How to deal with flies in an apartment, and why does an insect "rub its paws"

Try to swat a fly, and soon you will find that it is faster than you. Much faster. But how do these tiny creatures, with their tiny brains, so easily deceive us?
You've probably pondered this after chasing a fly all over the house, waving your sneaker and clapping it over and over again unsuccessfully. How does she move so fast? Is she reading my mind?

This issue was highlighted in the last episode of our BBC World Service CrowdScience show, which talked about the superpowers of small animals. The essence of the answer is that, compared to us, flies perceive our world in slow motion.

For illustration, take a look at the watch with a second hand. A person sees the movement of the arrow at a certain speed. For a turtle, this speed is twice as high. For most species of flies, each tick of the clock lasts about four times as long. The perceived speed of time varies from species to species. This is because animals perceive the world around them as a continuous video. In fact, they construct this picture based on the images that travel from the eyes to the brain in individual flashes, a certain number of times per second. In humans, there are about 60 such flashes per second, in turtles - 15, in flies - 250.

Fly harm

Flies are considered carriers of viruses and microbes, many of which are dangerous to human health. An insect that flew from the street and sat on food leaves particles infected with viruses on them. Flies leave their eggs in the flesh and skins of vegetables and fruits, which become dangerous. It can cause various illnesses.

The most common diseases include:

1. Diarrhea.
2. Dysentery.
3. Typhus.
4. Cholera.
5. Conjunctivitis.

Each ailment is difficult for humans to tolerate, so it is important to know how to kill flies. It is also necessary to take preventive measures to protect against these insects.

Exploring the "enemy"

A fly is an arthropod insect belonging to the order Diptera. The world population numbers about 3,650 species. In the apartments of residents of Russia, the housefly most often settles, which cannot live far from a person.

The danger

Why do people strive to get rid of flies? Because of the annoying buzzing, because of the discomfort from the movement of flies on the face and body. But insects are also dangerous. They carry diseases on their paws, including:

• typhoid fever;
• typhus;
• cholera;
• salmonellosis;
• tuberculosis;
• dysentery;
• diarrhea;
• conjunctivitis;
• parasitic worms.

Flies lay eggs in food, most often they leave the body in their original form, but in large quantities they can provoke intestinal disorders and intoxication.

House flies do not bite. Flame flies, on the other hand, leave bites. They are distinguished from "apartment" insects by a special structure of the proboscis, which allows them to feed on the blood of animals and only occasionally of humans. Most of these insects live on livestock farms.

Morphological features

The body of an arthropod is divided into three zones: head, chest and abdomen. The size of the diptera living in the apartment is up to 50 mm. The specificity of the structure of flies determines the factors that complicate the fight against them. Let's highlight four features that determine the vitality of insects.

1. High speed.The wings allow the insect to move very quickly: the fly can reach speeds of up to 20 km / h.
2. Sensitive sense of smell. On the head of the insect there is a pair of antennae, consisting of four segments, which allow the arthropod to smell food at a great distance.
3. Developed vision. Diptera eyes, consisting of 4 thousand lenses, provide circular vision. Also on the "crown" there are three more eyes looking up - they are views only under a microscope. The insect reacts very quickly to approaching objects, which is why it is so difficult to catch it. However, the fly cannot discern a transparent barrier, so you can often see how it unsuccessfully beats against the glass.
4. Tenacity. The fly has six legs, "equipped" with claws and fine hairs that allow the insect to cling to the surface, as well as special glands that secrete a sticky substance. That is why the fly can move equally well on horizontal and vertical surfaces, and even upside down - on the ceiling.

Why does a fly rub its paws? The sticky secretion secreted by the glands of the paws collects particles of dirt and dust, which significantly reduces the ability to "attach" to surfaces. Therefore, the insect has to periodically clean the pads of the feet, rubbing them against each other.

Life cycle

Flies do not live long - 1.5-2 months. However, during this time, the female can lay from 500 to 2000 eggs. The life cycle of an arthropod can be divided into four stages.

