Learn about the common housefly
Description
Housefly facts:
The common housefly (Musca domestica) are gray or black, slightly hairy insects with membranous wings and red eyes.
These carrion insects both feed on and lay eggs in the garbage, excrement, and decaying flesh. Houseflies spawn quickly, and as their young can feed on the same material they were born in, an infestation can occur at an exponential rate.
Not only are houseflies an annoyance, but they can also pose a serious health risk through the spreading of pathogens.
While not harmful to humans, they are still pests known for destroying crops and plant life.
Pest Facts
| Color | Legs |
| Black or gray with black stripes on the thorax | Six |
| Shape | Size |
| Oval | 6 to 7 mm long |
| Antennae | Flying? |
| Yes | Yes |
Region
Worldwide
- Houseflies can be found in both urban and rural areas.
- Thrive in warm temperatures, but become sluggish and die in cold weather.
- Houseflies take refuge indoors in times of cold weather.
- Any decaying organic matter can potentially become a breeding ground for flies.
Habitat
Flies are found both indoors and outdoors, in both rural and urban locations. They survive best in warmer temperatures, so they tend towards those areas, especially when the weather turns cold.
When outdoors, flies tend to rest on trash cans, plant life, or sometimes the ground, while indoors, they prefer the wall or ceiling.
Furthermore, they will never stray far from a food source/breeding ground.
Reproduction
Once they have completed their metamorphosis, within a short period of time, flies will begin to dedicate much of their time to reproducing.
Male houseflies seek out a suitable mate and will mate with multiple partners over their life.
Female houseflies, conversely, will only mate once in a mating cycle, and once they do, they will lay up to 150 eggs in decaying organic materials. In their entire lifetime, female houseflies can lay a total of 500 eggs.
Lifespan
Houseflies have short lifespans, living only fifteen to twenty-eight days.
Threats
Houseflies can carry numerous pathogens, leading them to be a substantial health risk. When they feed on feces and carrion and then land on food, they contaminate it. T
heir hairs pick up these pathogens. This means touching the food can lead to anyone consuming it to obtain food poisoning.
Furthermore, houseflies excrete feces onto the food they land on, adding an increased risk of disease.
Since female flies can lay hundreds of eggs that are nearly impossible to detect, they can quickly cause an infestation, only increasing the chances of spreading illness.
In rare cases, some of the diseases that houseflies carry can be lethal, too.
Prevention
One way to help prevent houseflies is to keep moisture from cracks and crevices by installing gutters and spouts. Furthermore, fill up the crawlspaces and other cracks with caulking.
Removing organic debris from your property also can help eliminate hiding places.
Certain insecticides can be useful, but it is vital to do research to make sure the poison will not be harmful to flowers or crops.
Certain herbs, such as mint and basil, can repel them if you need a more natural option.
Do you think that you may have Houseflies or want to prevent them? Give us a call or fill out the form on this page for your free fly treatment consultation.
