In today’s article, we’ll show you 5 critical points you need to know about kitchen flies and allergy. Keep reading to find out more.
Whether you’re curious about the well-being of your kids or looking for reliable methods to get rid of kitchen flies, this article will have everything you might be looking for!
1. A Kitchen Fly Isn’t a Single Type of Fly
The first thing you need to know about kitchen flies is that it’s a collective term used to describe a variety of insects that can be in your kitchen.
While these insects are grouped under one term, they don’t necessarily have much in common. In fact, the reason they’re all called kitchen flies is that they’re food scavengers, so they’re usually found in the kitchen.
The most common kitchen flies are the fruit flies, which are known scientifically as Drosophila melanogaster.
The reason why they’re called that is that, not only will you find them flying above ripe and rotten fruits, but they also have an unrivaled ability to detect the scent of fruits from a very long distance compared to their size, including from the outside of the house entirely.
As far as looks, fruit flies are remarkably small with a yellow-brown body as well as black wings. black abdomen, and large brick-red eyes.
In addition to their strong attraction to ripe fruits, they also have a strong affinity to all kinds of fermented items, so they can be attracted to different kinds of liquor, beer, and wine.
In fact, some scientists believe that the “wine fly” or the “vinegar fly” is a more accurate name for the pest.
They multiply quickly and are able to breed just about anywhere, so you’ll usually find more than one hanging around.
In addition to fruit flies, other kitchen flies might be flies from the Muscidae family, including the typical house fly, spanning over 100 genera and 4,000 species. Houseflies’ larvae usually develop in manure and decaying organic materials.
2. Kitchen Flies Might Cause Kids Allergies
As a rule of thumb, household insects, such as house flies, fruit flies, and other types of kitchen flies don’t bite or sting, as they don’t even have teeth in their mouthparts.
Instead, kitchen flies eat by producing a liquid that helps them break up their food, then suck up the juice with their straw shaped mouth.
Despite not having the tools needed to cause allergies like mosquitos and horse flies, some people and children experience an allergic reaction after coming in contact with the flies.
Yet, this allergy is caused by a bacteria that the kitchen flies carry after coming in contact with rotten matter, causing red bumps on the skin.
As for house flies, it’s a widely accepted scientifically-backed fact that they can cause some kind of nasal allergies to some people, although it’s quite rare.
3. Don’t Panic if You Suspect an Allergic Reactions from Kitchen Flies
It’s important to note that kitchen flies allergy is not only rare but also quite mild and self-limited. In the majority of reported cases, the allergy might only show up as a few red dots or bumps on the skin.
Some people might experience some additional allergic symptoms, such as runny nose and eyes.
Yet, all these symptoms are not a health hazard on their own, so you don’t have to panic. Doctors recommend that the kids should take a shower so that they scrub the bacteria off to avoid any other adverse effects caused by them.
4. The Kitchen Flies Effect on Kids and Family
Although the flies themselves are typically harmless and won’t cause any major health issues, their stick hairs catch on a variety of germs and bacteria that can cause a wide variety of problems as they come in contact with our food.
These issues include the transmission of E. Coli, listeria, and salmonella from fecal matter.
The bacteria can cause anything from diarrhea and food poisoning all the way to serious life-threatening conditions like kidney failure.
For that reason, it’s extremely crucial that you ward off these flies off your house even if your kids and family aren’t allergic to them.
5. How to Get Rid of Kitchen Flies
There’s a variety of ways to get rid of kitchen flies. However, many of these options might not be suitable for the kitchen for health and safety reasons.
For example, spraying insecticides as pest control should be done with care because these chemicals might be dangerous to kids health. You might not be able to use the kitchen for a long time if you fumigate it with insecticides.
Luckily, however, there are many ways and methods you can try to deal with this problem with ease. You might want to combine a variety of the following options for the maximum results:
Sealing Your Food Properly
The first line of protecting yourself and kids from the dangers of kitchen flies is by preventing them.
Since they’re mostly attracted to exposed ripe fruits and fermented items, the best way to keep them out is by removing the source of attraction and keeping the counters clean after cooking as well as cutting or juicing fruits.
Pyrethrin-Based Insecticide
If you have a large infestation of kitchen flies, you might want to try pyrethrin insecticides. Although it’s marketed for gardens, it’s a generally safe ingredient if your kids are not allergic to the compound.
Simply spray the insecticide in the kitchen and keep the doors and windows shut for above 10 to 15 minutes.
Keep in mind this will only work as a quick, short term solution, as the flies quickly produce resistance. Remember to ventilate the kitchen well after you’re done before allowing your kids into the kitchen again.
- Recommendation: PyGanic Pyrethrin Concentrate
Family Safe Insect Repellent
The best thing about insect repellents is that they’re generally safe for children, as long as they’re not allergic to the ingredients of the formula.
Most of these formulas use natural blends of essential oils, such as lemongrass, cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary, and eucalyptus. Which produces a scent that most species of kitchen flies hate, keeping your kitchen fly free
- Recommendations: Wondercide Natural Insect Repellent
Kitchen Flies Sticky Traps and Homemade Traps
Since these flies are attracted to the vinegar, you might want to use that to your advantage. There are a wide variety of sticky traps on the market that lures the insects in with a fruity smell. This allows them to stick to the paper, allowing you to get rid of them easily.
The concept of these traps is quite easy and you can create one on your own. Simply add about an inch of white vinegar in a tall glass, add a few drops of dish soap.
The scent of vinegar will have them come flying. However, the dish soap will drown the flies as it alters the surface tension of the liquid. This prevents the flies from landing over the vinegar.
- Recommendation: Fruit Fly Indoor Traps
Kitchen Flies and Allergy – Wrap Up
There you have it! A complete guide with everything you need to know about kitchen flies and kids allergies.
As you can see, kitchen flies themselves won’t cause allergies. However, it’s the bacteria and fecal matter they carry that can cause such problems.
Yet, kitchen flies do pose a serious threat because of all the bacteria and viruses they carry that cause diseases.
By following this guide to get rid of them, you’ll be able to avoid these issues. Remember to not combine the repellents with the traps for the best results.
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