1. Egg. Usually, the insect lays white eggs 1.2 mm in size in high humidity conditions. As a rule, this is garbage, compost pits, for some species - meat, fish, food.
2. Larva. The worm-like larva emerges from the egg in about 8-24 hours. Its development lasts 5-14 days.
3. Doll. The larva crawls to a dry place and turns into a pupa. Pupation lasts five to six days.
4. An adult. An adult insect emerges from the pupa, which after ten days acquires the ability to mate. Flies reproduce at an astonishing rate, laying up to 150 eggs per day.

With the onset of cold weather, adult females and pupae hibernate. They often spend the winter in secluded corners of heated apartments.

Conditions of existence and dietary habits

The most favorable temperature for insects is 23-25 ​​° C and air humidity 80%. When the temperature drops, Diptera become lethargic and gradually hibernate. Therefore, in winter, the question of how to get the flies out of the apartment usually does not arise.

Flies living in the apartment eat any food of organic origin. They give special preference to sweets (jam, honey, juices, fruits), rotting products. Insects have no teeth and suck food in with their proboscis, therefore, in order to soften solid food, they first "process" it with their own saliva.

How do they appear

Where do flies come from in the house? Most often, insects fly into the apartment through open windows and doors, ventilation holes. Fly eggs can be brought into the apartment along with fruits and vegetables, and even with a bouquet of wildflowers. Most often this happens in summer and autumn - during the period of insect activity, however, in winter, a sleeping fly or larva can enter the house.

But why do insects not linger in some apartments, while in others they feel great? The answer is simple: the untidiness of the owners is an invitation card for the winged "invaders". The most attractive for insects is a dirty kitchen, there is always something to profit from:

Most often, residents of the first floors suffer from the "invasion" of flies: the proximity of barrels with garbage, a damp basement create a favorable environment for insects.

About other varieties

Sometimes, in addition to the room, other types of flies can settle in the apartment. The table below will acquaint you with the features of insects.

Table - Species of flies that can settle in an apartment

Despite some differences, the fight against all species of flies is the same. But due to the small size of fruit flies and their poor ability to fly, mechanical methods and the use of adhesive tapes to eliminate these insects are ineffective.

Mechanical methods

How to kill a fly? The simplest and most effective methods are mechanical. They are:

1. Fly swatter. Used to eliminate insects by hand.
2. Velcro. They attract flies with a sweet aroma, they land on the ribbon and cannot fly away. You can buy the fixture at a hardware store.
3. Fumigator. This tool is convenient in that to eliminate insects, you just need to charge it with a plate or flask with liquid and connect the device to the network. A person does not smell, and he is unpleasant to flies, therefore it acts on them as a deterrent. In addition, it looks aesthetically more attractive compared to Velcro.

This is the whole answer to the question of how to kill a fly mechanically. It is advisable to use several options together. This will get rid of other insects as well.

Description of appearance

The amazing creature has similarities with a flea, louse, tick, fly. At a certain stage of development, there is a pair of transparent wings on the back, which reach a length of 6 mm. The insect only uses them to move up a short distance. Outwardly it looks like a fly, but after it hits the host's body, it sheds its wings, it looks more like a flea, a tick.

The body is elongated, up to 3.5 mm in size. Shiny dark cover, flattened shape. Well visible head with strongly pronounced large eyes. In addition to them, there are 3 more simple eyes on the head.

On a note!

Except for the powerful paws, the creature resembles a flea. But, considering how the moose fly bites its claws into the skin, it looks more like a tick.

The body is flat with a strong chitinous cover. In a hungry state, the insect is very difficult to crush. As food is received, as well as during pregnancy, the abdomen greatly increases in size.

The mouth apparatus of a moose fly is piercing-sucking, reminiscent of the structure of a stinging fly. On the proboscis there is a number of hard chitinous bristles, which perform the function of teeth and help gnaw through the skin of warm-blooded animals. A photo of a moose fly is presented below. You can clearly see an amazing creature with a different name.

