Did you know? The housefly tastes with its feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive to sugar than the human tongue.
FEW FACTS OF FLIES FYI
- There are more than 120,000 species of flies worldwide with about 18,000 found around the world
- A female housefly can lay up to 600 eggs in her short lifetime.
- Most flies live an average of 21 days and take on various shapes throughout their short lives.
- Baby flies are called larvaebut they are also known as maggots.
- Fruit flies get their common name from their small size and fondness of some fruits. Small fruit flies are nuisance pests, but may transmit diseases.
- Fruit flies only live for 8-10 days. In that time, females lay around 500 eggs, using rotting fruit or vegetables as their nest.
These pests get their name from being the most common fly found around homes. Adult House flies can grow to one-quarter of an inch long and usually live between 15 and 25 days. House flies taste with their feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive to sugar than the human tongue!
DIET:
Flies do not have teeth or a stinger. Their mouths absorb food like a sponge. They can only eat liquids but they can turn many solid foods into a liquid through spitting or vomiting on it. Their tongues are shaped like straws so they can suck up their food. They eat any wet or decaying matter, but they are particularly attracted to pet waste because the odor is strong and it is easy for them to find.
HABITAT:
House flies tend to stay within 1-2 miles of where they were born but will travel up to 20 miles to find food. They breed in garbage cans, compost heaps and pet areas.
...IMPACT:
These insects have been known to carry over 100 different kinds of disease causing germs.
PREVENTION:
- Keep you homes clean.
- Remove trash regularly and seal your garbage cans.
- Clean up pet waste immediately.
- Use fine mesh screens on doors and windows to prevent flies from getting into your home.
LIFE CYCLE
Houseflies live for up to 3 weeks and are active during the warmer part of the year. An adult female deposits 50 to 100 eggs at a time and about 500 eggs over her lifetime. The eggs are deposited in rotting organic matter. They hatch after about 12 hours and the larvae, or maggots, feed on the rotting organic material. A maggot passes through three larval stages and then forms a pupa, or cocoon. The adult fly emerges from the cocoon. Houseflies typically develop from egg to adult within 10 days.
CONTROL METHODS :
Three types of control methods are used to suppress houseflies: cultural, biological and chemical. It is best to use all three methods
CULTURAL CONTROL
Cultural control means changing the environment to prevent houseflies from developing. The best cultural method is to properly dispose of any organic matter, such as vegetable or other food by-products, where houseflies might lay eggs. Place these materials in garbage bags and tie the bags securely. Remove all food residues and clean your garbage cans weekly.
Another cultural method is to keep houseflies out of homes and businesses by
- keeping windows screened and doors closed,
- placing exhaust (blower) systems above doors, and
- installing doors that open and close mechanically.
Sticky traps and ultraviolet light traps placed around a home or business also can reduce housefly populations. Hang resin strips (flypaper) in infested areas where there is little or no air movement. A rule of thumb is to place one 10-inch strip per 1,000 cubic feet of space. Install the fly strips within 6 feet of the floor because most fly activity is near the ground. The strips are effective for up to about 3 months or until completely covered.
Install light traps where they cannot be seen by flies outdoors to avoid attracting more insects to the building. To make the traps more noticeable to the flies in a room, place them at least 15 feet away from doors and other entryways and in darker areas away from bright lights and sunlight. Place the traps at least 5 feet away from food preparation areas to minimize the risk of food contamination. It is important to maintain the traps. Replace the bulbs each spring just before the peak season of fly activity because older bulbs lose their attractiveness to insects. Also clean them out regularly because dead flies serve as food for other insects.
CHEMICAL CONTROL
When necessary, insecticides can help suppress housefly populations. Fly baits, residual floor spraying are usually sugar-based and contain a compound that attracts the adult flies. Flies that feed on these baits are killed by the insecticide they digest.
Many spray pyrethroid-based insecticides can suppress houseflies in and around homes.
SANITATION REDUCES FLIES
House flies are called filth flies because they are attracted to filth. So keeping things clean is the first step in reducing flies is cleaning the areas where they are feeding and breeding:
- Keep trash closed in lidded containers and take it out often.
- Clean spills quickly and cover any non-refrigerated foods.
- Keep pet feeding and litter areas clean.
- Fix drips and eliminate any areas of excess moisture.
