Different Types of Flying Pests That Can Affect Your Business

Flying insects can be a real headache for businesses, especially in the Philippines, where the warm climate encourages these tiny creatures to thrive and multiply. These pests might seem harmless due to their size, but they bring more than just diseases to your establishment—they can also damage your reputation.

Let’s explore the various flying pests that can affect your business and why keeping your commercial space pest-free is crucial.

Flying Insects and Why Some Are Problematic

Flying insects are characterized by their ability to fly. While some flying insects, like bees, butterflies, and beetles, benefit humans and ecosystems, others are harmful as they carry diseases.

The most notable group of flying insects is the true flies, or Diptera, which includes mosquitoes, house flies, fruit flies, and more. The anatomy of flying insects allows them to maneuver even the most complicated spaces. Their mouthparts are made for sucking and lapping, which can lead to the transmission of diseases when they come into contact with food or surfaces.

Their evasiveness and mobility make them particularly problematic. Traditional methods make it difficult to trap or capture them. This is why hiring a professional pest control company is the best way to deal with them.

But before you do, it’s essential to understand which flying pests are bad for business.

Harmful Types of Flying Pests in Commercial Spaces

Flying insects in the Philippines are often drawn to commercial spaces for various reasons. When pests are present, there’s an underlying problem you might be ignoring that attracts them to your establishment. Here are the most common flying insects you need to watch out for and control measures to keep them away from your space:

1. House Flies

House flies are one of the most common insects in the Philippines. Don’t let its name fool you; house flies are also present in commercial spaces. House flies are drawn to open food, spills, and waste in break rooms and food prep areas. They breed quickly and can carry diseases like Salmonella and E.coli. House flies have four lengthwise stripes on the middle of their body and behind the head. Restaurants, food courts, and markets are especially at risk of infestation.

Imagine a customer enjoying a meal in your restaurant. You sense a commotion erupting at their table as they desperately try to swat a fly away. They complain and lose their appetite, and rightfully so, while you try to apologize and make up for their negative experience.

No business owner would want to be in such a situation.  Fortunately, house flies can be controlled with sticky traps, insect light traps, and spraying.

2. Blow Flies

Blow flies or green bottle flies have shiny, metallic green abdomens. Their larvae can develop in walls or inside trapped rodents’ bodies. These flies are attracted to decaying organic matter, such as garbage and animal waste. They pose a risk to food safety because they can spread bacteria and pathogens, potentially contaminating food processing and storage areas

Cracks, crevices, and clutter are ideal hiding spots for many pests with wings, including blow flies. They can also enter your establishment through gaps in windows, doors, or ventilation systems. You can keep blow flies out by maintaining cleanliness, removing decaying matter, and using traps in your commercial space.

3. Fruit Flies

Flying insects feed on excrement and waste. As their name implies, fruit flies often lay their eggs near rotten fruits and vegetables. These pests can be a nuisance in restaurants, grocery stores, and other food-related businesses. Poor hygiene and irregular cleaning schedules are a recipe for disaster and will attract more fruit flies, especially in high-traffic areas like kitchens and garbage storage. Effective control methods include removing ripe or decaying produce, cleaning spills, and using fruit fly traps.

4. Fungus Gnats

Drawn to moist soil and decaying organic matter, fungus gnats breed and live in office plants and damp areas. The fungus in damp soil serves as a food source for their larvae. Fungus gnats fly close to the ground, near plants and soil.

While they don’t directly pose a significant health risk, their presence can annoy employees and customers. Reducing moisture, improving drainage, and using sticky traps can help manage fungus gnats.

5. Drain Flies

Areas with high humidity or standing water—think leaky pipes or poorly maintained drainage—can become breeding grounds for insects like drain flies. As weak flyers, they are covered with long hairs and prefer to crawl in these damp areas. Drain flies feed on organic matter and stagnant water, making them a persistent problem in kitchens and restrooms.

If your business is in the food and hospitality industry, you are required to adhere to strict hygiene protocols. A pest infestation could lead to fines and lawsuits, or even worse, closure. Cleaning drains regularly and using drain cleaners can help eliminate drain flies and prevent legal repercussions.

6. Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are not only annoying; they can pose serious health risks like dengue fever and malaria. Female mosquitoes, in particular, seek blood and are attracted to carbon dioxide and body odors emitted by humans. They thrive in moist environments and can breed in standing water found in planters or poorly maintained drainage systems. It’s important to eliminate these breeding grounds so they don’t multiply.

Pest control companies typically use mosquito traps, spraying, larviciding, and fogging to get rid of these flying insects in commercial spaces professionally. Another effective method is In2Care, which uses mosquitoes to control mosquito populations by targeting both larvae and adults. In2Care works by luring mosquitoes inside and contaminating them with a slow-killing fungus and larvicide. The mosquitoes then spread the larvicide to other breeding sites, killing larvae.

7. Moths

Moths can damage stored goods in warehouses and retail stores. For example, clothes moths love to munch on textiles and clothing. Pantry moths or Indian meal moths infest stored food products such as grains, flour, and cereals. 

Small flying insects like moths that ruin stored goods and inventory can lead to significant losses for groceries and restaurants. By storing food in airtight containers, practicing good sanitation, and using pheromone traps, you ensure your products are safe and usable.

8. Cockroaches

Certain species of cockroaches have wings and can take flight. These pests are notorious for contaminating food and spreading bacteria as they are drawn to food, water, and warm, dark places. They are unpleasant to look at and can put off your customers, as cockroaches are strong indicators of uncleanliness and filth. Cockroaches also pose several health risks due to their ability to carry and transmit various pathogens. These pathogens can cause diseases such as E. coli, Salmonella, and dysentery.

If you’re running a food establishment, the presence of cockroaches can quickly shut down your business. A customer enjoying their meal will likely spot a cockroach scurrying across their table. Understandably disgusted and upset, they might leave a negative review of your business online. And just like that, your restaurant’s reputation is tarnished.

Professional pest control services are designed to keep this scenario from happening. Experts typically use cockroach control methods including gel bait, sticky traps, and spraying.

9. Flying Ants

Flying ants are attracted to light and swarm in large numbers indoors, especially during mating season. They can damage wooden structures and compromise the structural integrity of buildings. Flying pests can be distracting, uncomfortable, and frankly, disgusting. They may also indicate a more extensive ant infestation.

No one would want to work under these unsanitary conditions. A clean and pest-free workspace fosters a positive environment for employees and motivates them to be productive. To help control flying ants, seal entry points and use insecticides.

Why Pest Control is Important

So, why is it your responsibility as a business owner to keep flying insects at bay? Flying pests can have a far-reaching impact on businesses, especially for food establishments. An infestation in your commercial space can damage your reputation, harm the health of employees and customers, force you to pay penalties, and decrease overall safety and productivity. For all these reasons, it’s crucial to keep your business pest-free.

Knowing what types of flying insects are hanging around your business is half the battle. If your infestation is too severe, it’s best to call a commercial pest control company specializing in eliminating these troublesome critters.

Don’t Let Flying Pests Take Flight

Flying insects can be challenging to eliminate on your own, especially in commercial settings. While early detection and preventive measures are key to minimizing the risk of infestation, you need a more comprehensive strategy to address these potential threats.

Customized pest control solutions by TOPBEST are designed to target specific pest issues in your business. Our services ensure effective and lasting results no matter what type of flying pest you’re dealing with.

Contact TOPBEST to schedule an inspection today so we can check your pest problem and provide expert assistance tailored to your needs. True to our malasakit brand of service, we strive to protect your reputation and ensure a safe atmosphere for both employees and customers.