Learn what attracts flies and how to defeat and prevent an infestation.
This insect can be up to 3/8 inch long with bulging reddish eyes.
Less commonly, we may findcluster flies(Polleniaspp.)
The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight
or horse flies (Tabanusspp.)
Tinyfruit flies(Drosophila melanogaster)are another common pest found in the home.
In addition to its ability to annoy, the common housefly can transmit diseases.
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The life cycle of the common housefly is as simple as it is rapid.
Adult female flies lay 75 or more eggs on or inany decaying organic material.
In as little as two days, these eggs hatch into maggots.
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The maggots become adult flies in just a few days.
The key to disrupting the housefly cycle is to keep your home clean.
Houseflies are sometimes called filth flies for good reasondecay is the favorite habitat for these flies.
Swinging from the shoulder or trying to smack a fly while it’s flying is rarely successful.
A fly swatter should never be used near food areas, and it should be disinfected after each use.
A variety of commercialfly trapsare available.
it’s possible for you to also buy sticky papers orstripsof various kinds to trap flies.
Hung in the air or applied to windows, these products will trap any flies that alight on them.
While pesticides may make some senseoutdoors, it’s best to avoid them indoor spaces whenever possible.
These pesticides kill insects on contact.
They are low in toxicity to humans, but toxic to dogs in large amounts.
These strips will release an insecticide vapor for up to four months.
There are, however, some residual pesticides that are made from synthetic forms of pyrethrins.
Lambda-cyhalothrin is one such synthetic pyrethroid.
Fruit flies are essentially harmless and they do not spread disease as do ordinary houseflies.
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
2018, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5934-3
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The House Fly and Other Filth Flies.
Illinois Department of Public Health.
Acute Illnesses Associated With Insecticides Used to Control Bed Bugs.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,vol 60, no.
37, 2011, pp.
1269-1274.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pyrethrins General Fact Sheet.
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Alternatives to Antibiotics (ATA) Accomplishment Summary 2019-2021.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Vector Map, Common Housefly.
National Environmental Health Association.
