п»їHouseflies: Understanding and Managing Them

Quck answer

Houseflies have a short lifespan of around 28 days, during which time they can lay up to 500 eggs. They go through a complete metamorphosis, starting as eggs, then larvae, pupae, and finally emerging as adult flies. Houseflies are known for their ability to spread disease, as they can carry and transmit bacteria and viruses from their feet and mouthparts. They are attracted to moist and decaying organic matter, which they use as a food source. Houseflies have complex eyes that allow them to see movement and detect polarized light. They also have a unique ability to taste with their feet, which helps them find food sources. Overall, their adaptability and persistence have contributed to their success as a common household pest.

Wild Animals

Controlling Houseflies

Dealing with houseflies can be as simple as maintaining cleanliness in your home or as complex as incorporating new technologies and predators. Here are some options:

• Sanitation: The most essential weapon in the fight against houseflies is keeping your home clean. This will limit the areas where they can feed or breed. Ensure that you don’t leave uncovered food out and that all trash is sealed. Also, keep the area outside your home free of uncovered trash, manure, and decaying organic matter. В©iStockphoto/Vickie SichauA Venus flytrap clamps its jaws around a housefly. For more information on botanical choices for managing houseflies, read How Venus Fly Trap Works.

• Biological control: Houseflies have plenty of natural predators, so why not take a cue from the old woman who swallowed a fly and introduce predators to deal with the problem? However, you don’t want to encourage any more fly eaters inside your home than you already have. The exception is the Venus flytrap, which, if taken care of properly, can reduce the housefly population in your home. Outdoors, the options depend greatly on where you live, but you might not want to rid your home of spider webs and wasp nests if you’re concerned about flies. Some commercial firms sell pteromalidae, a species of parasitic wasp, to farmers. These wasps’ larvae feed on housefly pupae and leave the rest of the farm alone.
• Exclusion: One of the key ways to reduce the housefly problem is to prevent adult flies from entering your home. Keep doors, windows, and vents closed, and use screens to allow fresh air in. Air curtains are sometimes used in high-traffic buildings, in conjunction with automatic doors, to keep flies out. When the doors are open, a constant stream of air creates a wall of force that houseflies can’t push through.
• Physical control: The most straightforward example of this is killing flies with a swatter, although this method is generally unhygienic due to rupturing and smearing. Other methods include using fly paper or light traps. Fly paper entices houseflies with a scented treat, forcing them to land and become stuck in the adhesive. Water traps also lure flies into jug- or bag-like containers. Once inside with the bait, houseflies can’t escape and eventually drown in the water. However, traps can employ more than just a housefly’s sense of smell. Some traps use ultraviolet light to attract flies. The trapped fly is then typically electrocuted against a wire grid, sucked into a dehydration chamber, or caught in glue.
• Chemical control: Pesticides should generally be used sparingly, especially inside the home. Before resorting to poisonous chemicals against houseflies, make sure you have tried fighting the problem with sanitation, exclusion, and physical control. Several housefly pesticide products are commercially available, but be sure to follow instructions and consider the health of family members and pets. Products such as hanging pesticide strips are generally intended only for unoccupied areas, such as attics.

For more information on houseflies and how to live with or without them, check out the links below.

Other Relevant Articles

• Understanding Bug Zappers
• Exploring Chiggers and How They Operate
• Investigating the Behavior of Cockroaches
• The Intriguing World of Fleas
• Insight into the Phenomenon of Hibernation
• The Science behind Mosquitoes
• Uncovering the Mysteries of Ticks
• Discovering the Fascinating World of Venus Flytraps
• Test Your Knowledge with Our Insect Quiz

