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BEES, WASPS,
&
FLIES
BEES, WASPS, yellow jackets, ETC.
Honeybees, vital to our food diversity and production, are under attack from many sources. Viruses, mites, beetles, pesticides, and phorid flies are all taking their toll on the hardworking pollinator. If a bee colony takes residence on your property, our position is to recommend a local Bee Remover to relocate the hive. The spread of Africanized bee strains has complicated matters. If relocation is not possible, University of Florida experts and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) recommend euthanizing the colony to protect humans and pets.
In any case, a bee or wasp colony near a structure is dangerous and should be addressed.
It should be noted that bee or wasp colonization in a roof or wall can have nasty consequences. Leftover honeycomb or nesting can breed ants, roaches, ants, moths, flies and other pests. The honey can run down into lower areas and ferment . The odor from this and thousands of dead bees in a wall should be prevented by removal of the nest after the bees have been neutralized .
The same is true for an internal wasp nest such as yellow jackets.
HOUSE FLIES
Flies, typically considered a nuisance, exist in all regions of the United States. There are more than 240,000 different species of flies in the world. Approximately one third of them, including mosquitoes and gnats, can be found in the United States.
A true fly has only one set of wings. All flies are known disease carriers, many of which can be transmitted to humans. Flies typically breed in garbage, excrement of animals and humans, sewers, compost piles, and any other place where matter is decaying. This enables them to pick up various kinds of diseases which can be transmitted to people by biting or by landing on food, where the bacteria and viruses are released. Since flies are able to transmit disease so easily, it is necessary to seek insect control quickly. The diseases that they can carry include malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, dengue fever, and more.
All flies have a rapid rate of growth and go from egg to adult in about seven days. Maggots are just one stage in the early development of a fly. Maggots of some fly varieties, such as the Carrot Rust fly, can be a problem because they eat the roots of some vegetables. The most common flies are the Fruit fly, the House fly (which have four stripes on their abdomen), the Cluster fly (which is dark gray in color), and the Garbage fly (which has a metallic color that is either green or blue). Another kind of fly, the Stable fly, typically exists around livestock. The Horse fly and a few other varieties of flies actually have mouth parts and can bite humans. Most other flies have a sponge-like mouth and can only drink up their food.
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One benefit of flies is that they help reduce the population of other pests. They also help to break down carcasses and other decaying matter faster by preparing it to reenter the ground. Properly controlling flies includes not only killing the adults, but also destroying their eggs and larvae. Try to empty garbage cans frequently and limit moisture in house plants.
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A great trick if you are having fruit flies is getting a small bowl and putting a tablespoon or so (1/3rd) of Dawn Dish Detergent and 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (2/3rd of your ratio) and setting it out on your kitchen counter, you can do this in multiple places as well.The fruit flies are attracted to the vinegar but die in the dawn.
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