In a city as vibrant as Dubai, maintaining a pest-free environment is crucial for both residential and commercial spaces. Flies control service in Dubai, with their rapid breeding cycles and potential health risks, necessitate effective intervention. Explore the key aspects of ensuring a fly-free Dubai with professional flies control service.

The Challenges of Flies Control in Dubai

Dubai’s unique climate, characterized by warm temperatures, creates an environment conducive to fly infestations. The challenges posed by these conditions require specialized approaches in flies control services. Generic solutions may provide temporary relief, but a comprehensive strategy is essential for long-term success.

Tailored Flies Control in Dubai and Beyond

• Localized Solutions: Effective flies control services in Dubai begin with a localized approach. Understanding the specific needs of the area, be it a residential community or a bustling commercial district, allows for the development of targeted solutions.
• Professional Expertise: Engaging professional services, like those offered by ETS, ensures access to skilled technicians with expertise in the unique challenges of Dubai. Their knowledge of local pest behavior and environmentally friendly practices sets the foundation for effective flies control.

The Process of Flies Control Treatment in Dubai

• Thorough Inspections: Comprehensive flies control treatment starts with a thorough inspection. Identifying breeding areas and understanding the extent of the infestation allows for a strategic plan of action.
• Environmentally Friendly Methods: Professional services prioritize the use of environmentally friendly methods. This not only ensures the safety of occupants but also aligns with the sustainable practices demanded by the dynamic city of Dubai.

Dubai’s diverse landscape, from residential neighborhoods to commercial hubs, demands adaptable solutions for effective flies control. Residential areas may require different strategies than bustling markets or restaurant districts. The versatility of flies control services in Dubai is crucial for addressing varied pest challenges.

Warm temperatures in Dubai amplify the urgency of flies control. Flies breed rapidly in such conditions, making timely and effective interventions imperative. Professional services, equipped with the latest technology and industry-approved methods, guarantee a higher level of success in eliminating flies and preventing their return.

Take control of your living or working space with ETS’s expert flies control services in Dubai. Whether you’re in a residential community or managing a commercial establishment, our tailored solutions ensure a pest-free environment. Contact us today for a detailed inspection and personalized flies control treatments. Trust ETS – Your Reliable Partner in Professional Pest Control Excellence.

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Flies can quickly become a menace, infiltrating homes, businesses, and public spaces. To effectively combat these pesky insects, more individuals and businesses are turning to professional fly pest control service. In this article, we delve into the reasons why hiring experts, such as ETS, for fly pest control service in Dubai.

The Scale of the Fly Problem

Flies not only disrupt daily activities but also pose health risks by carrying and spreading diseases. When faced with a fly infestation, it’s essential to understand the scale of the problem. Localized DIY solutions may provide temporary relief, but a comprehensive approach is crucial for long-term eradication.

The Expertise of Flies Control Services in Dubai and Beyond

• Tailored Solutions: Professional fly pest control services, like ETS, offer tailored solutions based on the severity of the infestation and the specific needs of the environment. This ensures a more effective and lasting outcome compared to generic methods.
• Advanced Technology: Fly control services utilize advanced technology and industry-approved methods that are safe for residents, employees, and the environment. The use of specialized equipment allows for precise targeting of fly breeding areas, ensuring a thorough treatment.

The Benefits of Professional Flies Control Treatment

1. Comprehensive Inspections: Professional fly pest control services begin with a comprehensive inspection of the premises. This helps identify the source of the infestation and allows for a strategic plan of action.
2. Environmentally Friendly Solutions: Companies like ETS prioritize environmentally friendly solutions. The use of eco-friendly treatments not only ensures the well-being of occupants but also aligns with sustainable practices.
3. Body Content: DIY fly control methods may offer short-term relief, but professional intervention is often necessary for complete eradication. Flies control in Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi requires a nuanced understanding of the local environment, climate, and pest behavior. Professional services take these factors into account, providing a more targeted and effective approach.

In a region like Dubai, where warm temperatures create an ideal breeding ground for flies, opting for flies control services in Dubai becomes imperative. The experienced technicians at ETS understand the challenges posed by the local climate, offering solutions that address the root cause of the problem.

Say goodbye to the frustration of dealing with fly infestations. Contact ETS today for comprehensive flies control services in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. Our expert team will conduct a thorough inspection and provide tailored solutions to ensure a fly-free environment. Trust ETS – Your Partner in Professional Pest Control Excellence.

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Flies can be a major nuisance in a business setting, affecting both the environment and customer experience. This guide explores effective strategies to eliminate rid flies and ensure a pest-free business space. Discover tailored solutions with ETS, your partner in flies control services in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.

The Impact of Flies on Business

Flies buzzing around your business not only create an unsightly atmosphere but also pose a risk to hygiene standards. Customers may be deterred, and employees may find it challenging to work in such conditions. To maintain a positive business environment, it’s essential to address the issue promptly.

Proactive Measures for Flies Control in Dubai and Beyond

• Implement Strict Waste Management: Flies are attracted to food residues and waste. Implementing a strict waste management system, including regular disposal and cleaning, can significantly reduce the presence of flies.
• Utilize Professional Flies Control Services: Consider enlisting the expertise of professional flies control services in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. ETS offers targeted treatments designed for businesses, ensuring the complete elimination of flies and preventing future infestations.

Flies Control Treatment – A Tailored Approach for Businesses

ETS understands the unique challenges businesses face when it comes to flies control. Our flies control treatment in Dubai is not one-size-fits-all; it’s tailored to the specific needs of your business. We conduct a thorough inspection, identify problem areas, and implement effective, environmentally friendly solutions.

Keeping flies at bay in a business setting requires a combination of proactive measures and professional intervention. Regularly inspect and clean areas prone to flies, such as garbage disposal areas and kitchen spaces. Implementing screens on windows and doors can act as a preventive measure, limiting the entry points for flies.

For a comprehensive solution, partner with ETS for flies control in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Our experienced technicians are well-versed in the challenges posed by the unique climate of the region, ensuring that our treatments are not only effective but also safe for your employees and customers.

Ensure a fly-free business environment with ETS. Our flies control services in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi are designed to meet the specific needs of businesses. Contact us today for a detailed inspection and customized solutions. Trust ETS – Your Partner in Creating a Hygienic and Pest-Free Business Space.

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Flies can quickly turn your living or working space into an unwelcome zone. To combat these pesky pests effectively, it’s crucial to understand the best strategies for keeping flies under control. Explore practical tips and professional solutions in this comprehensive guide.

The Importance of Flies Control Services

Flies control services play a pivotal role in maintaining a clean and healthy environment. In your pursuit of a fly-free space, consider the expertise of ETS, a leading provider of flies control services. From Dubai to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, our tailored solutions ensure effective fly management.

Proactive Measures for Flies Control

• Install Screens and Seal Cracks: One effective way to keep flies under control is by installing screens on doors and windows. This prevents them from entering your premises. Additionally, regularly inspect and seal any cracks or openings in walls, eliminating potential entry points.
• Implement Hygiene Practices: Good hygiene is key to deterring flies. Dispose of garbage regularly, clean up food spills promptly, and maintain a sanitary environment. By removing attractants, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a fly infestation.

Flies Control Treatment – A Strategic Approach

For a more comprehensive solution, consider professional flies control treatment. ETS employs a strategic approach, beginning with a thorough inspection to identify breeding areas. Our tailored treatments in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi target the root cause, ensuring effective elimination and long-term prevention.

Keeping flies under control requires a combination of proactive measures and professional assistance. Regularly clean your surroundings, paying special attention to areas where flies may breed, such as garbage bins and drains. Implementing natural deterrents like essential oils can also contribute to a fly-resistant environment.

In locations like Dubai, where warm temperatures provide an ideal breeding ground, fly control becomes even more crucial. ETS understands the unique challenges of the region and offers specialized services to combat flies effectively. Our treatments are designed to be environmentally friendly and adhere to international safety standards.

Take the first step towards a fly-free environment with ETS. Our flies control services in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi are tailored to your specific needs. Contact us today for a comprehensive inspection and personalized solutions. Trust ETS – Your Partner in Creating Pest-Free Spaces.

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Understanding the Fly Problem

Before diving into solutions, it’s crucial to understand why flies are attracted to your home. Flies are drawn to decaying organic matter, trash, and food residue. Identifying and eliminating these attractants is the first step in controlling the fly population.

Maintain a Clean Environment

• Regular Cleaning Routine: Maintaining a clean and tidy living space is the foundation of fly control. Regularly clean kitchen surfaces, dispose of trash promptly and ensure that food is stored in sealed containers. By eliminating potential food sources, you make your home less appealing to flies.
• Proper Waste Management: Flies breed in decaying organic matter, making proper waste management crucial. Use sealed trash cans and dispose of garbage regularly. Keep outdoor bins away from entrances to prevent flies from making their way into your home.

Natural Remedies for Fly Control

• Essential Oils: Certain essential oils, such as eucalyptus, peppermint, and citronella, are known for their fly-repelling properties. Create a DIY spray by mixing these oils with water and spritz it in fly-prone areas. The pleasant aroma will keep flies at bay.
• Homemade Traps: Create simple traps using household items. For example, a mixture of apple cider vinegar and dish soap in a bowl can attract and trap fruit flies. Similarly, a paper cone placed in a jar with a sweet liquid can lure house flies.

Chemical Solutions

• Insecticides: In severe infestations, insecticides can be effective. Choose fly sprays or insecticide strips that target flies while being safe for indoor use. Follow the instructions carefully, and use these products in well-ventilated areas.
• Electronic Fly Zappers: Electric fly zappers are an efficient way to control flies indoors. These devices attract and electrocute flies when they come in contact. Place them strategically, especially in areas where flies are most problematic.

