Flies
Cluster Fly
You need to know…
- They are strictly parasitic on earthworms; the females lay their eggs near earthworm burrows, and the larvae then infest the worms.
- However, the flies are a nuisance because when the adults emerge in the late summer or autumn they enter houses to hibernate, often in large numbers; they are difficult to eradicate because they favour inaccessible spaces such as roof and wall cavities. They are often seen on windows of little-used rooms.
- The Cluster Fly is 7 mm long and can be recognised by distinct lines or stripes behind the head, short golden-coloured hairs on the thorax, and irregular light and dark gray areas on the abdomen. Cluster flies are typically slow moving.
Cluster Fly
You need to know…
- They are strictly parasitic on earthworms; the females lay their eggs near earthworm burrows, and the larvae then infest the worms.
- However, the flies are a nuisance because when the adults emerge in the late summer or autumn they enter houses to hibernate, often in large numbers; they are difficult to eradicate because they favour inaccessible spaces such as roof and wall cavities. They are often seen on windows of little-used rooms.
- The Cluster Fly is 7 mm long and can be recognised by distinct lines or stripes behind the head, short golden-coloured hairs on the thorax, and irregular light and dark gray areas on the abdomen. Cluster flies are typically slow moving.
Bluebottle Fly
You need to know…
- The Bluebottle Fly is 10–14 millimetres (0.4–0.6 in) long, slightly larger than a house fly.
- It’s body and legs are covered with black bristle-like hair. The eyes are red and the wings are clear. The legs and antennae are black and pink. The chest is bright purple and has spikes to protect themselves against other flies
- A female blue bottle fly lays her eggs where she feeds, usually in decaying meat, garbage, or feces. Pale whitish larvae, commonly called maggots, soon hatch from the eggs and immediately begin feeding on the decomposing matter where they were hatched. After a few days of feeding, they are fully grown. At that time they will crawl away to a dry place where they can burrow into soil or similar matter to pupate into tough brown cocoons.
- After two or three weeks, the adults emerge to mate, beginning the cycle again. During cold weather, pupae and adults can hibernate until higher temperatures revive them.
Bluebottle Fly
You need to know…
- The Bluebottle Fly is 10–14 millimetres (0.4–0.6 in) long, slightly larger than a house fly.
- It’s body and legs are covered with black bristle-like hair. The eyes are red and the wings are clear. The legs and antennae are black and pink. The chest is bright purple and has spikes to protect themselves against other flies
- A female blue bottle fly lays her eggs where she feeds, usually in decaying meat, garbage, or feces. Pale whitish larvae, commonly called maggots, soon hatch from the eggs and immediately begin feeding on the decomposing matter where they were hatched. After a few days of feeding, they are fully grown. At that time they will crawl away to a dry place where they can burrow into soil or similar matter to pupate into tough brown cocoons.
- After two or three weeks, the adults emerge to mate, beginning the cycle again. During cold weather, pupae and adults can hibernate until higher temperatures revive them.
Lesser House Fly
You need to know…
- The Lesser house fly is somewhat smaller (3.5–6 millimetres) than the common house fly.
- The females lay their eggs in in batches of up to 50 and may lay altogether up to 2,000 eggs. The eggs, which are white with a pair of dorsal longitudinal flanges or wings, and have the ability to float in liquid and semi-liquid decaying organic matter, especially poultry, cow and dog feces, kitchen wastes as the end of putrid potatoes or carrots, silage and compost, in addition, cheese, bacon and drying fish.
- The eggs hatch after only 2 days (24 to 48 hours at 24–27 °C or 75–81 °F) and the larvae require 6 or more days to reach pupation, which lasts 7 or more days so that they usually take approx. 2–4 weeks to develop into adults.
Lesser House Fly
You need to know…
- The Lesser house fly is somewhat smaller (3.5–6 millimetres) than the common house fly.
- The females lay their eggs in in batches of up to 50 and may lay altogether up to 2,000 eggs. The eggs, which are white with a pair of dorsal longitudinal flanges or wings, and have the ability to float in liquid and semi-liquid decaying organic matter, especially poultry, cow and dog feces, kitchen wastes as the end of putrid potatoes or carrots, silage and compost, in addition, cheese, bacon and drying fish.
- The eggs hatch after only 2 days (24 to 48 hours at 24–27 °C or 75–81 °F) and the larvae require 6 or more days to reach pupation, which lasts 7 or more days so that they usually take approx. 2–4 weeks to develop into adults.
House Fly
You need to know…
- It is the most common of all domestic flies, accounting for about 90% of all flies in human habitations, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects, found all over the world.
- It is considered a pest that can carry serious diseases.
- The adults are 8–12 mm long.
- Each female fly can lay approximately 500 eggs in several batches of about 75 to 150. The eggs are white and are about 1.2 mm in length. Within a day, larvae (maggots) hatch from the eggs; they live and feed on (usually dead and decaying) organic material, such as garbage or feces.
- A few deseases the House fly can carry
- Bacterial diseases: typhoid, cholera, dysentery, pyogenic cocci, etc. House flies have been demonstrated to be vectors of Campylobacter and E. coli.
- Viruses: enteroviruses: poliomyelitis, viral hepatitis (A & E)..etc.
House Fly
You need to know…
- It is the most common of all domestic flies, accounting for about 90% of all flies in human habitations, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects, found all over the world.
- It is considered a pest that can carry serious diseases.
- The adults are 8–12 mm long.
- Each female fly can lay approximately 500 eggs in several batches of about 75 to 150. The eggs are white and are about 1.2 mm in length. Within a day, larvae (maggots) hatch from the eggs; they live and feed on (usually dead and decaying) organic material, such as garbage or feces.
- A few deseases the House fly can carry
- Bacterial diseases: typhoid, cholera, dysentery, pyogenic cocci, etc. House flies have been demonstrated to be vectors of Campylobacter and E. coli.
- Viruses: enteroviruses: poliomyelitis, viral hepatitis (A & E)..etc.