Moose fly

Folk remedies

How to deal with flies in an apartment if they fly in from the street through the windows? For this, you can use folk remedies. First, you need to install mosquito nets on the windows, which will get rid of the penetration of insects into the room. Houseplants can be placed on the windowsills, the smell of which is not tolerated by flies. This applies to geraniums, eucalyptus, seedlings with tomatoes. This function is performed by elderberry, tansy, fern leaves. All that is required is to place them around the house.

How to kill a fly with a simple remedy? For this, black ground pepper is used. A mixture of sweet water and pepper should be prepared, and after a few days there will be no flies. These insects do not tolerate saccharin. For bait, you need to soak an ordinary newspaper with saccharin and honey dissolved in water, and then dry it. When the flies are active, spread the sheets on the table and drip some water.

There is another effective remedy for flies. This is common toadflax (sold at the pharmacy). It must be added to milk, and a decoction made from the mixture. Place in the corners of the room with flies. After a while, they will disappear. Insects do not like the smell of rosin, tansy flowers, castor oil plants.

How to kill flies with another folk remedy? It is necessary to perform wet cleaning using a special tool, for example, DDT or Hexachloran. They are diluted in water and all surfaces are wiped with a solution. Flies do not like drafts, so you need to regularly ventilate the room.

Ultrasonic scarers are now in demand. Thanks to them, annoying inhabitants can be quickly eliminated without the use of chemicals. The principle of operation of the device is based on the use of high ultrasonic waves, which are safe for humans, but at the same time have a strong effect on insects.

What is the power of a fly?

The fly is the best flyer among insects. Musca domestica (house fly) has a powerful “motor” hidden in its chest, which allows it to take off right from the spot. The wings, making 200-300 flaps per second, provide the insect with a maneuverable, fast flight and annoying buzzing.

Thanks to all of the above advantages, the fly turns into a jet fighter. However, if a real plane is reduced to the size of an insect, then it will not have the slightest chance of defeating the annoying fly in aerial combat. So chasing an insect with a rolled up magazine, towel, newspaper is like trying to shoot down a fighter jet with a medieval catapult. To kill a fly, you need to act thoughtfully, according to a carefully developed plan.

Moreover:

1. The size and structure of the body of this pest provide the house fly with a rare survivability. You can often observe how a second after you slammed it with your hand, the fly, as if nothing had happened, flies away unharmed. Mystic? - Not at all.
2. The complex compound eyes of an insect consist of hexagonal eyes - ommatidia, which have their own lenses and receptors. As a result, each peephole captures the appearing and disappearing objects in the field of view. Flies notice the slightest movement. Therefore, when it seems to you that you are acting like a super-fast “superman”, for a fly you remain a barely crawling “snail”.
3. The fly recognizes smells much better than we do, so it immediately smells spoiled food. Following the smell, the insect flies along an incomprehensible, bizarre trajectory that confuses us, and this prevents the fly from killing on the fly.

Chemical methods

There are chemical treatments for flies. They will come in handy if there are a lot of these pests. You can order the services of professionals who will perform chemical cleaning. But everything can be done on your own if you use any of the following means.

Aerosols "Chlorofos" and "Dichlorvos" successfully cope with the task. The drugs work simply - a jet with toxic components hits the insects, destroying them. To enhance the effect, aerosols must be sprayed indoors, and after a while the windows must be opened. This method reduces the insect population.

Each remedy is considered effective, but it has a drawback - the presence of poison. There should be no children or pets in the room during processing.

What is the weakness of a fly?

Flies are not able to learn and gain practical experience of their defeat. Therefore, they can fight for hours against a closed window until they die, instead of finding an open space and flying out. It is very profitable to play on this in order to finally deal with the villains.

Insects are attracted to everything edible, as well as our food, rotting residues and excrement. Females look for suitable places for laying eggs, and for this they again pick up food and excrement. Of course, leaving the trash can open to kill a fly is far from the most pleasant experience, but all means are good in the fight against an annoying pest. The main thing is to stick to the goal clearly.