Prevention Measures

• Screens and Seals: Prevent flies from entering your home by installing screens on windows and doors. Check for any gaps or cracks in walls, windows, or doors, and seal them to deny entry points for flies.
• Pet Care: If you have pets, ensure their food is covered, and clean up after them promptly. Pet food can attract flies, contributing to the infestation.

Conclusion

Getting rid of flies requires a combination of cleanliness, natural remedies, and, if needed, chemical solutions. By adopting these effective strategies and incorporating preventive measures, you can create an environment that is unfriendly to flies.

Worried about persistent fly issues? ETS offers professional Flies Control Services in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. Our comprehensive Flies Control Treatment in Dubai ensures a fly-free environment. Contact us today for reliable Flies Control Services tailored to your needs. Don’t let flies disrupt your peace – reach out to ETS, your trusted pest control partner!

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Since the establishment of the union, the UAE has experienced rapid population growth and urbanization, which have influenced the biodiversity of insects.  Researchers confirmed the link between the emergence of arboviruses and urban growth in the UAE. Recently, mosquito biodiversity was measured and species composition was surveyed in peri-urban and protected, natural sites.

Mosquitoes belong to the family Culicidae.  They are slender insects with mouthparts that are piercing-sucking in females (sucking blood) and sucking only in males (feeding on nectar).  It is believed that mosquitoes evolved 165 million years ago and were first established in South Africa.  Mosquitoes are among the deadliest disease vectors for humans, as they have contributed to killing millions of people for thousands of years and are still killing many.  The physiological adaptation of mosquitoes and their ability to transmit viral and parasitic diseases without being affected by these pathogens make them vectors of dangerous diseases.

The family of mosquitoes is one of the most important species of the order of Diptera (two-winged insects) from a medical point of view. This family includes about 3,500 species. Three sub-families belong to the family Culicidae:

1- Subfamily Anophelinae: it contains 3 genera, the most important of which is the genus Anopheles, whose species mainly transmit malaria. Two tribes follow this subfamily: Anophilini, which transmits malaria in humans, and Culicini, which transmits malaria in birds.

2- Subfamily Culicinae: it contains 37 genera, the most important of which are Culex and Aedes, as their species transmit many diseases such as yellow fever, dengue fever, Rift Valley fever, and others.

3- Subfamily Toxorhychitinae: It includes only one genus, Toxorhynchites, whose species do not transmit diseases but are important in biological control, as their larvae prey on disease-carrying species such as Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex.

Eleven species of mosquito (Family Culicidae: Order Diptera) have been recently recorded in the UAE.  The first 5 species are the most commonly encountered.

1. Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas) (formerly Aedes caspius) – Saltmarsh mosquito
2. Anopheles culicifacies Giles
3. Anopheles stephensi Liston
4. Culex quinguefasciatus Say (formerly Culex fatigans and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus) – Southern house mosquito
5. Culex perexiguus Theobald
6. Culex bitaeniorhynchus Giles
7. Culex laticinctus Edwards
8. Culex sinaiticus Kirkpatrick
9. Culex sitiens Wiedmann
10. Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles
11. Culiseta longiareolata Macquart

• Identification of Mosquito Species
• Mosquitoes Genera
• Aedes Mosquitoes
• Anopheles Mosquitoes
• Culex Mosquitoes

 Click above to learn more about mosquito species identification and detailed information about the three mosquito genera (general description, life cycle, common characteristics, and health implications).

Identification of Mosquito Species

Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas) Credit: Hans Hillewaert	Anopheles culicifacies Giles
Anopheles stephensi Liston	Culex quinguefasciatus Sya
Culex perexiguus Theobald	Culex bitaeniorhynchus Giles
Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles	Culex sitiens Wiedmann
Culex laticinctus Edwards	Culiseta longiareolata Macquart Credit: Alvesgaspar

Mosquito Genera

1. Aedes Mosquitoes
2. Anopheles Mosquitoes
3. Culex Mosquitoes

1- Aedes Mosquito (Biting Nuisance Species)

A. aegypti, A. albopictus, and A. caspius 

(A. aegypti is not reported from UAE)

General Description

Mosquitoes have four distinct developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult

Eggs:

Eggs.	Larvae
Pupa	Adult

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

Life cycle takes about 7-10 days for an egg to

develop into an adult mosquito.

• Females lay their eggs as single units and deposit them on moist areas such as rock surfaces, moist earth, and inside walls of tree holes or containers above the water
• Eggs are almost transparent when first laid, but gradually darken to brown or black as they
• Eggs are elongated and oval in There are often fixed geometric shapes on its outer wall
• Eggs stick to container walls like glue. Eggs are able to withstand desiccation and can survive long periods until they are submerged in water and then begin to Eggs can survive dry conditions for up to 8 months.
• Mosquitoes only need a small amount of water to lay eggs.
• Larvae typically feed on the bottom of the
• in the water (aquatic).
• Larvae can be seen very active in the water (called “wigglers”).
• The larva goes through four stages until it reaches the pupal
• Larvae breathe air from openings (spiracles) at the posterior end of the body, through a structure termed a
• Larvae hang below the water surface with the tip of the siphon exposed to the
• Aedes species may complete larval development in as little as 4-5
• After the 4th larval instar mosquitoes’ larva complete its development, it molts into a non-feeding but highly mobile stage called the pupa.
• The pupa breathes through a pair of tube-like organs located in the ‘head’ end of the comma-shaped body.
• Pupae live in the water.
• The duration of the pupal stage is generally 2-3 days.
• After emerging from the pupa, the adult mosquito rests on the water surface for a short time allowing its wings and body to dry, before flying off in search of a They are usually near a breeding site at dusk.

Adult females bite people and animals in the early morning and before sunset, and they do not make a loud buzz and tend to crawl under clothes to bite.

• Females need blood to produce eggs. Males feed on plant juices and fruit nectars near the breeding site.
• Adult length is 5 mm.
• After feeding, female mosquitoes look for water sources to lay eggs.
• They don’t fly long distances. They only fly within a few blocks.
• aegyptimosquitoes live indoors and outdoors, while A. albopictus live outdoors.
• The life span of adult mosquitoes is not well Some species apparently live one or two months, although under unfavorable conditions this period may be greatly reduced.
• Adults that hibernate during winter may live for six months or more

Damage and Medical Implications

1- Yellow Fever:

It is a serious and deadly disease that is transmitted by female mosquito species such as:

• Aedes aegypti spreads globally in cities and on coasts.
• Aedes africanus lives in the forests of Africa and flies at night.
• Aedes simposoni lives in the forests of Africa and flies during the day.

There are two types of disease (1) yellow fever in cities and (2) yellow fever in forests. The first disease is epidemic and concerns only humans, and the second is non-epidemic and depends on the infection of other animals such as monkeys.

The disease is endemic in the continent of Africa and is carried by the females of the aforementioned mosquitoes. The disease is highly fatal, especially in places where people do not have immunity to the disease. The yellow fever virus was repeatedly isolated from mosquitoes and was also isolated from monkeys. With the exception of Sudan, the disease does not exist in any Arab country.

Symptoms of mild infection appear within a week and are represented by high fever, headache, mild general pain, and dizziness. In cases of severe infection, two manifestations of the disease are observed. In the first manifestation, infected individuals appear with a rapid rise in body temperature, headache, dizziness, and muscle pain. In the second manifestation, high fever, slow heart rate, and various symptoms of bleeding occur. In fatal cases, profuse vomiting of dark brown or black materials followed by collapse and death occurred.

2-Anopheles Mosquito (Potential Malaria Vector)stephensi and A. culicifacies

General Description

Eggs.	Larvae
Pupa	Adult

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

Lide cycle usually takes 10–14 days for an egg

to develop into an adult mosquito.

• Adult, female mosquitoes lay individual eggs one at a time directly on or near water bodies.
• The eggs float on the surface of the water.
• Females lay 50–200 eggs at a time.
• Egg resembles a boat in its shape (elongated and oval). It is wide in the middle and somewhat pointed at the ends.
• They are almost transparent when first laid, but gradually darken to brown or black as they
• Eggs do not tolerate drying out.
• Larvae hatch from eggs, and normally feed at the surface of the water.
• Larvae breathe air from special organs (spiracles) at the posterior end of the body, generally through a structure termed a They hang below the water surface with the tip of the siphon exposed to the air. Anopheles, whose larvae do not have a siphon or breathing tube lay parallel to the surface of the water to breathe.
• Larvae molt four times during this stage before becoming pupae.
• During favorable conditions, Anopheles species may complete larval development in 7-10 days
• Pupae live in water and do not eat during this stage.
• The pupa breathes through a pair of tube-like organs located in the ‘head’ end of the comma-shaped body.
• The duration of the pupal stage is generally of 2-3 days.
• Adults emerge from a pupa and fly away.
• Length of the adult is 5 mm.
• The adult female selects an appropriate larval habitat when she is ready to deposit
• Adult female mosquitoes bite people and animals in the evening and early morning.
• Female mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs.
• Adult females prefer to feed on people or animals (cattle).
• Some males fly in large swarms, usually around dusk, and the females fly in the swarms to mate.
• After blood feeding, the female rest for a few days while the blood digests and the eggs develop.
• After the eggs develop, the female lays them in the water sources.
• Adults generally don’t fly more than 2 km from their larval habitats.
• Adults are attracted to dark, sheltered areas for resting during the daytime.

