Biology & Behavior
Flies undergo complete metamorphosis. The winged adult stage is most commonly observed feeding on liquids that are usually sponged with their mouthparts. Immature stages of flies are pale legless maggots.
After becoming fully grown, maggots often wander from the breeding site in search of a place to pupate. Many flies complete development, egg to larva to pupa to adult to egg, in as little as 7 to 14 days, and numerous generations are completed during a typical season. Flies are a nuisance during the warm seasons and some flies, such as the cluster fly and face fly, overwinter in buildings and are a problem year round.
Flies that develop in manure or filth, such as houseflies, face flies, and blowflies, are commonly contaminated and can transmit diseases causing bacteria. The movement of flies between filth and human food has been associated with several diseases.
After becoming fully grown, maggots often wander from the breeding site in search of a place to pupate. Many flies complete development, egg to larva to pupa to adult to egg, in as little as 7 to 14 days, and numerous generations are completed during a typical season. Flies are a nuisance during the warm seasons and some flies, such as the cluster fly and face fly, overwinter in buildings and are a problem year round.
Flies that develop in manure or filth, such as houseflies, face flies, and blowflies, are commonly contaminated and can transmit diseases causing bacteria. The movement of flies between filth and human food has been associated with several diseases.
Houseflies
These are the best known of the domestic flies. They are generally gray in color, with the thorax marked with broad dark strips. Often there is some yellow coloring along the sides differentiating them from the face flies. Houseflies are intimately associated with humans and larvae almost always develop in manmade sources of food. These include garbage, animal waste, culled fruits and vegetables, and spilled animal feed.
The adult flies feed on a wide range of liquid waste. Houseflies also can feed on solid foods, such as sugar, by regurgitating and liquefying the food. Houseflies can be serious health threats because they transmit disease organisms. During mild winters houseflies may continue to fly and breed. Face Flies
These are closely related to houseflies and are hard to identify. The wide separation of the eyes in the male flies and the absence of yellow coloring can often help distinguish face flies. Although similar in appearance, their habits differ greatly from houseflies and they often are more common than houseflies, especially in rural areas.
Face flies pass the winter in the adult stage, often seeking shelter in upper stories of buildings, such as attics, steeples, and little used upper rooms. They become active in spring and females lay eggs in fresh bovine manure less than one day old. Adult flies may feed on many types of fluids. They are often attracted to the exudations around the eyes, nose, and mouth of cattle. They have been implicated in transmitting pinkeye disease. Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats are small dark colored flies that are most often observed collecting around windows, usually during fall and winter. Fungus gnats commonly occur outdoors, where they breed in mushrooms and decaying plant materials. Indoors, fungus gnats infest potting mixes used for houseplants. High organic matter plant mixtures or use of organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion, can encourage fungus gnat development. Over watering encourages fungus gnats by increasing fungus development.
Fungus gnats cause little, if any, damage to houseplants and are primarily a nuisance problem. Attention to correcting conditions of the breeding area, such as moist potting soil, is the most effective means of controlling infestations. |
Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are among the smallest flies found in homes. They are usually a light brown color and may be marked with bright red eyes. Most often they are found hovering around overly ripe fruit or around fermenting materials, such as leftover beer or soft drinks remaining in opened containers. Fruit flies are best controlled by removing breeding sources.
Blowflies
These are metallic green, blue, or black flies that are common throughout Utah. Blowflies tend to breed on decaying carcasses and dog droppings. Garbage is also used as food for the maggots. Occasionally, blowfly maggots are found in homes wandering off the carcass of a dead rodent or bird present within a home. Adult blowflies may also be attracted to gas leaks.
Cluster Flies
Cluster flies are one of the most annoying flies found within homes during the cool seasons. They are also serious pests of office buildings, often concentrating in upper stories. The cluster flies are somewhat larger than houseflies and during the period they spend indoors they are semidormant and fly awkwardly.
Habits of cluster flies are very different from other common domestic flies. Immature stages develop as a parasite of earthworms. Eggs are laid in the soil and the maggots enter and feed within the earthworms. Cluster flies do not feed on garbage and animal manure. In late summer, cluster files seek overwintering shelter. Late in the afternoon, they often fly to buildings and rest on areas exposed to the sun. As the sun sets, the flies creep upwardsultimately moving to upper stories. They then seek out cracks and other openings into the building. Once inside the building, the cluster flies may appear in large groups. Stable Fly
Similar to the house fly, however, the stable fly has four dark stripes on the top of the thorax. Their mouths are able to penetrate to suck its hosts blood. Typically laying their eggs in dying grass or hay or dried straw and chicken manure. Mainly eat on dying organic matter. They can cause nasty, pain inflicting bites that can spread disease.
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Control Methods
Sanitation practices that remove breeding areas are fundamental to control filth breeding flies, such as houseflies and blowflies. Garbage should be regularly removed or covered. Spilled animal feed and manure should be cleaned up. However, face flies that typically develop in pasture lands and cluster flies which are earthworm parasites, are often hard to control through breeding area management.
Screening and other exclusion techniques can be very important to management of indoor fly problems. Openings into homes should be caulked, blocked, or covered to prevent flies from entering. Efforts to exclude flies must be done prior to periods when they enter. For example, cluster flies are rarely observed indoors until winter and spring months, but they typically enter during late August and September.
Use of insecticides for fly control should only be considered supplemental to other controls. Insecticide resistant flies are a widespread problem and many fly populations are poorly controlled with insecticides. Spot treatments of insecticides applied to areas of high fly activity are most efficient. For example, insecticide impregnated resin strips may be used inside garbage cans. Flies that tend to rest in dark corners can be controlled by applications to these areas. Cluster flies are controlled by treatments applied to upper stories of building exteriors immediately before periods when flies move indoors for overwintering.
Several types of traps for flies are also available and can supplement other controls. Flypaper and electrocution light traps can kill flies, but these should only be considered for sites where exclusion and sanitation efforts have reduced the fly populations to low numbers. Various bait traps are also offered for sale and can supplement other controls.
If You need assistance removing Flies, please give us a call: 801-732-7176
Screening and other exclusion techniques can be very important to management of indoor fly problems. Openings into homes should be caulked, blocked, or covered to prevent flies from entering. Efforts to exclude flies must be done prior to periods when they enter. For example, cluster flies are rarely observed indoors until winter and spring months, but they typically enter during late August and September.
Use of insecticides for fly control should only be considered supplemental to other controls. Insecticide resistant flies are a widespread problem and many fly populations are poorly controlled with insecticides. Spot treatments of insecticides applied to areas of high fly activity are most efficient. For example, insecticide impregnated resin strips may be used inside garbage cans. Flies that tend to rest in dark corners can be controlled by applications to these areas. Cluster flies are controlled by treatments applied to upper stories of building exteriors immediately before periods when flies move indoors for overwintering.
Several types of traps for flies are also available and can supplement other controls. Flypaper and electrocution light traps can kill flies, but these should only be considered for sites where exclusion and sanitation efforts have reduced the fly populations to low numbers. Various bait traps are also offered for sale and can supplement other controls.
If You need assistance removing Flies, please give us a call: 801-732-7176