Flies - A General Discussion

Written By:  Andrew Eide

Today I am talking about flies. Actually, I just want to focus on the housefly which is the most common fly we humans have to endure. I am sure you are asking why I want to discuss houseflies, or any flies, this month and you have a valid question. It is because we (me along with my Becx) titled the month of July with the main topic of:  Flies & Fireworks that’s why.

The housefly is known by the scientific name of Musca Domestic. That scientific name sounds disgusting eh? It is a suborder of Cyclorrhapha. The housefly is the most common of all domestic flies and it accounts for about 90 percent of all flies in human habitations. It is also one of the most widely distributed insects found in the world. It is considered a pest and it can carry serious diseases. I will not discuss the disease carrying aspect of the housefly in this article. I will post an article later in the month which discusses the various diseases carried and transmitted by several types of flies.

The normal description of a housefly is that adults are 8 to 12 mm long. Their thorax is gray with four longitudinal dark lines on the back. The whole body is covered with hair-like projections. Females are slightly larger than males and have a larger space between their red compound eyes. Houseflies have only one pair of wings as the hind pair is reduced to small halters that aid in flight stability.

Each female housefly can lay approximately 500 eggs in several batches. Within a day larvae (maggots) hatch from the eggs. They live and feed on (usually dead and decaying) organic material such as garbage and feces. They live for at least one week. At the end of their third instar, the maggots crawl to a dry, cool place to transform into pupae. The adult flies then emerge from the pupae. Adults live from two weeks to one month in the wild. After emerging from the pupae the flies cease to grow. Small flies are not necessarily young flies but are instead the result of getting insufficient food during the larval stage.

About 36 hours after emerging from the pupa the female is receptive for mating. Flies depend on warm temperatures and, generally, the warmer the temperature, the faster flies will develop.

Houseflies feed on feces, open sores, sputum, and moist, decaying organic matter such as spoiled food, fruit and flesh. Since houseflies can only take in liquid food they spit out saliva on solid foods to predigest it.

Overall my determination is that flies, especially houseflies, are disgusting creatures to be kind in my words. All I can say is...Ewwwww!!!