Damage and Medical Implications

1- Malaria:

Malaria disease, which is still responsible for a great deal of illness, disability, and even premature death among human beings, is transmitted by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. Malaria is caused by a primary parasite of the genus Plasmodium, of which there are four species that cause four closely related diseases, all of which are called malaria.   All types of this disease include certain cases of shiver and chills, then a fever followed by periods without shivering.   Please note that UAE was certified by the WHO to be free of malaria transmission in 2007.

2- Meningitis Encephalitis

This disease is caused by a virus that is transmitted to animals by females of the genus Anopheles, and the disease is more common in horses, and birds act as carriers of the disease.

3- Culex Mosquito (Biting Nuisance Species)

Culex pipiens, C. quinquefasciatus, and C. tarsalis

General Description

Eggs.	Larvae
Pupa	Adult

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

Life cycle takes about 7-10 days for an egg to develop into an adult mosquito.

• Females lay eggs (3 mm in length) on the surface of fresh or stagnant water. Water sources can include barrels, unmaintained swimming pools, creeks, ditches, and marshy areas.
• A female Culexmosquito lays eggs one at a time in the form of blocks resembling the shape of a boat in which the eggs adhere to an adhesive substance, and the egg boat contains approximately 400 eggs, and it is concave from the top.  The eggs are located in it in a vertical position relative to the surface of the water, and the pointed side is the upper one.
• Eggs stick together to form a raft of 100 to 300 eggs. The raft floats on the water’s surface.
• Eggs cannot withstand desiccation and are usually associated with permanent or semi-permanent water They will hatch after about 2 days in water and without water, they desiccate and die.
• Larvae hatch from mosquito eggs and feed in the middle range below the surface of the water.
• Larvae can be seen in the water. They are very active and are often called “wigglers.”
• They feed on a variety of things found in the water.
• Larvae shed their skin (molt) several times during this stage.
• Larvae may require at least 7-10 days to complete their development.
• Pupae live in water. Pupae do not have external mouthparts and do not feed during this stage.
• The duration of the pupal stage is generally 2-3 days.
• Adult (5 mm in length) emerges from a pupa and flies away.
• Female mosquitoes bite people and animals at night and day, in dark rooms, and during the cold.
• Mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs.
• After blood feeding, female mosquitoes look for water sources to lay eggs.
• Culexmosquitoes don’t fly long distances (up to 3.2 km).
• Some Culex mosquitoes prefer to live near and bite birds. They bite people when other animals are not nearby.
• Mosquitoes live outdoors or near homes.

Damage and Medical Implications

1- Rift Valley Fever

The disease is caused by a virus called Phlebo and belongs to the Bunyaviridae family. It is a large group of viruses transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks. It is isolated from several wild animals and the strains of this virus are immunologically similar. This disease is transmitted among animals by female Culex mosquitoes, as they abound in humid areas with frequent seasonal rains.

Goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes, camels, and humans are a major natural hosts of the disease. Some wild animals such as antelopes, monkeys, rodents, dogs, and cats are considered natural reservoirs of the disease. The disease has spread, starting with the continent of Africa, especially in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique. It appeared in Sudan in 1973 and in Egypt in 1977, where it infected about 20,000 people, of whom 600 died. It also appeared in Yemen and Saudi Arabia in 2000, when it recorded 109 deaths in Yemen and 121 deaths in Saudi Arabia.

Humans become infected through direct contact with infected animals, their meat, or samples taken from infected animals for the purpose of laboratory testing. The symptoms of the disease in humans are similar to the symptoms of influenza and include fever, headache, runny nose, joint and muscle pain, miscarriage of pregnant women, and sometimes complications such as fatal hemorrhagic fever, neurological symptoms, and retinitis with temporary blindness occur.

The incubation period in animals is very fast and ranges between 12-96 hours and in humans between 4-6 days. Symptoms associated with the disease in adult animals, including cows and sheep, include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, ataxia, purulent runny nose, and bloody diarrhea. As for young animals of young age, such as lambs and calves, the symptoms are more than severe and only an increase in the number of deaths is observed by more than 30%.

2- Japanese Encephalitis

This disease is transmitted by Culex tritaeniorhyncus female mosquitoes, and this disease has no specialized treatment, and if one of the injured can be saved, he continues to suffer from brain damage as a late effect. The virus that causes this disease has increased and until recently this disease remained the most threatening disease in Japan until measures were taken to eliminate mosquito larvae in their places of residence, especially in rice fields, by developing water control standards such as frequent drainage, irrigation obstacles, and continuous irrigation

3- Meningitis Encephalitis

This disease is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans by female Culex mosquitoes of the sexes Culex and Aedes. The disease causes inflammation of the membranes of the brain and the nervous system, and its most important symptoms are a sudden rise in the patient’s temperature, accompanied by headache, lethargy, an increase in the rate of breathing and pulse, with the general dissolution of the body, stiffness in the neck, and difficulty in speaking. A coma may occur when the disease intensifies.

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The group of mites, belonging to the order Acarina, contains a very large number of species, reaching 50,000 species.  Most species are barely visible to the naked eye (0.5 to 2.0 mm long).  They have eight legs and a body with practically no division (similar to ticks).  They live freely, except for a few that parasitize living organisms. Some of them are also considered non-intrusive health pests as a result of the painful and irritating biting and stinging they cause, and they may cause allergic diseases for some people with high sensitivity to the chitin proteins that form the insects’ cuticles.

Parasitic mites cause common skin diseases known as scabies, and some species also transmit serious diseases to humans such as pruritic typhus.  There are other species that feed on skin secretions and scales and cause severe skin infections. And the many species that parasitize animals and birds may be transmitted accidentally to humans and cause temporary skin irritations, just as it has been proven that chicken mites may transmit cerebral fever to humans.

The most common mites encountered in UAE are:

1. House Dust Mites:

• European House Dust Mite – Dermatophgoides pteronyssinus (Trouesart) (Family Pyroglyphidae: Order Acarina)
• America House Dust Mite – Dermatophgoides farina Hughes (Family Pyroglyphidae: Order Acarina)

2. Harvest mites or Chiggers – Trombicula spp. (Family Trombiculidae:
   Order Trombidiformes)
3. Scabies, Itch Mites, or Short-Legged Mites – Sarcoptes scabiei (Linnaeus) (Family Sarcoptidae: Order Sarcoptiformes)

Click on each mite species to learn about its general description, life cycle, common characteristics, damage, and medical implication.

House Dust Mite:

General Description

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

This mite accounts for 70-80% of all types of mites found in house dust.  There are two types of mites that are both called household dust mites and they are Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina.

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus Credit: Gilles San Martin

• The average life of a house dust mite is 65-100 days, and as soon as it reaches puberty, the female lays eggs at a rate of 1-2 eggs/day.
• A mated female can live up to 70 days, laying 60 to 100 eggs in the last five weeks of her life.
• Mattresses and carpets are among the most suitable places for the living and breeding of the mite, as the food of the mite gathers in them.
• They live indoors and feed on dandruff and food particles. When hiding places are available, they breed in places where temperatures range between 20-30°C and the average relative humidity is 75%. Indoor heat and humidity are extremely important for the spread of mites.
• This mite can produce approximately 2,000 fecal particles in a 10-week lifespan.

Damage and Medical Implications

• The house dust mite is a small living organism that does not bite a person or suck his blood. It has an ominous appearance when magnified under an electron microscope, but it appears white when viewed by different means.
• The mite leaves fine particles of feces in the dust of the houses, and these may also cause allergies.
• Dead mites in the dust retain their ability to cause allergies.
• The household dust mite is one of the biggest problems, as its entry into the inhaled air in the breathing process causes allergic diseases of the respiratory system. Different types of allergic diseases may occur, but asthma is considered one of the most important of them all because it is the most common and the largest number of patients suffer from it. In addition to inflammation of the body in many areas.

2-Harvest Mites or Chiggers:

General Description

There are about 12 species belonging to this genus, the most important of which is T. akamusla and T. deliensis. Adults are about 1 mm long, oval, covered with hairs, and orange to red in color. Eggs are globular. The larva is 0.15 to 0.3 mm long. Larvae, nymphs, and adults have six legs

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• After one week of the egg laying, the egg shell splits, exposing the mature larva.
• Chiggers are the larval-staged organism in the life cycle of the harvest mites.
• It prefers to live in dry areas at a depth of 5-8 cm, so it can be found in home barns in feeding and resting places, where it feeds on decomposing organic matter.
• In most temperate zone, chiggers have one annual generation.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Followed by the genus Trombicula, in which the adult animals and nymphs are non-intrusive, and live in the land free living.
• The larval stage is the stage that parasitizes humans, dogs, and other animals and birds.
• The mite transmits Tsutsugamushi (mite disease) to humans, and the cause is a type of rickettsia.

• Females lay eggs on the soil, and the larva comes out after 6 days and climbs the grass or walls, then sticks to the passing animal or human, and the larva pierces the skin and injects the secretions of the salivary glands that work to analyze the skin tissues, then it feeds on the digested tissues (i.e. it does not feed on the blood of the host). The person does not feel the stages of puncturing the skin and decomposing the tissues, but welts or blister-like appearance appear later on the body (each welt measured approximately 3-4 mm in diameter) and a strong tendency to scratch, so the inflammation increases and ulcers are formed that may be contaminated with bacteria.

• The rickettsia microbe is transmitted from the larvae to the next stages, then to the eggs, and when the larvae emerge, they are infectious with the pathogen.

3. Scabies, Itch Mites or Short-Legged Mites:

General Description

This mite undergoes four stages in its life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Eggs are oval and 0.10 to 0.15 mm in length The larval stage, which emerges from the eggs, has only 3 pairs of legs. After the larvae molt, the resulting nymphs have 4 pairs of legs. Adults are round sac-like eyeless mites. The female is 0.3-0.5 mm long and 0.25-0.4 mm wide.  The male is slightly more than half that size.

