A house fly floating on the water
surface attracts fishes and salamanders.
Houseflies are a cheap live food for
frogs, lizards, birds ,and spiders.
raising houseflies
a complete metamorphosis
Development: the cycle of the housefly is incredible
fast: In a year up to 8 generations are possible. Eggs
The eggs are about 1mm in size
and are laid by the female in groups
from one to a hundred eggs in larvae
The larvae are about 1cm long. pupae
Thr pupa are brown or dark and up to 6 mm. adults flies
The adult flies lay eggs in pig, dog, and human manure
, garbage or decaying meat, and the cycle starts over again.
In nature they live 2 months but in houses can stay alive
up to 4 months.
activity
The activity level is very dependent by the temperature ,
30 degrees celsius is the optimal temperature.
The housefly
latijn: Musca domestica
The housefly can always be found were we, the humans, can be found.
They swallow there food by depositing a drop of digestive liquid on it, and then
sponge it. The house fly overwinters in either the larval or pupal stage under
manure piles .
The head of the housefly has only very small antenna.
The housefly uses its enormeus compound eyes to watch the
surroundings. The fly depends very much on these eyes: if its dark,
the fly won't move at all. The wings consist of a pair fully developed
and a pair of halters: reduced wings to keep stability when flying.
A dead bird attracts a lot of different flies. On the body of the birds a housefly
is resting, right of it a blowfly can be seen. Blowflies, like the bluebottles and
greenbottles have a shiny color, are slightly greater then the housefly and are
also attracted to rotting meat, animal and human manure, where they will feed
and lay their eggs.
the flightless housefly
The flightless housefly is a sort of housefly who has been iiradiated.
They can't fly and so not escape. Also: the fall easely in water and are eaten
by fishes and salamanders.
A flightless houseflies has deformed wings, as seen on the photo.
Pest controk
Sanitaion is the keyword in housefly control. Start early in spring when
the housefly season starts .
Don't feed the larvae:
- Keep dogs, pigs, chicken and human manure far away from the house. Don't feed the flies
- Keep youre carbage bin closed don't led them in
- Keep doors and windows closed or use screens kill them!
- use flypaper and fly-traps
