage fly larvae leave their developmental site to seek out drier and more protected areas for pupation.

Fruit Fly-There are many species of fruit flies, ranging in size from 1/32 to 3/32. They can be recognized by the rather bulbous shape of their lower bodies, which is frequently an orange or light brown color. They are relatively slow flyers, often hovering around fruit or juice. They have an excellent sense of smell and are strongly attracted by bananas.

Female fruit flies are capable of laying hundreds of eggs and develop from egg to adult in about a week. Eggs are most commonly laid on moist, fermenting food masses such as over-ripe fruit and vegetables.

The main elements of fly prevention are sanitation and exclusion, with sanitation always the first priority. ?The fewer flies that breed in an area, the fewer there will be indoors. So keeping garbage areas clean and take your garbage out frequently. ?Throw away any decaying fruits and organics. Also I was shown by an old glazier that ?Sprayaway? glass cleaner is an excellent flying insect knock down spray. Gotta love old glaziers. I saw this in action.

These insects have been known to carry over 100 different kinds of disease-causing germs, which makes them very bad house guests.

Ancora Imparo

NCW Home Inspections, LLC ?is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more? ?

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com ????????? 509-670-9572

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Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3536729/lord-of-the-flies

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