Credit: Kalumet

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The most important subfamily is the short-legged mite Sarcoptes scabiei, also called the itch mite.
• This species infests humans, horses, sheep, rabbits, cats, and birds, as well as cattle and camels.
• The female carrying eggs (their length ranges from a few millimeters to about 2.5 cm) digs skin-branching tunnels in thin areas of the skin, especially between the fingers, on the arms, on the hips, and on the genitals. The depth of the tunnel is from several millimeters to several centimeters.
• Only the adult female penetrates the host and paves the way for the remaining instars to enter. The female can bury herself in the skin within 3 minutes. She lays eggs at the end of the tunnel at a rate of 3 eggs per day for two months. Then, the female dies after that. The eggs hatch into larvae after 3-5 days, which may remain inside the tunnel or dig new ones. The larva molts twice within 6-8 days and turns into a full-fledged animal.
• Males (smaller than females) dig their own tunnels and then leave them to roam the surface of the skin in search of females.
• The life cycle takes 10-14 days.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Species of the family Sarcoptidae and Demodiidae cause scabies in humans. Manifestations and symptoms of scabies vary according to the type of mites causing it.

The general symptoms of scabies are the occurrence of infections and skin tumors accompanied by a severe itching tendency, which causes the infection to widen, the skin cracks, the serum comes out of it, and the hair falls out. If the affected place is rubbed with anything, it will rupture and ugly exfoliation will form. Some abscesses may form if the wounds are contaminated with bacteria.

Credit: CDC

• The general symptoms of scabies are the occurrence of infections and skin tumors accompanied by a severe itching tendency, which causes the infection to widen, the skin cracks, the serum comes out of it, and the hair falls out. If the affected place is rubbed with anything, it will rupture and ugly exfoliation will form. Some abscesses may form if the wounds are contaminated with bacteria.
• Transmission occurs primarily by the transfer of the impregnated females during person-to-person, skin-to-skin contact. Occasionally transmission may occur via bedding or clothing.

Scabies, Itch Mites or Short-Legged Mites:

General Description

This mite undergoes four stages in its life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Eggs are oval and 0.10 to 0.15 mm in length The larval stage, which emerges from the eggs, has only 3 pairs of legs. After the larvae molt, the resulting nymphs have 4 pairs of legs. Adults are round sac-like eyeless mites. The female is 0.3-0.5 mm long and 0.25-0.4 mm wide.  The male is slightly more than half that size.

Credit: Kalumet

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The most important subfamily is the short-legged mite Sarcoptes scabiei, also called the itch mite.
• This species infests humans, horses, sheep, rabbits, cats, and birds, as well as cattle and camels.
• The female carrying eggs (their length ranges from a few millimeters to about 2.5 cm) digs skin-branching tunnels in thin areas of the skin, especially between the fingers, on the arms, on the hips, and on the genitals. The depth of the tunnel is from several millimeters to several centimeters.
• Only the adult female penetrates the host and paves the way for the remaining instars to enter. The female can bury herself in the skin within 3 minutes. She lays eggs at the end of the tunnel at a rate of 3 eggs per day for two months. Then, the female dies after that. The eggs hatch into larvae after 3-5 days, which may remain inside the tunnel or dig new ones. The larva molts twice within 6-8 days and turns into a full-fledged animal.
• Males (smaller than females) dig their own tunnels and then leave them to roam the surface of the skin in search of females.
• The life cycle takes 10-14 days.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Species of the family Sarcoptidae and Demodiidae cause scabies in humans. Manifestations and symptoms of scabies vary according to the type of mites causing it.

The general symptoms of scabies are the occurrence of infections and skin tumors accompanied by a severe itching tendency, which causes the infection to widen, the skin cracks, the serum comes out of it, and the hair falls out. If the affected place is rubbed with anything, it will rupture and ugly exfoliation will form. Some abscesses may form if the wounds are contaminated with bacteria.

Credit: CDC

• The general symptoms of scabies are the occurrence of infections and skin tumors accompanied by a severe itching tendency, which causes the infection to widen, the skin cracks, the serum comes out of it, and the hair falls out. If the affected place is rubbed with anything, it will rupture and ugly exfoliation will form. Some abscesses may form if the wounds are contaminated with bacteria.
• Transmission occurs primarily by the transfer of the impregnated females during person-to-person, skin-to-skin contact. Occasionally transmission may occur via bedding or clothing.

The post Mites appeared first on ETS.

There are 225 species of sucking lice worldwide. They parasitize their hosts externally by puncturing their skin and sucking their blood, and the male is no different than the female. They are small, wingless insects with a flattened body from top to bottom, and they are slow-moving insects. They live attached to their host; they do not leave it except in the event of a health condition deteriorating through death or illness, as they leave the dead host. Lice do not live on a host whose temperature has risen above normal. Lice are transmitted between hosts through contact, and this often occurs in public places such as crowded schools, cinemas, and means of transportation, as well as between family members because of their common living area. Lice live on their hosts only, as each type of lice has a special host, but it specializes in infecting a special part of the host’s body.

Lice insects are similar in their stages, especially between adults and nymphs. Nymphs do not differ from adults except in size and sexual maturity. The mouth parts are piercing-sucking, and they feed by sucking the blood of the host, causing pain and anxiety to the host. The legs of these insects work horizontally, allowing the insect’s abdomen to stick to the host.

Pest control professionals are seldom directly involved in louse control because lice are parasitic and spend their entire lifetimes on the host (either humans or animals). The responsibility for any specialized treatment belongs to either the physicians or veterinarians, depending on the host involved. Our ETS professionals are able to identify lice species occurring in people and have the knowledge of their biology to answer any customer concerns.

There are three types of human-sucking lice, two of which are closely related, almost like two strains of one type, and the third is a separate type. The two closely related types are body and head lice, and the third is pubic lice.

1- Body Louse – Pediculus humanus humanus Linneaus (Pediculidae: Phthiraptera)

2- Head Louse – Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer (Pediculidae: Phthiraptera)

3- Crab or Pubic Louse – Pediculus pubis (Linneaus) (Pediculidae: Phthiraptera)

1-Body Louse:

Identification

• Adults are 2.3–3.6 mm in length.
• The adult is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs (each with claws), and is tan to grayish-white.
• Eggs (also called nits) are 0.8 mm by 0.3 mm, oval and usually yellow to white.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Body louse has three stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
• Adults place eggs on garment fibers instead of attaching them directly to the host’s body hair.
• This egg placement behavior is a unique habit that does not occur in other sucking lice.
• Lice tend to remain on the host’s body only during the actual feeding process.
• When not feeding, they will typically move into the host’s clothing, where they will often be concealed in folds or seams.
• Lice live and lay eggs on clothing and only move to the skin to feed.

• Eggs take about 6 to 9 days to hatch.
• The egg hatches to release a nymph.
• The nymph looks like an adult.
• Nymphs mature after 3 molts and become adults about 7 days after hatching.
• Females are usually larger than males and can lay up to 8 eggs per day.

• Adults can live up to 30 days on the body.
• Adult lice need to feed on blood several times daily. Without blood meals, the louse will die within 2 days off the host.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Body lice infestations (pediculosis) are spread most commonly by close person-to-person contact but are generally limited to persons who live under conditions of crowding and poor hygiene.
• Dogs, cats, and other pets do not play a role in the transmission of human lice.
• Intense itching and rash caused by an allergic reaction to the louse bites are common symptoms of body lice infestation.
• When body lice infestation has been present for a long time, heavily bitten areas of the skin can become thickened and discolored.
• As with other lice infestations, intense itching can lead to scratching which can cause sores on the body; these sores sometimes can become infected with bacteria or fungi.
• Body lice can spread epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever.
• Body lice infestation is diagnosed by finding eggs and crawling lice in the seams of clothing.

2-Head Louse:

Identification

• The lengths of the female is 3 mm and 2 mm in the male.·        The adult is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs, and is tan to grayish-white.
• The nymph looks like an adult.
• Eggs (also called nits) are 0.8 mm by 0.3 mm, oval, and usually yellow to white.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The louse takes the color of the hair on which it lives on, or it is white or gray, and the preferred place for its living is the place where the hair grows.
• The eggs of this lice stick to the hair, and along with the skin of the head and the scales of dead lice form a thick layer that mixes with dirt and soil, allowing the growth and reproduction of other secondary parasites such as fungi and bacteria that live on these materials and cause other diseases to the infected person.

The adult lays its eggs on the bases of the hair, and these eggs need to hatch within 6-10 days. Nymphs mature after three molts and become adults about 7 days after hatching. Adults feed on blood several times daily in order to survive. Adults can live up to 30 days on a person’s head. Without blood meals, the louse dies within 2 days off the host. Lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly

Credit: KostaMumcuoglu

Damage and Medical Implications

• Head lice are the most commonly encountered by pest control professionals. They are most common in school students where they infest the head and neck.
• Head lice infestation, or pediculosis, is spread most commonly by close person-to-person contact by sharing the use of personal items, such as hats, hairbrushes, combs, or wigs.
• Dogs, cats and other pets do not play a role in the transmission of human lice.
• Head lice are not known to transmit any disease and therefore are not considered a health hazard.
• Itching is the most common symptom of head lice infestation and is caused by an allergic reaction to louse bites.
• It may take 4–6 weeks for itching to appear the first time a person has head lice.
• Other symptoms are a tickling feeling or a sensation of something moving in the hair, Irritability and sleeplessness, and sores on the head caused by scratching.

The post Lice appeared first on ETS.

