House Flies
The house fly is the most common of all the domestic flies, accounting for about 90% of all flies around human habitation. Since it is so common around the home, it is called the house fly.
- Fly Species
- house flies, house-flies, common house flies, typhoid flies
- Family: Muscidae
- Genus: Musca
- Species: M. domestica
- Locations
- Size
- 1/6 - 1/4 inch (4-7mm).
- Females usually larger than males
- Identify
- Thorax has four narrow black stripes.
- Hair like projections throughout the whole body.
- Sharp upward bend in fourth longitudinal wing vein.
- Life Cycle
- The entire life cycle can be as little as 6 days in optimum conditions.
- Maggots or the larvae emerge from eggs within 8-20 hours.
- Completion of this larval stage requires 3-7 days.
- From there, it takes 3 days to 4 weeks for the pupa to transform into an adult.
- Will not develop in temperatures below 55°
- Life Span
- 3-54 days (2-3 days without food)
- Breeding
- Fecal matter: human and animal, sputum, and moist decaying organic matter found in garbage's.
- Fresh horse manure is the favorite breeding site of the house fly.
- House flies tend to deposit their eggs as far from light as possible.
- Feeding
- Feces, open sores, flesh and moist decaying organic matter such as spoiled food.
- House flies only take in liquid foods, so they spit out saliva for pre-digestion or regurgitate partly digested food so they are able to pass it back in.
- Congregation
- House flies are active in daylight hours, and can be found outdoors near breeding grounds or indoors near windows or food sources.
- At night, house flies rest on floors, walls, and ceiling near sources of food and typically 5-15 feet off the ground .
- Outdoors on garbage cans, plants, fences, and even the ground.
- Hibernating house flies seek dark places behind pictures, curtains, and crevices.
- Travel
- Close to breeding sites if sufficient food is present, but have been known to travel several miles.
- Health Importance
- Can transfer bacterial and viral pathogens and cause disease like Typhoid fever, Cholera, tuberculosis, anthrax, ophthalmia, paratyphoid, as well as parasitic worms such as: pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, and tapeworms.
- Can cause food poisoning and gastric infections.
- Accidental myiasis
- How to Kill / Control
- To get rid of house flies:
- Eliminate breeding grounds
- Sanitation
- Exclusion
- Use Fly Traps, Fly Zappers, and Fly Sprays to kill adult flies
- View our Fly Control page for extended information on these methods.
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