If you notice tiny flies crawling erratically over your television screens, sink drains and kitchen counters, you may wonder if the pests are fruit flies or something else. The annoying pests are called phorid flies, also known as humpbacked flies. Humpbacked flies can be hazardous to your health because they can pick up germs from dead organisms and spread diseases to you or your family members. The pests may also be hard to stop unless you find and secure the places that breed and attract them. Here's what you need to know about phorid flies and things you may do to keep them out of your home.

What Are Phorid Flies?

Many people mistake phorid flies for fruit flies because both types of insects are similar in size. However, even though humpbacked flies have wings and can fly, they tend to run rapidly and erratically over surfaces. The flies are also drawn to things in your home that give off light, such as lit windows or lamps, and can eat all types of organic matter, including decaying human food and dead animals. This varied diet makes the insects very dangerous for your family's health.

A number of dead animals carry organisms that may spread to your digestive system or lungs if you accidentally consume or inhale them. Because humpbacked flies encounter different types of bacteria, parasites and other organisms from the dead animals as they feed on, it's not a good idea that you use poisons to kill other pests on your property, such as rats or mice.

In addition, the flies can consume the organic matter or gunk found inside your sink drains, damaged plumbing pipes and other places that might contain raw sewage. If you use a lot of soaps and cleansers to bathe or shower, or if you pour grease down the drains, you may make it easier for the insects to breed or feed.

How Do You Keep Phorid Flies Out of the Home?

To get rid of your pest problem and protect your health, you'll need to repair, clean or treat the places the flies need to survive. One of the first things you might do to get rid of your fly problem is contact a plumber and have them repair any damaged plumbing pipes in and around your home as soon as possible. After the repairs, be sure to schedule routine maintenance and inspections of your plumbing system to protect your home from fly problems in the future.

Also, physically clean out the drains in your kitchen and bathrooms with a plumbing snake or coat hanger. You want to pull out as much hair, gobs of soap and other organic matter as you can to reduce the fly population in your drainage system. However, avoid using chemicals to clean out your sink drains until you speak directly with a pest control specialist. Although some products might work to get rid of the flies, the ingredients in the cleansers may not be completely safe to inhale or touch. Pest control may have other treatments available that work better for your needs.

Finally, schedule pest services to treat any rodents you have on the property or in the home. Pest control may use live traps to catch and remove the rodents, which may eliminate other possible food sources for the flies.

For more details or assistance for your phorid fly problem, contact a local pest control company in your area today. They will have the proper experience and resources to get rid of the pests and all the problems they bring into your home and family.