Flies fly into the light: through the windows during the day, and at the lamps and fire at night. Therefore, by strategically manipulating the switch, you can lure the enemy into a trap.

Essential oils

Essential oils help from flies in the apartment. They are safe for humans. The fluids have a repellent effect on insects due to their specific scent. Oils allow you to protect yourself and your home from mosquitoes, midges, ticks, wasps. Combinations of basil, geranium, citronella, litronella, litzea, cloves, thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus, tea tree, laurel help.

You can smear the essential oil on unprotected skin, but you should definitely check the individual reaction of the body. Oil-treated wipes are considered another effective remedy. They can be spread out indoors. Before going outside, you can use a homemade mixture. To do this, you need to mix the selected oil with a regular cream.

A pest repellent is a bracelet. It is advisable to take citronella oil, but another will do. It needs to be applied to a wooden bracelet. You can take a strip of wide ribbon and tie it around your wrist. Essential oils are applied to clothes, they are sprayed on premises. Window sills and furniture should be treated with laurel oil.

Time is relative

The human brain is capable of processing the visual range of the surrounding world at a speed of 24 frames per second. This is an acceptable boundary that our brains can understand. Of course, in computer games or high-frequency monitors and televisions, the display speed of the picture can reach 60 frames. But in fact, the human eye is capable of adequately processing up to 24 frames.

Now imagine that you are processing not 24, but 240 frames per second per second. In fact, in one second, you fit a 10-second visual series. In this case, the picture of the world will seem to slow down 10 times. Time will become slow and stringy, as if you were caught in a slowmotion scene in a movie. It seems that this is impossible, but it is not.

A fly lives in such a world. Only her visual organ is capable of processing up to 300 frames per second. This indicator is called "flicker fusion rate". It is this ability that allows the fly to quickly respond to an approaching threat and calmly avoid it.

Fly exterminators

These devices allow you to eliminate insects in other ways. The machines are equipped with UV lamps that generate heat and attract pests. Some devices have propellers that draw insects into the container. There are lamps that strike flies with a current discharge, eliminating them instantly with a hit on a special grate.

The advantages of destroyers include:

1. No insecticides - ideal for rooms with children and animals.
2. Excellent efficiency.

Of the shortcomings, only high cost is distinguished. For small spaces the SWU-15 compact shredder from SWISSINNO is suitable. The device will allow you to remove flies, mosquitoes, horseflies, midges from the room in a short time.

Reproduction

The bloodsucker fly is viviparous.The larvae bears in the abdomen, reproducing into the light ripe for pupation. Gives birth to one every 2-3 days. After mating, the first larva is born in 16-20 days.

Large prepupae up to 3 mm in size do not undergo changes, they simply harden and fall to the ground. Further development of the fly continues in the forest litter, the upper soil layer. The first puparia appear at the end of August, in September. Pupae born from October to March continue to develop only with the onset of warm days in spring, at a temperature of +15 degrees Celsius.

Around the end of August, winged blood-sucking juveniles appear. The elk fly gains the ability to mate after sucking blood. After 20 days, the first puparia appear, the subsequent ones are born every 3 days. The lifespan of an adult is 6 months. During this time, one female manages to lay about 30 larvae. The full development cycle lasts 2 years.

Mating takes place on the body of the animal. The flat fly spends its entire life on one host. Sexually mature individuals are divided into pairs, the male attaches to the body of the female. Only by the beginning of summer elk and deer have the opportunity to completely free themselves from parasites.

Interesting!

In places where reindeer and elk feed and rest, hunters or gamekeepers have the opportunity to observe a picture of how tits feast on bloodsucker pupae. They literally fall out of animal hair in colonies. Pests were often found on the body of wild dogs, wild boars, bears, wolves, wolverines, and also birds. Cattle suffer from pest attacks.

Prophylaxis

Many people do not attach importance to the danger that comes from flies. But they are carriers of dangerous ailments. Insects lay eggs in food, so a person who eats them is at risk of getting sick. Therefore, it is important to carry out prevention using the following guidelines:

1. Damp mopping should be done regularly as insects like dirt. It is necessary to dispose of garbage in a timely manner, and put fresh vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator.
2. All windows need to be hung with nets.
3. You can plant bird cherry or elderberry near the house. Insects don't like the smell of walnut or wormwood. Geraniums should be placed on the windowsills.

