In many cases, the presence of flies is actually a sign of a much more serious problem. It’s about ineffective sanitation and lack of flying insect management programs. If these are not addressed, flies will continue to enter and roam around. As vectors, they carry and transmit a great variety of bacteria including antimicrobial-resistant and pathogenic bacteria, from numerous sources owing to their strong flight ability.

While there are many different species of flies, they share the same feeding and breeding behavior, favoring feces and rotting food sources. Flies come into contact with many bacteria that can cause severe harm to humans. Using several genetic tests, it was found that individual flies can carry hundreds of different bacteria species, many of which are extremely harmful and hazardous. One technique found over 1,300 different types of bacteria present on the flies. Flies’ bodies have microscopic hair which picks up millions of bacteria from their surroundings. Flies not only carry fecal and rotting matter, they are also home to dangerous parasitic bacteria and pathogens. These can range from causing food spoilage to extreme infections that can mutate and adapt to its surroundings. For example, studies have shown that some of the most prominent bacteria found on flies were; Salmonella which causes food-borne illnesses, E. coli which causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines, and Helicobacter pylori   which can cause ulcers and stomach cancer. A single fly landing on any surface could contaminate food sources that are in close proximity due to these harmful bacteria. Flies contaminate food because they transfer germs from one surface to another. Also, they might be accidentally consumed if there are no fly control solutions in place.

Regular practice of proper sanitation yields amazing results. However, flies can still enter and contaminate food. After all, weekly or monthly sanitation is just the first step to ensure food safety. For added safety, there should be an ongoing solution to further minimize the risks from flies. One proven way to accomplish this is by installing fly control lamps. These optimally designed devices capture flies with the use of continuous UV-A light and temperature optimized glue boards.