Most fly species (order Diptera) are relatively small, with soft bodies; some are very delicate, but many of them are of great economic and health importance. Among the blood-sucking species are black flies, horse flies, stable flies, and others, all of which are pests that are harmful to humans and animals. Many types of flies suck blood, and some of them prefer dead bodies and droppings, such as house flies and metal flies. Some species are disease vectors, as these species transmit and spread germs that cause diseases like yellow fever, filaria, dengue, sleeping sickness, typhoid fever, dysentery, etc. Some flies are considered agricultural pests.On the other hand, there are many types of flies that are useful for feeding on corpses, and others are important predators or parasites on various insect pests. Other fly species help pollinate useful plants, and some are enemies of harmful weeds.

A large proportion of fly larvae live in all different aquatic environments, such as streams, ponds, lakes, and temporary water bodies, as well as in semi-fresh and alkaline waters. The larvae that feed on the plant live inside some of its tissues, either as tunnel makers in the leaves, inducing plant tumors, piercing the stems, or gnawing the stems. Predatory larvae live in many different environments: in water and soil, under bark or stones, or on green plants. Many species feed during their larval stage on decomposing plant or animal matter. Some fly larvae live in the swamps around crude oil pools, and other species breed in salt lakes. As for the full stages, they feed on various plant and animal juices, such as nectar, plant juice, and blood.

Most Common Fly Species in the UAE:

1. Blow Flies – Calliphora, Chrysomya spp., Lucilia spp., Phormia spp. (Calliphoridae: Diptera)
2. Drain Fly, Moth Fly, Sewage Fly, or Filter Fly – Clogmia albipunctata Williston (Psychodidae: Diptera)
3. Face Fly – Musca autumnalis De Geer (Muscidae: Diptera)
4. Flesh Fly – Sarcophaga (Sarcophagidae: Diptera)
5. Fruit Fly, Drosophila Fly, Lesse Fruit Fly, or Vinegar Fly – Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Dorosophilidae: Diptera)
6. Fungus Gnat (Dark-Winged) – Sira (Sciaridae: Diptera)
7. House Fly – Musca domestica Linnaeus (Muscidae: Diptera)
8. Little house Fly – Fannia canicularis (Linnaeus) (Muscidae: Diptera)
9. Phorid Fly or Humpbacked Fly – Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Phoridae: Diptera)
10. Sand Fly, No-See-Ums, or Black Gnat – Phlebotomus papatasis Scopoli (Psychodidae: Diptera)
11. Stable Fly – Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus) (Muscidae: Diptera)

Blow Flies:

General Description

Blue Fly Credit:  John Talbol

Green fly Credit: glmory – inaturalist.org

• Adults of blow flies are about the size of house flies or slightly larger and have a bright metallic blue or green coloration.
• The mouth parts are sucking type.
• The veining of the wings is similar to that of the house flies.
• The adult blue fly, Calliphora, is slightly larger than the house fly, with a bright blue color on the abdomen and dull on the thorax.
• The green fly, Lucilia, is about the size of a house fly or slightly larger, bluish-green, or yellowish in color.
• The striped green flies. Chrysomyia, are about the size of the house flies or slightly larger. It is a bright emerald green color that may be tinged with bluish or yellow.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• These flies deposit eggs upon animal carcasses and meat products causing them to “bottle” or be “blown” with
• They are common in most urban areas and are often abundant in garbage dumps, slaughterhouses, and meat processing
• They have long flight ranges and a strong sense of smell which guides them to dead animals and other attractants, even when located in distant
• Eggs may be deposited on living animals, although clean, healthy animals are rarely
• The larvae, upon emerging from the eggs, feed for a short time upon the surface of the food near the egg mass, when fully developed, they leave the breeding area and burrow into the
• The puparium is formed within a few days and emergence happens from 10 to 12 days after
• The life cycle of blow flies typically takes 3 – 4 weeks depending on the species

Damages and Medical Implications

• The blue flies, Calliphora, prefer to breed in garbage inside gardens, desert lands, and homes. Adult insects are attracted to rotting flesh, feces, and fruit stalks.
• The green flies, Lucilia sericata, are common flies in various environments found in slaughterhouses, markets, and garbage heaps. Adults are attracted to dead carcasses, open wounds, sheep’s fur, and to a lesser extent, fecal waste, where the larvae develop. And cause a rattle in sheep in some areas.
• The green flies, Lucilia cuprina, feed on fallen fruits and on nectar and honeydew secreted by aphids. The female needs a meal of protein for the eggs to mature, and this can be provided by feeding on the feces of sheep and other animals, or on dead bodies.
• The striped green flies. Chrysomyia, are widely spread and are found in slaughterhouses, markets, garbage heaps, and inside dwellings. They are disturbing insects in homes, markets, and restaurants, and they cause many problems for animals and humans.
• Blow flies serve as mechanical vectors of disease organisms in the same way as house flies.
• Adults attracted to decaying flesh, carrion & Other species belonging to the genera Calliphora, Chrysomyia & Lucilia are involved in myiasis (the infestation of a live mammal typically from an infected sore).
• Not normally involved with diseases, but may spread bacteria (e.g. anthrax).
• Blow flies are a key component in forensic entomology (murder cases) and wound treatment in wartime.

2. Drain Fly, Moth Fly, Sewage Fly, or Filter Fly:

General Description

·        Adults are about 1-2.5 mm long (about one-third the size of a housefly), with a light gray or tan body and lighter-colored wings. ·        Both the body and the wings are densely covered with long hairs that give the body a fuzzy appearance, hence the name moth fly. ·        When at rest, the wings are folded over the body in a characteristic roof-like manner.

Credit: Sanjay Acharya, bugguide.net

• Adults have long drooping antennae.
• The larva is slender, white to creamy brown with a distinct head, well-developed mouthparts, and a visible
• The body of the larva has 11 segments, with the last two containing paired breathing
• The pupa is yellow to brown, with two respiratory horns protruding from its

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The female lays up to 100 eggs, and irregular masses of 15 to 40 eggs are most
• Females lay eggs in wet or moist soil, on sides of drains, on decaying organic matter, such as sewage plants, filthy dumpsters, water traps in plumbing fixtures, and garbage disposal units, and almost anywhere decomposing organic materials are found.
• The female does not lay eggs on dry surfaces.
• Eggs will hatch in less than two
• The life stages last around 9 to 15
• Dormancy occurs most frequently during the larval stage, but can also occur during the egg and pupal
• Pupae require 1-2 days before emerging as an
• Males emerge before females and live only a few
• Females that have not laid eggs can live up to seven
• Drain flies complete their life cycle in 3 to 4 weeks. Under favorable circumstances, the flies can go through one generation in as little as one week.
• Drain flies are usually seen swarming around and resting on the walls of bathrooms, building exteriors, and showers near suitable larval
• The source of the fly infestation is generally from sinks and floor drains, on walls near plumbing fixtures, on the sides of tubs and showers, from nearby sewage plants, or waste disposal Polluted waters and wet organic materials are preferred breeding areas of the fly.
• Flies occurrence is associated with standing water which can develop in any area with standing water with organic
• The larvae can be found feeding on the film of wet organic material that can accumulate in

Damages and Medical Implications

• Drain fly is an annoying and troublesome pest that concerns numerous
• In homes, adults are found on the walls of the bathroom, kitchen, or basement.
  These flies are non-biting and are not capable of transmitting any known pathogens, and are of little economic importance.
• Drain flies that breed in sewage do not transmit human disease.
• Large fly infestations can cause respiratory problems due to the possibility of inhaling fine hair-like scales that can fall off their bodies and

3. Face Fly:

General Description

Credit: TristramBrelstaff

Credit: James Lindsey

• The face fly is similar to the closely resembles the house flybut is slightly larger,
• They are about 7–8 mm long.
• Adults are grey in color with four dark stripes on the thorax, with a grey-black patterned abdomen.
• The eyes in males almost touch when viewed from above.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Females deposit eggs only in newly deposited manure from cattle on rangeland or pasture.
• Eggs hatch within hours after deposition.
• The larvae are yellow in color. They pass through three larval stages, growing to about 12 mm long, then developing into white pupae.
• Adults emerge after 10 to 20 days of egg deposition.
• Adults emerge from winter hibernationfrom March to April.
• They feed on manure juices and plant sugars, and on secretions around the eyes, mouth, and nostrils of horses and cattle.
• They also feed on the host’s blood through wounds caused by orse-fly
• Most of the flies on the host are females searching for protein sources.
• Male flies feed only on nectar and dung. They rest on branches and fences, attempting to catch a female and mate
• At night, both sexes will rest on vegetation.
• The life cycle (Egg to adult) takes about 3 weeks

Damage and Medical Implications

• Female face flies typically cluster around the host animal’s eyes, mouth, and muzzle, causing extreme annoyance.
• Face flies are economically important to livestock producers since they transmit eye diseases and parasites to cattle.
• Contaminated females can transmit infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye) and bovine rhinotracheitis to their hosts.
• They are the source of nematode eye worm, Thelasia rhodesi, and infections in horses and cattle.
• The female face fly’s persistent feeding habits produce significant annoyance and irritation.
• The cattle’s defensive behavior can affect grazing patterns.

4. Flesh Fly:

General Description

·        Flesh flies are larger than house flies (up to three times larger). ·        Adult flesh flies are a light grayish in color and have a gray-and-black checkerboard pattern on their abdomen and three dark longitudinal stripes on the thorax. ·        Longitudinal, strong bristles are present only on the posterior part of the abdomen.