Thus, you can use any of these tools. Better yet, take preventive measures so that there are never such pests at home.

Diseases carried by flies

These insects pose a danger to the life of the human body. They feed not only on ordinary food, but also on rotten waste, as well as excrement, and then, flying into a residential building, they carry on their paws and lay on food harmful substances that are dangerous to human life. The main diseases that can be contracted from flies are typhoid fever, hepatitis, cholera, worms, as well as a huge number of different infections. In the south, you can find some species of flies that feed on human blood, when they bite a person can become infected with anthrax. This happens after the insect has previously bitten a sick animal.

Dream interpretation noble

Large and annoying flies, as well as gadflies are symbols of various evil spirits. If they dream of a sleeping person, someone puts damage and other filth on the dreamer in order to destroy him or harm him very much. However, having killed these huge and evil flies, a person in real life will be able to cope with the blow "from the outside" and, possibly, even return the damage to his enemy. Therefore, hitting flies, according to the explanation of the noblemen's dream book, is always a very good dream.

Flies in a dream pursue the dreamer, and she begins to kill them in huge quantities out of anger. She sees how many dead insects lie under her feet and crunch when she walks. Sleep is a warning about the prophetic gift. The sleeper (sleeper) in vain wants to get rid of it or drown it in any other way.Higher powers are usually stronger than people, and therefore, over time, the sleeping person will have to, recognizing this fact, reconcile and accept the gift of foresight and foresight prepared for her. How many flies in a dream you may kill, but you will have to carry with pride your received gift of fate, or maybe, on the contrary, its curse. After all, knowing the future is a very heavy burden, and not everyone can bear it.

Female interpreter of dreams

On food supplies, slam a fly with a clapperboard - your business will soon stall. You will have to suffer some setbacks associated with the financial side of life. Perhaps your business will burn out. And such a vision wants to warn the sleeping person about a demotion or dismissal from work.

In a dream, to see a fly - someone weaves intrigues against you. If the insect is killed in any way available at that time, the sleeping person will be able to significantly improve her situation. She will figure out the schemers and harm them, or even destroy them altogether.

Aesop's dream interpreter

The dreamer is in the midst of a huge black swarm of vile flies and is trying to somehow destroy them: poison them, slam them with a clapperboard or crush them with his hands? A very bad dream - the dream book warns.

If you kill many flies in a dream, false gossip is woven around you. Intriguers, pretending to be friends, undermine your well-being and only wait to deliver the last, crushing blow. The dreamer should be very wary of sharing some of the events that happened in his life. Let the sleeper hide and stop “feeding” the evil and unclean imaginations of people from his environment. It is not only those with whom you communicate at a friendly level or at the level of work colleagues are able to give out all your secrets and plans.

Even those of whom you would never think of this are capable of pouring dirt on you - close ones and, it would seem, relatives, they can do even more harm to your career and reputation. Do not you understand what could have been the reason for such conversations? Most likely, it was black envy. Relatives are able to envy your success no less than the distant environment.

In a dream, hitting flies sitting on walls and ceilings means that there is a deceitful hypocrite near you. And you treat this person with kindness and respect, consider it your friend and companion. It's okay - soon he will betray himself and destroy with his own hand.

Poisoning flies is a good sign. A little patience, and everything will work out in the dreamer's life.

Slam and crush an annoying insect - a loved one will deceive you.

Mayan dream book

A killed fly in a dream, according to the Mayan dream book, is a very good sign. If a sleeping man or a sleeping girl had to kill a blue fly in a dream, in reality this is preparation for a date with the sleeping representative (representative) of the opposite sex. A large fly of these shades is a sign that the date will be very successful and interesting for both parties. This meeting is likely to be followed by others. Ultimately, dating like this will be the birth of a new young family.