Are you seeing large flies buzzing around your home or outdoor spaces and wondering, What Are Those Big Flies Called? At flyermedia.net, we’ve got you covered! These larger-than-average flies can be unsettling, but identifying them is the first step to managing them. Whether it’s blow flies, horse flies, or something else, understanding their habits and potential risks is essential for maintaining a healthy environment. Dive in and explore various fly types, effective control methods, and valuable insights into their behavior, ensuring you’re well-prepared to tackle any fly-related challenges.
1. How Many Species of Flies Are There Globally?
There are over 120,000 recognized species of flies worldwide. While many remain undescribed, flies belong to diverse families and genera, sharing behaviors like blood-feeding or breeding in unsanitary conditions.
2. What Are the Two Primary Classes of Flies?
Flies are primarily divided into filth flies and biting flies. Biting flies, such as mosquitoes and horse flies, feed on the blood of animals and humans, causing painful bites and allergic reactions. Filth flies, like house flies and fruit flies, are drawn to decaying organic matter, posing a health threat by carrying and transmitting pathogens.
3. What Diseases Can Filth Flies Transmit?
Filth flies can transmit over 100 different diseases to humans. Coming into contact with contaminated material and then landing on food or surfaces allows them to transfer pathogens, leading to illnesses like salmonella and E. coli. Proper sanitation is crucial in controlling filth fly populations.
4. What Are House Flies?
House flies (Musca domestica) are common flies found worldwide. Adult house flies are gray with four black stripes on their thorax, measuring about 1/8-1/4” long, and have compound red eyes that provide wider vision. They feed on human food, animal carcasses, garbage, and pet waste.
Housefly close-up showing its compound eyes and bristled body
House flies don’t bite, but their contact with infected materials makes them major carriers of diseases. They can transfer more than 100 different pathogens, including salmonellosis, E. coli, typhoid, and tuberculosis.
5. How Do House Flies Reproduce?
House flies breed in moist decaying organic matter, laying eggs in batches of 120-200, which typically hatch in 8-72 hours. The eggs resemble small grains of rice and hatch into larvae, also known as maggots. Maggots are cream-colored with a greasy appearance, feeding on resources around where the eggs hatched.
Maturation can take 3-60 days before they seek a dark, dry, and cool environment to pupate. Over the next 3-28 days, the pupae develop legs and wings and emerge as adult house flies. Mature flies can produce between 350-900 eggs in their lifetime and live 15-25 days after reaching maturity.
6. What Are Little House Flies?
Little house flies (Fannia cannicularis) are smaller than common house flies but similar in appearance. They often fly indoors for long periods without resting. These flies lay their eggs in rotting or decaying organic matter, such as animal carcasses, animal feces, and garbage, where their larvae can feed after hatching. Their life cycle typically takes about 24 days.
7. What Are Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies, also known as vinegar flies, are common household pests. These flies are attracted to ripe, rotting, or fermenting fruits and vegetables. They are small, typically brown or tan, and can quickly infest kitchens and pantries.
8. What Are Bluebottle Flies?
Bluebottle flies, also known as blow flies, are metallic blue and are attracted to decaying food, dead animals, and pet feces. These flies can carry diseases like typhoid, tuberculosis, and E. coli. The eggs hatch in less than 18 hours, the larvae stage lasts 2-3 days, and the pupae stage lasts around two weeks. Adults reach maturity in about 2 ½ weeks and then start breeding mostly in organic proteins like decaying meat.
Blow flies are scavengers, feeding on animal-based materials like carcasses and feces. They do not bite or sting humans or animals. Large numbers of blow flies within a home may indicate accessible entry points or the presence of an animal carcass in the attic or walls.
9. What Are Cluster Flies?
Cluster flies, also known as attic flies, are distinguishable by their dark grey-olive thorax and congregate in large numbers, hibernating during the cold winter months. They lay eggs in the soil in late summer or early autumn. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the ground in search of an earthworm to eat until they are ready to pupate. Reaching maturity can take up to 40 days, so adult flies emerge from the soil for a short period before needing to prepare for diapause in the winter.
During the cool season, cluster flies typically remain inactive and find places inside to rest, like cavities behind walls. They do not feed or reproduce within buildings, and those that move out from their sheltered hiding place usually die within a couple of weeks. As it starts to get warmer, cluster flies become active and swarm towards doors and windows as they look for an exit.
10. What Are Drain Flies?
Drain flies, also known as sewage flies or moth flies, are persistent insects commonly associated with sewage beds where their larvae feed on organic matter. They have a tan-colored body that appears grey and wings that hold a tent-like shape over the body when at rest. Adult drain flies lay anywhere from 30-100 eggs, which hatch in approximately 48 hours. Larvae take between 10 and 50 days to mature, while pupae only take 1-3 days to mature. Adult drain flies have a lifespan of about two weeks.
