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Health & Fitness

Do You Have a Problem With Houseflies?

We have had an abundance of flies in our home this summer and they are continuing into the fall.  I have 4 boys that love to play outside.  Needless to say, there is a constant in and out, and they still have not learned to always close the door behind them!  But, if so many flies are close enough to come in so easily, they must be breeding nearby, right?  Well not too long ago, my 5 year old made a discovery.  Our outside trash receptacle has a crack in it.  There were lots of white larvae around the crack and falling to the ground.  Although we try to bag all of our trash, a fly had apparently found a suitable area to lay her eggs.

Although flies are commonly associated with manure, or animal feces, the housefly has adapted to feed on garbage and is found anywhere people live.  Not only are flies a nuisance, they also are known to carry and transmit several types of diseases.

Adult females lay eggs in batches of 75-150.  They can lay several batches over a 3-4 day period totaling around 500 eggs.  The eggs look like small, white grains of rice.  Next comes the larvae stage, also known as maggots.  These are 7-12 mm long and cream-colored.  Larvae go through 3 instars before moving on the pupa stage.  The pupal case is darker in color with a hard shell.  After the adult has fully formed in the case, it expands a pouch on it’s head to break off the end of the case and emerge an adult fly.  This entire process can happen in as little as 7-10 days.

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So, how can you help keep flies out of your home as well as cut down on potential breeding areas?  The first step is good sanitation.  Make sure garbage cans have tight fitting lids.  Clean them regularly.  Place garbage in sealed up bags.  Keep your outside garbage receptacles as far from your home as possible.  Inside, wipe up messes immediately.  Don’t leave food, including pet foot, lying around uncovered.  Take out the garbage on a regular basis.  Keep doors and windows closed.  When letting fresh air in, be sure to have tight fitting screens.  Following these tips will help you control the fly population in your home. For more severe cases of an infestation you may need pest control services.

Original Blog Post Can Be Found: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/life-cycle-housefly/

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