Credit: Saleem Hameed

• The mouth parts are of the licking type.
• The veining of the wings is similar to that of the house fly.
• The eyes are red in color.
• On the abdomen there are greenish or silver spots that differ in appearance depending on the light reflections on them. The end of the abdomen in the male is brown.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Flesh flies are ovoviviparous (the larvae hatch inside of their mother’s “uterus” and are held until a proper host is found).
• The eggs undergo full development and hatch within the
• The female deposits the 1st instar larvae
• Within 5 days, the larvae will be in their 3rd instar and be near to
• The larvae leave the host to find a suitable location to pupate.
• Pupation starts one week after the larvae find the new location.
• Adults emerge after 10
• These flies depend on live or dead tissue to complete their life
• Flesh flies are often very numerous in populated areas, but seldom enter houses or food-handling establishments in significant numbers.
• Females of many species lay living larvae on meat scraps, decayed flesh, or on dog excrement.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Some flesh fly species are parasitoids, while most have been found on different types of carrion it is known as a carrion-inhabiting species, and they have been reported to cause myiasis in It also has a significant impact in other areas of science including parasitology and forensic entomology
• Flesh flies occur in places not suitable for most They are closely associated with humans (synanthropic) and they have been known to enter houses to colonize dead bodies.
• This family of flies is attracted to many types of dead vertebrate remains, including
• Myiasis is caused by the larvae of necrophagous flies (including flesh flies, blow flies, and screw flies) invading the organs and tissues of warm-blooded vertebrate animals and
• Those parasites larvae mainly stayed in the mouth, eyes, nose, subcutaneous tissues, skin, stomach, intestines, urinogenital system, ears, and other soft tissues of the
• In addition to the medical importance of flesh flies also known as mechanical vectors of parasitic disease agents, they can cause myiasis in the hospital environment which are also called nosocomial myiasis, and can be considered an indicator of wound care neglect, either by the nurses or by oneself.
• Flesh flies are important due to their strong adhesion to humans and may cause intestinal stigmatization, as well as staging injuries to animals.

5. Fruit Fly, Drosophila Fly, Lesse Fruit Fly, or Vinegar Fly Fly:

General Description

Credit:  André Karwath

Credit:  André Karwath

Credit:  André Karwath

• Adults are 4mm long, yellow-brown, with brick-red eyes and transverse black rings across the abdomen.
• The front portion of the body is tan, and the rear portion is
• Females are about 2.5 mm long; males are slightly smaller with darker backs.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The life cycle of a fruit fly is a complete metamorphosis, meaning the life cycle includes an egg, larval, pupa, and finally emergence as a flying
• Eggs are about 0.5 mm long.
• The larval stage has three The generation time varies with temperature.
• The whole life cycle is relatively rapid and takes only approximately 10–12 days at room
• Both males and females have multiple sexual partners at the same time.
• Females lay about 400 eggs, about five at a time, near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic
• Eggs hatch after 12–15 hours.
• The first instar larva begins feeding after egg hatching. Their feeding and growth phase lasts for four At the end of third instar stage, the larvae stop feeding and leave the food in search of an area for pupation.
• During the pupa stage, metamorphosis occurs for four days, following which adult flies
• Adult females are normally larger than adult male
• Females are ready to mate in less than 24 h after their emergence and can lay up to 100 eggs per
• Adult flies live about two months after
• Adults can fly in from outside through inadequately screened windows and
• The shortest development time (egg to adult) is 7 days at 28 °C

Damages and Medical Implications

• Fruit flies are primarily nuisance
• They are common in homes, restaurants, supermarkets, and wherever else food is allowed to rot and
• Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the
• They breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops, and cleaning
• They have the potential to contaminate food with bacteria and other disease-producing

6. Fungus Gnat (Dark-Winged):

General Description

Credit: Peter Rühr

Credit: James Lindsey

• Fungus gnats are distinguished from fruit flies because of their darker
• They are usually less than 5 mm long and short-lived gnats.
• These flies are sometimes confused with drain flies.
• The adults are 2–8 mm long.
• Larvae are slender and lack legs.
• Larvae are white (except for a black head), lender, and lack legs.
• The skin of the larva is slightly transparent so the contents of the gut are visible.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Fungus gnats are the most common houseplant
• They are found in wet plant soil, in sewer areas, and in household
• They are weak fliers and are seen walking rapidly over plants and soil, rather than flying.
• Fungus gnat larvae usually are located in the top 5-7 cm of the growing medium, depending on moisture
• They feed on fungi, algae, decaying plant matter, and plant
• Larvae develop rapidly and are fully grown in 2-3
• Larvae pupate from July to August, in or on the growing
• Adults emerge about one week
• Adults are weak fliers and fly in erratic
• In homes, they usually are seen in the near vicinity of an infested
• Adult life span is 5-10 days.
• Females may lay up to 200 transparent eggs into the cracks and crevices of growing
• Adults do not bite but may drink water residing on plant leaves and/or on the surface of growing media

Damages, Economical and Medical Implications

• Fungus gnats are nuisance insect when present in noticeable numbers, but the adults are harmless and do not
• Adults are occasionally pollinatorsof plants and carriers of mushroom spores.
• Adults also may carry diseases such as pythium(which causes “damping-off” to kill seedlings) on their feet.
• The gnats may be quite annoying to humans by flying into their faces, eyes, and noses, both indoors and outdoors. This is because adults are attracted to CO2)
• Larvaefeed on fungi growing on soil, helping in the decomposition of organic matter.
• Larvae tunnel into the stalks of the mushrooms and causing mushrooms to become brown and leathery.
• Fungus gnats are usually associated with the fungus and algae growths found around air conditioning pipes at which the moisture and improper drainage of the air conditioning system may produce asignificant amounts of fungus and algae that attract gnat flies inside homes and annoy Thus, when gnat fly problem occurred you must check indoor houseplants and air conditioning system.

7. House Fly:

General Description

• The house fly adult length is about 6 to 7 Female adults are usually larger than males. The female can be distinguished from the male by the relatively wide space between the eyes (in males, the eyes almost touch). The head of the adult has reddish eyes and sponging mouthparts. The adult has the fourth wing vein sharply angled, and four lengthwise dark stripes on the top of the thorax. Its face has two velvety stripes that are silver above and gold below.  The abdomen is grey or yellowish with a dark midline and irregular dark markings on the sides. The underside of the male is yellowish
• The eggs are white, small, oval eggs, and about 2 mm in length.
• Early instar larvae are 3 to 9 mm long, typically creamy whitish in color, and cylindrical but acuminate toward the The head contains one pair of dark hooks. The posterior spiracles are slightly raised and the spiracular openings are zigzag in shape which is completely surrounded by an oval black border.
• House fly pupa is about 8 mm
• Pupa is formed from the last larval skin which varies in color from yellow, red, and brown, to black as the pupa The shape of the pupa is quite different from the larva, being bluntly rounded at both ends.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The common house fly is a worldwide pest. It received its common name from being the most common fly found in and around homes.
• The house fly is a well-known global pest of both farms and
• The female lays egg in breeding sites that will provide sufficient moisture for larvae or maggot, they lay eggs in nearly any moist medium such as garbage or animal manure.
• Each adult female begins laying eggs a few days after hatching, laying a total of five to six batches of 75 to 100 eggs (can lay up to 500 eggs)
• The number of eggs produced is related to the female size which, itself, is especially a result of larval
• In warm weather eggs hatch in 12 to 24 hours into cream-colored larvae that burrow into the food material on which they hatched.
• Larvae grow and pupate in 4 to 7 days in warm weather.
• The larva development has three instars and the fully grown maggot is 7 to 12 mm
• The mature larva usually migrates away from its breeding source, seeking a dry place to pupate.
• Pupae complete their development in 2-6
• The emerging fly gets away from the pupal case using an alternately swelling and shrinking sac, called the ptilinum, on the front of its head which it uses like a pneumatic hammer to break through the
• Adults are ready to mate within a few hours after emerging.
• During warm weather, two or more generations may be completed in a month.
• Fly population builds up and is greatest in the early fall months.
• Animal manure, human excrement, garbage, decaying vegetable material, and ground contaminated with such organic matter are suitable materials.
• They are attracted to a wide variety of food materials, but they can ingest only liquid materials.
• Solid food is liquefied by means of regurgitated saliva. This liquefied food is then drawn up by the mouthparts and passed into the digestive tract.
• During daylight hours, house flies will rest on floors, walls, and ceilings indoors. Outdoors, flies rest on plants, the ground, fence wires, garbage cans, and other, similar surfaces.
• At night, flies rest principally on ceilings, electric wires, and dangling light cords indoors.
• In all situations, they prefer corners and edges or thin objects, such as wires and strings. Night resting places are usually near daytime sources of food, and are usually 1.5 to 2.5 meters off the ground.

Damages and Medical Implications

• The house fly is not only a nuisance pest but more importantly is it potential as a vector of disease pathogens. It has been found to be a transmitter of more than 130 different disease organisms people and animals. It plays a role in many of the major filth-borne disease outbreaks. These include typhoid fever, cholera, leprosy, trachoma virus, enteric infections, dysentery, and tuberculosis.
• Pathogenic organisms are picked up physically by flies from garbage, sewage, dead animals, vegetation materials, and other sources of filth, and then transferred through their mouthparts, vomitus, feces, and contaminated external body parts to human and animal

8. Little House Fly:

General Description

·        Adults are smaller (3.5–6 mm long) than the common housefly. ·        They are smaller than house flies and slenderer in appearance. ·        Their fourth wing veins extend directly to the edge of the wings instead of curving sharply upward, as in house flies. ·        The white-bordered eyes meet above in the male. In females, the eyes do not meet.