Drain flies mate and lay their eggs in or around moisture or standing water. They may emerge from sinks, bathtubs, tree holes, rain barrels, moist organic solids, or bird nests that have accumulations of fecal material. They are attracted to light and are often found crawling on walls and other surfaces.
11. What Are Fungus Gnats?
Fungus gnats are small, dark flies commonly found indoors, infesting potting mixes used for houseplants. They breed in mushrooms and other decaying plant materials outdoors. Fungus gnats thrive in environments with high organic matter, and overwatering can increase their development. They cause little to no damage to indoor plants and are mostly a nuisance.
12. What Are Picture Wing Flies?
The Picture Wing Fly (Ceroxys latiusculus) is a fly with a distinctive dark band pattern on its wings that is about the size of a house fly. In some areas, these flies can be a common invader of homes, often found around windows at the start of autumn. Picture wing flies normally do not survive for long indoors and usually die by the end of November.
Picture wing fly larvae develop inside the stems of plants in the aster and sunflower family. While they do not cause any significant harm to humans or animals, picture wing flies can be a nuisance when they enter homes in large numbers.
13. What Are Flesh Flies?
Flesh flies, members of the Sarcophagidae family, are named for their tendency to lay their eggs in decaying meat or flesh. They are similar in appearance to house flies but slightly larger, with light grey thoraxes marked by three dark stripes and spotted abdomens giving a checkerboard appearance. Flesh flies are found in urban and suburban areas but are rarely seen in houses or restaurants.
The lifecycle of flesh flies starts with the larvae, which feed for 3-14 days before moving to drier areas to pupate. They emerge as adults 10-15 days later. Flesh flies do not bite humans or animals and are often found in decaying wastes, excrement, and human foods.
14. What Are Phorid Flies?
Phorid flies are also known as humpbacked flies due to the distinctive hump on their thorax. They are small flies commonly mistaken for fruit flies and are typically found in areas where moisture is present, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and drains. These flies can cause clogged drains and damaged sewer lines, similar to drain flies.
The female phorid fly can lay up to 40 eggs in just 12 hours, and the larvae feed on decaying plant and animal matter for several days before pupating. The adult fly can survive for 1-2 months.
15. What Are False Stable Flies?
The false stable fly (Muscina stabulans) is bigger than the common house fly and generally appears dark gray without any sharp distinguishing features. Unlike the true stable fly, the false stable fly does not need to bite, however, it can spread disease. These flies lay their eggs on slightly spoiled food, animal excrement, and decaying vegetable matter.
16. What Are Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes belong to the same order, Diptera, as flies. Mosquitoes have a long, thin proboscis that they use to suck blood from their hosts, while house flies have sponging mouthparts and feed on decaying organic matter. Mosquitoes transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus.
17. What Are Horse Flies?
Horse flies, also known as tabanids, are pests of horses and other mammals. Adult horse flies have a gray or blackish body and are 10 to 30 mm long with large eyes that are usually green or purple with horizontal stripes. They are attracted to light and are most active on windless, hot, and sunny days.
Female horse flies feed on blood aggressively, while males feed on pollen and plant nectars. They do not transmit harmful disease-causing bacteria, but their bites can cause allergic reactions.
18. What Are Deer Flies?
Deer flies are blood-sucking insects that prefer to feed on wildlife and livestock but will bite humans too. They are typically found near aquatic habitats that support larval development, such as creeks, streams, and tanks. Female deer flies bite people in search of a blood meal. The bites often result in visible bleeding wounds.
19. What Are Biting Midges?
Biting midges, also known as no-see-ums, are small blood-sucking gnats considered a significant human pest in coastal areas and farming operations throughout the United States. Female midges require blood to produce eggs and will feed on warm-blooded vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Their bites can cause welts and intense itching.
No see ums breed in coastal salt marshes, muddy flatlands, and areas with freshwater. Adult midges lay eggs in moist or wet organic matter like mud, rotting leaves, fresh manure, and other shaded vegetation.
20. What Are Black Flies?
Black flies, also known as buffalo or turkey gnats, are small blood-sucking insects found in many parts of the United States and Canada. Only the female flies feed on blood, and their bites can cause small puncture wounds and swelling at the bite, but can also result in rashes, headache, nausea, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.
Black flies measure 1 to 5 mm and have a black body with some gray and possibly reddish color. Male flies feed on nectar, while females require a blood meal before producing eggs. Black flies lay eggs on objects in moving water, such as rocks.
21. What Are Stable Flies?
The stable fly is an outdoor pest that feeds on domesticated animals and has a pointed beak with which it pierces skin and sucks blood. Although it can enter houses during rainy weather, it is more important as a pest and disease vector in livestock and domestic pets. The stable fly resembles the house fly but can deliver a painful, irritating bite to humans as well.