Useful Links

• Buggin’ With Rudd
• University of Nebraska House Fly Control Guide

Sources Cited

• Brewer, E. Cobham. “Beelzebub.” Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.” 1898. (April 9, 2008)http://www.bartleby.com/81/1598.html
• Brewer, E. Cobham. “Fly (plural flies).” Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.” 1898. (April 9, 2008)http://www.bartleby.com/81/6638.html
• Campbell, John B. “House Fly Control Guide.” University of Nebraska — Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. March 2006. (April 9, 2008)http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g958/build/g958.pdf
• City of Salford Environmental Services. “Insect Fact Sheet: Houseflies.” (April 11, 2008)http://www.salford.gov.uk/insect9houseflies.pdf
• Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library. “Housefly.” 2008. (April 7, 2008)http://library.eb.com/eb/article-9041202
• Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library. “Fly.” 2008. (April 7, 2008)http://library.eb.com/eb/article-9034691
• Fischer-Nagel, Heiderose and Andreas Fisher-Nagel. “The Housefly.” Carolrhoda Books, Inc. 1990.
• Grange, Jeremy. “Lore of the Flies.” BBC Wildlife Magazine. 1994.
• Handwerk, Brian. “Medical Maggots Treat As They Eat.” National Geographic News. Oct. 24, 2003. (April 11, 2008)http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1024_031024_maggotmedicine.html
• Hou, Lixia, et al. “Antibacterial activity and in vitro anti-tumor activity of the extract of the larvae of the housefly (Musca domestica).” Journal of Enthnopharmacology. May 4, 2007.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-4MFJ2HH-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=625679ca03ab3d82927284b28992fbe5
• Illinois Department of Public Health. “The House Fly and Other Filth Flies Prevention and Control.” (April 9, 2008)http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcfilthflies.htm
• Krischik, Vera. “Insect Morphology.” University of Minnesota Department of Entomology. (April 4, 2008)http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/4015/morpology/
• Novartis Fly Control. “House Fly.” 2007. (April 7, 2008)http://www.flycontrol.novartis.com/species/housefly/en/index.shtml
• Ogunji, Johnny Onyema, et al. “Housefly Maggot Meal (Magmeal): an Emerging Substitute of Fishmeal in Tilapia Diets.” Tropentag. Oct. 13, 2006. (April 18, 2008)http://www.tropentag.de/2006/abstracts/links/Ogunji_y18luDNQ.pdf
• Shuttlesworth, Dorothy E. “The Story of Flies.” Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1970.
• Spider Pharm. “Musca domestica.” (April 11, 2008)http://spiderpharm.com/feeders/hf/houseflies.htm

FAQ

1. How do houseflies see the world?

Houseflies have a pair of large compound eyes that are made up of thousands of tiny lenses called ommatidia. This allows them to see movement and changes in light, but their vision is not very sharp. They also have three simple eyes, called ocelli, on the top of their head that help them detect light and dark.

2. How do houseflies fly?

Houseflies have two wings that beat at a rate of about 200 beats per second, allowing them to fly up to 5 miles per hour. They use their wings to hover, fly backwards, and make sharp turns. They also have small hairs on their wings and body that help them sense air currents and make adjustments to their flight.

3. What do houseflies eat?

Houseflies are attracted to decaying organic matter, such as garbage, animal waste, and food scraps. They use their proboscis, a long, straw-like mouthpart, to suck up liquids and small particles of solid food. They also regurgitate digestive enzymes onto their food to break it down before consuming it.

4. How do houseflies reproduce?

Female houseflies lay their eggs in decaying organic matter, such as animal waste or garbage. The eggs hatch into larvae, which are commonly known as maggots. The maggots feed on the decaying matter and develop into pupae, which eventually emerge as adult flies.

5. Are houseflies harmful to humans?

Houseflies can be a nuisance and can spread diseases, such as salmonella and E. coli, by transferring bacteria from their feet and mouthparts to food and surfaces. However, they do not bite or sting humans.

6. How long do houseflies live?

The lifespan of a housefly is typically 15 to 30 days. However, in ideal conditions, they can live up to two months. Female houseflies tend to live longer than males.

7. How do you get rid of houseflies?

To get rid of houseflies, it is important to eliminate their breeding sites, such as garbage cans and animal waste. Using fly swatters, sticky traps, or bug zappers can also help reduce their numbers. Additionally, keeping windows and doors closed and using screens can prevent them from entering your home.

8. Why are houseflies attracted to light?

Houseflies are not actually attracted to light, but rather the warmth and brightness can disorient them and cause them to fly towards it. This is why they are often seen near windows or light fixtures. However, they are more attracted to smells and decaying organic matter than to light.