Credit: Janet Graham

• The brown-grey thorax has three black, longitudinal stripes in the males.
• The eggs are white with a pair of dorsal longitudinal flanges or wings.
• The larvae are flattened, spiny, and about 7 mm long when fully grown.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• These flies usually appear in the early spring before house flies become numerous.
• It is best known for its habit of entering buildings and flying in jagged patterns in the middle of a room.
• Females lay their eggs in batches of up to 50 (lay up to 2,000 eggs altogether).
• Eggs are laid on decaying vegetable matter and excrement, particularly that of chickens, humans, horses, and Eggs can float in liquid and semiliquid decaying organic matter.
• Eggs hatch within 1 to 2 days.
• Larvae feed on all manner of decaying organic matter, including carrion.
• Larvae require at least 6 days to reach pupation.
• Pupation lasts for at least 7 days.
• The pupal period lasts about seven days under favorable conditions.
• The complete life cycle requires 15 to 30 days, depending upon temperature.
• These flies have about seven generations per year.
• They are often found on excrement and on vertebrate animals. Because of their movements between excrement and human food, they are considered disease carriers.

Damages and Medical Implications

• From May to October, these flies come frequently into buildings and are noticeable around lamps. During night hours, the flies sit on lamps or on walls and leave their small excrement marks.

9. Phorid Fly or Humpbacked Fly:

General Description

·        Adult phorid flies are 0.5–5.5 mm long with an enlarged thorax that gives them a characteristic humpbacked appearance. · The hind femora are flattened, and the major bristles of the head and legs are feathered. They run in short, quick bursts and are usually found in damp places near larval habitats.

Credit: Charles Schurch Lewallen – bugguiude.net

• Larvae are less than 10 mm long, lack an apparent head, and possess abdominal projections that range from being inconspicuous to large and
• They often run and stop repeatedly before taking wing, giving them another common name, “scuttle ”

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The phorid fly’s life cycle is complete metamorphosis and it can grow from egg to adult within 14 to 37 days, depending on
• Eggs are laid on or beside moist decaying
• Breeding mediums for larvae are decomposing plant and animal matter, fungi, bird nests, feces, dead insects, sewage treatment beds, and commercial mushrooms.
• Phorid flies have an amazing ability to penetrate the soil to locate breeding They can even penetrate six feet or more of soil to infest caskets, earning them still another common name, the “coffin fly.”
• Another breeding source of these flies is soil that is contaminated by leaks around sewer If leaks are noticed in buildings, they can lead to severe indoor fly infestations.

Damages and Medical Implications

• The phorid fly is considered a minor pest that invades human dwellings occasionally.
• They cause a considerable level of nuisance and disease transmission
• They can spread harmful bacteria onto exposed food items or food processing surfaces inside food
• Phorid flies are frequent pests in cemeteries and mausoleums where they develop in liquid wastes associated with

10. Sand Fly, No-See-Ums, or Black Gnat:

General Description

• Sand flies follow the Psychodidae family, and they are small flies that do not exceed 5 mm in length. This family includes several hundred species.
• The adult is 2-3 mm long and dull in color.

• The wings have a special shape and have nine or more long veins.
  • The body is covered with thick hair, and that is why it is sometimes called moth flies.
• The proboscis is short, mutated for piercing and sucking in females, and it is sucking only in males.
  • The chest is convex, the legs are long, and the wings have pointed tips covered with hair, and they rise upward at an angle of 45 degrees when at rest.
  • The abdomen in the adult insect is elongated and cylindrical in the male and ends with a pair of handles, while in the female the abdomen is swollen and ends with a pair of anal horns.
• The eggs are elongated in shape, dark in color, with a frilled outer edge.
  • The larva has a small head and biting mouthparts. The body rings bear serrated bristles, and the last abdominal rings carry four longitudinal bristles.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Sand flies breed under stones, between cracks, in stables, and in burrows of animals, especially rodents, where there is adequate darkness and humidity, and sufficient amounts of organic matter on which the larvae feed.
  • These places play an important role in the epidemiology of diseases transmitted by sandflies, as some rodents are considered reservoirs for the parasite (Leishmania tropica) that causes oriental sore, which is transmitted by this fly.
  • Females lay eggs in small groups, and they hatch after 35 days in summer and 710 days in winter. Small white larvae with long anal spines emerge, and their mouth parts are of the biting type.
  • The larvae begin feeding on organic matter such as the moist feces of lizards and mammals, and the decaying matter of various plants.
  • The larva turns into a pupal after two weeks. The pupal stage takes about 10 days, after which the whole fly emerges. In appropriate conditions, females lay their eggs after 5-7 days, thus the life cycle from laying eggs to laying them again takes 6-7 weeks in summer, and this period is longer in cold regions where the insect spends its winter hibernation in the last larval stage.
  • There is no evidence of hibernation in hot regions.

Damages and Medical Implications

• The sandfly is active on quiet nights after sunset until midnight.
• Females suck the blood of humans and animals and their tingling is painful they are called “silent flies” because they do not make an audible buzz.
• The insect, due to its small body, is able to penetrate the holes of mosquito nets and wire mesh, whose number of holes is less than 45 holes / square inch (2.5 cm).
• Among the diseases transmitted by this insect are Leishmaniasis, which is a disease caused by a parasite of the genus Leishmania. This parasite infects humans, dogs and other mammals. Sand flies are the intermediate host for this parasite.

11. 11. Stable Fly:

General Description

·     Stable fly resembles the house fly with 4- to 7-mm long, generally gray with a greenish-yellow sheen, four black stripes on the thorax, the outer two of which are broken, and black blotches or checkering on the abdomen. ·        Unlike the housefly, where the mouth part is adapted for sponging, the stable fly mouthpart has a piercing/sucking type.

Credit: Peterwchen

• The stable fly can easily be distinguished from the other common domestic flies by the long, pointed proboscis that extends in front of the head.
• The clear wings of the stable fly are iridescent, and the proboscis is slender, projecting in front of the
• The stable fly is so named because of its close association with domestic animals in stables. It is sometimes called the “biting house fly” because
• of its similar appearance to the common house fly, and “beach fly” because of their abundance in some beach areas.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Stable flies are commonly found around stables and houses, and also along the seashore, and near dog kennels. In these last two areas, they are frequently called biting beach flies and dog flies.
• Stable fly lays eggs in clusters of 20–100 on the ovipositional
• Ovipositional substrates include decaying vegetation, excluding dung unless it is comprised of or mixed with vegetation or dropped onto vegetation.
• The breeding medium must be moist, fermentation can improve larvae
• Examples of substrates in which the pest develops include decaying hay, alfalfa, silage, sugarcane, beached sea grass, lawn cuttings, compost, and piles of waste
• Cattle manure is sometimes utilized by stable flies for oviposition where high summer temperatures cause exposed manure to dry and develop a crust on the surface, sealing moisture within, thereby creating a relatively long-term, insulated
• Typically, a female lays eggs in 4–5 batches up to 20 times and can lay from 60–800 eggs during their Eggs hatch in 2–5 days at 26°C (in 12 hours at higher temperatures)
• Eggs are laid in such places as decaying hay, straw, fermenting weeds, grass, and seaweeds.
• Emergent larvae, or maggots, bury themselves in the oviposition substrate to feed and to prevent
• After 12–26 days, third instars enter the drier parts of their habitat and pupate in the last larval skin.
• Most pupae produce an adult in 5–26 days, and the adult is ready to fly in less than one
• Adult maximum longevity is variable, from 72 days for females to 94 days for males under laboratory conditions but longevity is likely less than 2 weeks under field
• Adults begin mating in 3–5 days and females start laying eggs in 5–8 days.
• The average adult lives about 20 days.

Damages and Medical Implications

• Stable flies are primarily a problem in suburban and rural areas, where horses and other livestock are kept.
• They have medical and veterinary importance
• They are obligate blood feeders and attack people, pets, and agricultural animals for a blood
• Both males and females use their proboscis to pierce the skin of a host and suck blood. The bite is painful, and outdoor human activity may be curtailed when these flies are numerous.
• They are synanthropic, meaning that they utilize habitats and food sources created by human activities such as animal
• Stable flies have the ability to transmit the pathogens that cause diseases such as anthrax, equine infectious anemia (EIA), and anaplasmosis to animals has been

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Cockroaches are known to have been present on Earth for nearly 350 million years.  They are among the most familiar of all insect pests in residential and commercial buildings and facilities. They are especially present where food is prepared or sanitation is lacking. Their sizes vary considerably.  Cockroaches are one of the most adaptable and successful insect groups. They are a high-risk pest and have been able to survive many changing environments.

Cockroaches can transfer disease-causing bacteria from their bodies to food products or cooking utensils as they search for food. Although they do not transmit any known serious illnesses to humans, they are associated with salmonella food poisoning, diarrhea, dysentery, and other gastrointestinal conditions. More importantly, cockroach feces and shed skins contain materials that can trigger allergic reactions and aggravate asthma, making them a major problem in homes, schools, and food retail facilities.

ETS has a comprehensive management plan to reduce and eliminate cockroaches in your home or business and reduce the risk of any future infestation. Advance techniques and non-chemical materials are being implemented to guarantee your safety.

There are about 3500 species of cockroaches worldwide, but few species are found in the UAE.

1. German Cockroach – Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) – (Blattellidae: Blattodea)
2. American Cockroach – Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) – (Blattidae: Blattodea)
3. Oriental Cockroach – Blatta orientalis ((Linnaeus) – (Blattidae: Blattodea)

1- German Cockroach:

General Description

    Adult

• About 1.25 cm long.
• Grayish-tan or light brown in color, females darker than males.
• Two black longitudinal stripes on the pronotum.
• Wings cover the tip of the abdomen.