Stable flies are known to carry pathogens that can cause diseases in animals, such as bovine anaplasmosis, equine infectious anemia, and canine heartworm.
22. What Are Sand Flies?
Sand flies (Spiriverpa lunulata) are small, biting insects commonly found in sandy areas such as beaches, riverbanks, and wetlands. Sand flies become active when it gets dark and stay active through the night. Sand flies lay their eggs in damp soil or water, and the larvae mature in about three weeks. Their bites can transmit diseases such as sand fly fever.
23. How Can I Prevent Flies Indoors?
Preventing flies indoors requires proper sanitation practices:
- Regularly removing trash
- Keeping counters clean
- Disposing of food properly
- Ensuring all windows and screens are in good condition
- Staying on top of pet waste removal
If a fly infestation is suspected, consider enlisting the support of a licensed pest control professional to conduct an inspection.
24. How Can I Manage an Indoor Fly Infestation?
Identifying the type of fly is important when dealing with an indoor fly infestation. Fly identification makes locating and treating breeding and feeding sites much easier. This includes cleaning up any food spills or crumbs, taking out the trash regularly, and properly storing food in sealed containers.
Traps and baits should also be used to manage an indoor fly problem. Fly paper, sticky traps, and bug zappers can be effective in eliminating flies, while baits containing poisons targeted at flies can help reduce the fly population.
25. How Can I Prevent Flies by Keeping Things Clean?
To prevent indoor fly infestations, eliminate the sources of food on which they feed:
- Put all fruit in the refrigerator for a week so any remaining fly larvae can die off.
- Discarded fruits and vegetables should be promptly disposed of outdoors.
- Used beverage containers should be thoroughly rinsed before being discarded.
- Trash cans should come with lids.
- Trash should be taken out regularly to covered bins outside.
- Fungus gnats can be controlled by allowing the plant soil to completely dry between watering cycles.
26. How Can I Keep Flies Out by Sealing Access Points?
Sealing access points is an important step in preventing indoor fly problems. This includes tight-fitting screens on doors and windows to prevent flies from entering the home. Seal cracks and crevices around windows, under soffits, and around ventilation openings that allow flies to enter the building.
Exclusion techniques can also prevent flies from accessing food, such as sealing garbage cans tightly, covering foods and beverages properly, or storing susceptible foods in a refrigerator.
27. How Can I Use Traps to Capture Flies?
Traps can be an effective tool to capture some types of indoor flies but should not be relied on as the sole method of control. Small fruit flies can be trapped using a simple jar with a paper cone over the top and a bait such as cider vinegar, red wine, or mashed banana/beer mixture in the bottom. Commercial traps are also available for purchase.
Lights that produce wavelengths attractive to certain flies can also be used to capture them on a sticky surface or electrocute them, but “bug zapper” traps should not be used near areas where food is prepared or consumed due to the risk of contaminating the area.
28. Where Can I Get More Help with Fly Problems?
If you’re a homeowner dealing with fly problems, professional pest management services could be a great option for you. Their integrated pest management approach aims to eliminate current pest problems while preventing future infestations. With their experienced technicians and commitment to customer service, they can be a reliable solution to help you get rid of your fly problem.
29. How Do I Identify a Type of Fly?
Identifying the species of fly can be difficult due to the size of these insects, but each species has different physical characteristics and behaviors. One approach is to observe the fly’s size, color, wing shape, and pattern to identify the species. The fly’s habitat, feeding behavior, and breeding sites can also provide clues about its species. A pest control professional can assist in identifying the fly species so they can develop an effective control strategy.
30. What Are the Most Common Flies in American Households?
The most common flies found in American households include the house fly, fruit fly, mosquito, drain fly, cluster fly, and phorid fly. These species of flies are attracted to different foods and require different environments for breeding.
31. What Role Does Environment Play in Fly Infestation?
The environment plays a crucial role in fly infestations. Flies thrive in unsanitary conditions with decaying organic matter, standing water, and food waste. Areas with poor sanitation, inadequate waste management, and high humidity are more prone to fly infestations.
Understanding the environmental factors that attract flies can help in implementing preventive measures, such as maintaining cleanliness, eliminating breeding sites, and controlling moisture levels.
32. How Do Flies Adapt to Urban Environments?
Flies have adapted to urban environments by exploiting the abundance of food sources and breeding sites available in cities. They are attracted to garbage, food waste, sewage, and other organic materials commonly found in urban areas. Flies have also developed resistance to certain pesticides, making them more difficult to control in urban settings.
Furthermore, urban environments provide flies with shelter from extreme weather conditions and predators, allowing them to thrive year-round. The dense population and interconnectedness of urban areas also facilitate the rapid spread of fly infestations.
