Lesser House Flies
Little House Flies

The little house fly is the second most common fly found in homes, next to the house fly.

Fly Species

• little house flies, lesser house flies
• Family: Muscidae
• Genus: Fannia
• Species: F. canicularis

Locations

• Can be found worldwide

Size

• 1/8 - 1/4 inch (3.5 - 6 mm)

Identify

• The brown-gray thorax has three black longitudinal stripes in the males, and hardly recognizable in the female.
• The first two segments of the abdomen are translucently yellow with a dark-brown color at the base.
• The white bordered eyes meet in males but the eyes are separated in females.
• Fourth longitudinal wing vein is straight, unlike the common house fly which has a sharp upward bend.
• The halteres are yellowish, which are knobbed structures behind the wings that aid in flight stability.

Life Cycle

• The entire life cycle is 24-29 days.
• Eggs hatch in 24-40 hours.
• The larval stage lasts 8-10 days
Pupation lasts 8-12 days.
• The larvae appear as flat spiny maggots and have the ability to float in semi-liquid matter.

Life Span

• approximately 2-3 weeks

Breeding

• Fecal matter of many animal species, garbage, soil of hen-runs, cages of laboratory animals, and under wrappings of cheese and bacon.

Feeding

• Adult flies feed on various liquids and are often attracted to aphid-infested plants due to the excretions they leave.
• Larvae feed on decaying organic matter and feces.

Congregation

• Found in and around garbage depots and trucks and other food waste areas.
• Males are commonly found inside buildings, especially those that are air conditioned and fly around almost silently for extended periods of time and rarely rest.
• Females are the opposite and rarely enter buildings and only fly for short periods of time.

Health Importance

• Since they breed in filth, they can transfer bacterial and viral pathogens and cause diseases like Typhoid fever, Cholera, summer diarrhea, tuberculosis, anthrax, ophthalmia, paratyphoid, as well as parasitic worms such as: pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, and tapeworms

How to Kill / Control

To get rid of little house flies, lesser 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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