Nymph

• Smaller than adults (size depends on how many molts they have been through).
• Brownish-black with a pale tan stripe down the middle of the back.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics:

• German cockroaches are one of the most important urban insects, and the most common cockroach species in houses, apartments, restaurants, and hotels.
• They are most commonly found in food preparation areas, where moist, warm harborage sites are available. They can also be found in dishwasher rooms, gym locker rooms, or anywhere warmth, moisture, and food are available.
• Adult females have a higher reproductive capacity and allowing populations to increase quickly if unchecked.
• Adult females produce a high number of capsules (4-8) in their lifetime.
• Large number (30-48) of eggs are produced per capsule/ootheca.
• There are six or seven nymphal stages, called instars, before the molt or ecdysis into the adult stage.
• The nymphal stage requires 40-125 days to complete.
• The high rate of nymph survival due to small size, makes nymphs more concealed and protected.
• A German cockroach who undergo the molt, it is teneral until its cuticle hardens within 1-3 hours during which it will darken in color.
• The German cockroach has a short period of development from egg to adult (as short as 36 days under ideal conditions).
• Adults live up to a year, but most will die from various causes long before that time.
• Nymphs have habits similar to those of adults, and they are active at night.
• German cockroaches hide and food, where they forage at night, sightings of several German cockroaches during the day may indicate that populations are large and stressed for food or harborage.
• They feed on a variety of foods, and adults can survive up to one month without food. They are more dependent on water and die in one or two weeks if moisture is not available.
• German cockroaches generally prefer to forage within several feet of their harborage areas, but can be much more mobile in some circumstances.
• Adult males and non-gravid females are the most mobile stages and can move from the main harborage to other areas of a structure, particularly when crowding occurs.
• They are also readily transported unintentionally by humans in shopping bags, bags of produce, cardboard cartons, furniture, purses, book bags, and other items.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Cockroaches can be detected by their obnoxious odor or damage, or by the fecal matter (called frass) that they produce or deposit. These clues can aid in diagnosing a cockroach problem.
• Cockroaches are unlikely to bite humans because their mouthparts are not large or powerful enough to inflict a “bite”.
• The cockroach damage is a result of their habit of feeding and harboring in damp and unsanitary places, such as sewers, garbage disposals and damp and unsanitary areas of kitchens, bathrooms and indoor storage areas.
• Cockroaches spread filth and germs from these sources onto food supplies, food preparation surfaces, dishes, utensils and other surfaces.

• Cockroaches contaminate far more food than they eat.
• Because of the odor imparted by cockroaches, most people are disgusted and repulsed by their presence.
• Cockroaches produce odorous secretions from various points in their bodies, and these secretions can affect the flavor of foods.
• The presence of cockroaches constitutes an important source of health-threatening allergens and can even trigger life-threatening asthma attacks.
• Different forms of gastroenteritis potentially may be diseases transmitted by cockroaches. These include salmonella food poisoning, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. The organisms causing these diseases are carried on the legs and bodies of cockroaches, and are deposited on food and utensils as cockroaches forage.

• Cockroach excrement and cast skins contain a number of allergens to which many people exhibit allergic responses, such as skin rashes, watery eyes and sneezing.
• Cockroaches are not associated with severe illnesses or disease outbreaks.

2 – American Cockroach

General Description

     Adult

• One and one-third to 2.5 – 4 cm long.
• Reddish-brown, with a light-colored ring along the edges of the pronotum.
• Male wings cover the tip of the abdomen, female wings do not.

    Nymph

• Smaller than adults (size depends on how many molts they have been through).
• Small nymphs grayish-brown, larger nymphs redlish-brown.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics:

• The American cockroaches are the largest common building-infesting cockroach species, especially in manholes.
• The female drops her egg capsule (ootheca) within a day after it is formed. Sometimes it is dropped near a food source or in a protected area.

·        The egg capsule is 0.75 cm long (length less than width). ·        Egg capsules are formed at the rate of about 1 per week.  The female produces 15 – 90 capsules, and each capsule contains 14 – l6 eggs.

Toby Hudson

• Nymphs hatch after 50 to 55 days.
• Each nymph molts 9 to 13 times to reach maturity.
• Nymphal stage requires 160 – 900 days to complete, depending on environmental conditions.
• Adult females live up to 15 months.
• Adults may live for 3 months without food and 1 month without water.
• Adults favor warm, moist habitats, often close to the ground or even underground.
• Cockroaches favor warm, moist habitats, often close to the ground or even underground.
• Indoors, they are often found in damp basements, crawlspaces, pipe chases, steam tunnels, and floor drains.
• In schools, they are often abundant in locker rooms and near pool areas and may inhibit water heaters, furnaces, and other warm, moist places.
• They can live outdoors during warm months, around dumpster areas, or near access to sewers.
• This species feeds on a variety of foods, but favors decaying organic matter and starchy materials.
• American cockroaches rarely fly unless temperatures exceed 45°C. During hot weather outdoors they can be very active flyers.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Cockroaches can be detected by their obnoxious odor or damage, or by the fecal matter (called frass) that they produce or deposit. These clues can aid in diagnosing a cockroach problem.
• Cockroaches are unlikely to bite humans because their mouthparts are not large or powerful enough to inflict a “bite”.
• The cockroach damage is a result of their habit of feeding and harboring in damp and unsanitary places, such as sewers, garbage disposals and damp and unsanitary areas of kitchens, bathrooms and indoor storage areas.
• Cockroaches spread filth and germs from these sources onto food supplies, food preparation surfaces, dishes, utensils and other surfaces.
• Cockroaches contaminate far more food than they eat.
• Because of the odor imparted by cockroaches, most people are disgusted and repulsed by their presence.
• Cockroaches produce odorous secretions from various points in their bodies, and these secretions can affect the flavor of foods.
• The presence of cockroaches constitutes an important source of health-threatening allergens and can even trigger life-threatening asthma attacks.
• Different forms of gastroenteritis potentially may be diseases transmitted by cockroaches. These include salmonella food poisoning, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. The organisms causing these diseases are carried on the legs and bodies of cockroaches, and are deposited on food and utensils as cockroaches forage.
• Cockroach excrement and cast skins contain a number of allergens to which many people exhibit allergic responses, such as skin rashes, watery eyes and sneezing.
• Cockroaches are not associated with severe illnesses or disease outbreaks.

3 – Oriental Cockroach

General Description

    Adult

• 5 cm (males) to 2.5 – 3.5 cm (females) long.
• Very dark brown to shiny black in color.
• Male wings are wide and short, leaving the last few abdominal segments exposed.
• Females are wingless, but have short triangular wing pads behind the pronotum.

Nymph

• Smaller than adults (size depends on how many molts they have been through).
• First stage nymphs are pale tan, all other nymph stages reddish brown to black in color and difficult to distinguish from American cockroach nymphs.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics:

• The Oriental cockroaches have a more seasonal life cycle than other cockroach pest species, with females producing eggs from spring to midsummer.
• The female carries an egg capsule for about 30 hours, after which it is either dropped or attached using saliva to a protected surface near a food supply.
• Females produce an average of 8 capsules, each containing 16 eggs, which hatch in about 60 days under room conditions.
• Nymphs molt 7 – 10 times and the nymphal stages take several months to a year to complete.
• This cockroach species has a seasonal developmental cycle. The high number appears in spring or early summer.
• Nymphs and adults have similar habits and are found associated with decaying organic matter indoors and out.
• Adults can live about one month without food and up to two weeks without water.
• Adults do not fly.
• Orientals prefer moist areas near or below ground level.
• These cockroaches are poor climbers and are rarely seen on walls or ceilings.
• They favor areas with decaying organic matter, such as sewers, drains, landfills, and mulch beds.
• In buildings, they often inhabit damp basements, lower areas of pipe chases, steam tunnels, boiler rooms, pools, and locker rooms.
• They can travel through such areas to migrate from one part of a building to another.
• They can survive in cooler temperatures than other common cockroach pests and often enter a building through the floor drains.
• Oriental cockroaches favor decaying organic matter and starchy food materials. They feed on rubbish and are often found outdoors near dumpsters or around building perimeters. The adults can live about one month without food and up to two weeks without water.

Damage and Medical Implications

• Cockroaches can be detected by their obnoxious odor or damage, or by the fecal matter (called frass) that they produce or deposit. These clues can aid in diagnosing a cockroach problem.
• Cockroaches are unlikely to bite humans because their mouthparts are not large or powerful enough to inflict a “bite”.
• The cockroach damage is a result of their habit of feeding and harboring in damp and unsanitary places, such as sewers, garbage disposals and damp and unsanitary areas of kitchens, bathrooms and indoor storage areas.
• Cockroaches spread filth and germs from these sources onto food supplies, food preparation surfaces, dishes, utensils and other surfaces.
• Cockroaches contaminate far more food than they eat.
• Because of the odor imparted by cockroaches, most people are disgusted and repulsed by their presence.
• Cockroaches produce odorous secretions from various points in their bodies, and these secretions can affect the flavor of foods.
• The presence of cockroaches constitutes an important source of health-threatening allergens and can even trigger life-threatening asthma attacks.
• Different forms of gastroenteritis potentially may be diseases transmitted by cockroaches. These include salmonella food poisoning, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. The organisms causing these diseases are carried on the legs and bodies of cockroaches, and are deposited on food and utensils as cockroaches forage.
• Cockroach excrement and cast skins contain a number of allergens to which many people exhibit allergic responses, such as skin rashes, watery eyes and sneezing.
• Cockroaches are not associated with severe illnesses or disease outbreaks.

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