33. What Are the Health Risks Associated with Fly Infestation?
Fly infestations pose significant health risks due to the flies’ ability to transmit various pathogens and diseases. Flies can carry bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi on their bodies and legs, which they can then deposit on food, surfaces, and humans.
Some of the common diseases transmitted by flies include salmonellosis, E. coli infection, typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, and parasitic infections. Flies can also trigger allergic reactions in some individuals, leading to skin irritation, respiratory problems, and asthma.
34. What are the Economic Impacts of Fly Infestations?
Fly infestations can have significant economic impacts on various sectors, including agriculture, food processing, hospitality, and healthcare. In agriculture, flies can transmit diseases to livestock, reducing productivity and profitability.
In food processing and hospitality, fly infestations can lead to contamination of food products, resulting in spoilage, recalls, and loss of consumer confidence. Healthcare facilities are also vulnerable to fly infestations, which can increase the risk of infections and compromise patient safety.
35. What Innovative Technologies are Being Used to Control Flies?
Several innovative technologies are being developed and used to control flies more effectively and sustainably. These include:
- Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): These chemicals disrupt the development of fly larvae, preventing them from reaching adulthood.
- Bacterial Larvicides: These biological control agents contain bacteria that produce toxins that kill fly larvae.
- Autocidal Traps: These traps attract and kill female flies, reducing the population over time.
- Genetic Control Methods: These methods involve manipulating the genes of flies to reduce their reproductive capacity or make them more susceptible to insecticides.
- Drones and Remote Sensing: These technologies can be used to detect and monitor fly breeding sites, allowing for targeted control measures.
36. How Do Climate Change and Weather Patterns Impact Fly Populations?
Climate change and weather patterns can have a significant impact on fly populations. Warmer temperatures can accelerate the development and reproduction rates of flies, leading to increased populations and longer breeding seasons.
Changes in precipitation patterns can also affect fly populations. Heavy rainfall can create more breeding sites for flies, while droughts can reduce the availability of water and organic matter needed for larval development.
Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and floods, can disrupt fly habitats and displace fly populations, leading to outbreaks in new areas.
37. How Can Citizen Science Initiatives Help Track Fly Populations and Behavior?
Citizen science initiatives can play a valuable role in tracking fly populations and behavior. These initiatives involve engaging the public in collecting and reporting data on fly sightings, breeding sites, and other relevant information.
By leveraging the power of citizen scientists, researchers can gather large amounts of data over broad geographic areas, which can help them better understand fly populations and behavior. This information can then be used to develop more effective control strategies and predict outbreaks.
38. What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and How Does it Apply to Fly Control?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic approach to pest control that emphasizes prevention, monitoring, and the use of multiple control methods. IPM aims to minimize the use of pesticides while effectively managing pest populations.
In the context of fly control, IPM involves implementing a combination of strategies, such as:
- Sanitation: Eliminating breeding sites and food sources.
- Exclusion: Sealing access points to prevent flies from entering buildings.
- Trapping: Using traps to capture and kill adult flies.
- Biological Control: Introducing natural enemies of flies, such as predators and parasites.
- Chemical Control: Using pesticides as a last resort, targeting specific life stages of flies.
By following IPM principles, it is possible to achieve effective and sustainable fly control while minimizing the risks to human health and the environment.
39. How Can Businesses Effectively Manage Fly Infestations to Protect Their Reputation and Bottom Line?
Businesses can effectively manage fly infestations by implementing a comprehensive IPM program that addresses the specific needs of their facility. This program should include:
- Regular Inspections: Conducting regular inspections to identify potential breeding sites and entry points.
- Sanitation Practices: Implementing strict sanitation practices to eliminate food waste, spills, and other attractants.
- Structural Repairs: Repairing cracks, holes, and other structural defects that can provide harborage for flies.
- Employee Training: Training employees on proper sanitation and pest control procedures.
- Professional Pest Control Services: Partnering with a licensed pest control company to provide regular treatments and monitoring.
By proactively managing fly infestations, businesses can protect their reputation, maintain customer satisfaction, and avoid costly fines and closures.
40. What Regulations and Guidelines Govern Fly Control Practices in the United States?
Fly control practices in the United States are governed by various regulations and guidelines at the federal, state, and local levels. These regulations address issues such as pesticide registration, applicator licensing, and food safety.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for registering and regulating pesticides used for fly control. The EPA requires that all pesticides be used according to their label instructions, which specify the target pests, application rates, and safety precautions.
State and local health departments also have regulations and guidelines related to fly control, particularly in food handling and processing facilities. These regulations may specify requirements for sanitation, waste management, and pest control practices.
Compliance with these regulations and guidelines is essential for ensuring that fly control practices are safe, effective, and environmentally responsible.
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