The Ugly Fly Plaguing Louisville's Commercial Kitchens
What Are These Flies?
Are you seeing tiny, furry-looking flies in your commercial kitchen? You probably already know that they are moth flies. Or you may know them as drain flies, sewer flies, or filter flies. Their fuzzy, moth-like appearance makes them an easily recognizable pest. If you're not familiar with what a moth fly is, here are a few facts you should know.
A moth fly is about 1/8 of an inch long. Most species of moth fly are black but you may find moth flies in Louisville that are tan in color. A moth fly is shaped like a heart with its head being the tip of the heart. As we already mentioned, they have a furry appearance. They are fairly easy to identify. The hard part is getting an infestation under control.
Breeding
The most important step in arresting a moth fly infestation is to locate breeding sites. Drain flies lay eggs in gelatinous film and rotting organic material. In a kitchen, this material may be found lining drain pipes and traps or at the bottom of a trash receptacle. It may also be found on a wet mop or broom that has collected organic matter. Sometimes, a gelatinous film can be created underneath kitchen equipment when pressurized water is used to wet wash kitchen floors.
Sometimes drain flies come from outside a kitchen. When they do, they can have you scratching your head. It is important to understand that these flies can breed in storm drains, exterior sewage culverts, exterior trash receptacles, and other locations where organic materials are decomposing.
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Keeping Flies Out Of Your Kitchen
If flies are coming in from the outside, it is vital to make sure that all of your screens are in good working condition and that you don't allow exterior doors to be propped open.
If flies are reproducing in your kitchen, you can make it more difficult for them by doing some deep cleaning. Get into cracks and crevices where organic material may be decaying.
Routinely check and clean your trash receptacles. This will remove the gelatinous film that moth flies breed in. It takes 32 to 40 hours for moth flies to hatch from their eggs and become drain worms. These drain worms develop into pupae in between 9 to 15 days. The pupa stage lasts for less than 2 days and then those flies take to the air. A single drain fly can lay between 30 and 100 eggs. It doesn't take long for this problem to get out of hand.
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Detecting Flies In Drains
It can be extremely difficult to detect moth flies because of the variety of locations they can breed and because of their development process. Moth flies are drain worms for most of their lives. When moths appear, they are sexually mature and ready to mate. They will usually mate within the first few hours of taking to the air. So, while the flies are the problem you want to get rid of, trapping or killing them won't solve your problem. You have to find the source and deal with it. This is best done by a licensed and experienced commercial pest control technician.
The Threat Moth Flies Present
Since moth flies breed in decaying organic matter, they are a serious concern for the spread of harmful bacteria. Studies have shown these moths to be prolific in their ability to spread bacteria and pathogens. A moth fly infestation should be quickly dealt with.
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