|
Quick Links:
More Pests:
All Pest Control Products :
Aerosols :
Baits for Insects:
Application
Equipment
|
|
Click on image for larger size
House Fly Identification
The common House fly is medium sized (1/6 to 1/4 inch long.
The common house fly, is a pest all over the world. The adult has the
fourth wing vein sharply angled and four length-wise dark stripes on the
top of the thorax.
Its face has two velvety tripes which are silver above and gold below.
The female fly has a much wider space between the eyes than the male.
The house fly is often confused with the face fly which also infests structures.
The face fly is similar in appearance, but a little larger and darker.
Biology and Habits of the House
Fly:
Life cycle of a House Fly
Each adult female begins laying eggs a few days after hatching, laying
a total of five to six batches of 75 to 100 small., white oval eggs.
In warm weather these hatch in 12 to 24 hours into cream-colored larvae
which burrow into the food material on which they hatched. These larvae
grow and pupate in 4 to 7 days in warm weather.
The mature larva contracts until its skin forms a case about 1/4 inch
long. Inside this case, the true pupa forms.When fully formed, the adult
fly breaks open the end of the pupal case and emerges. It is ready to
mate within in a few hours after merging. The hardened larval skin which
is left behind still exhibits most of the characteristics which are used
in larval identification; thus determination can often be made on the
basis of the skin alone.
During warm weather two or more generations may be completed in a month.
Normally the population builds up and is greatest in early fall months.
The method of over wintering is not well understood, but in some areas
populations develop indoors throughout the winter.
House fly eggs are laid in almost any warm moist material which will furnish
suitable food for the growing larvae. Animal manure, human excrement,
garbage, decaying vegetable material and ground contaminated with such
organic mater are suitable materials.
Although they are attracted to a wide variety of food materials, house
flies have mouthparts which enable them to ingest only liquid materials.
Solid materials are liquefied by means of regurgitated saliva. This liquefied
food is then drawn up by the mouthparts and passed onto the digestive
tract.
During daylight hours house flies will rest on floors, walls and ceilings
indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, on the ground, on fence wires,
garbage cans and other similar surfaces. At night they will rest principally
on ceilings, electric wires and dangling light cords indoors. In all situations
they prefer corners and edges or thin objects such as wires and strings.
Night resting places are usually near daytime sources of food and are
usually 5 to 15 feet off the ground.
Inspection for House
Flies
Inside:
Trash cans-possible breeding sites
Outside-breeding sites:
House Flies may be found feeding and breeding in fresh manure, rotting
fruits and vegetables, damp garbage and damp, decaying organic materials
that are located outside of the structure.
Most of the time, when you find house flies inside, it is because they
are coming inside the structures.
Check cracks around windows, doors and vents as possible entry points.
It is important to find out where the breeding sources are located and
how they are entering the buildings.
Rural areas where farms are present may be more problematic for number
of breeding sites than areas in a uban setting.
In residential areas, pet manure which is not picked up regularly can
be a breeding source for house flies.
Recommended Control and Elimination Measures
Exclusion
and Sanitation, Insecticides, Traps, and Aerosols
1. Exclusion
and Sanitation:
- Sanitation
is the first measure of defense, even though there are various traps
and sprays that are used to kill flies, it is necessary to eliminate
the source in order to eliminate them.
- Whenever
possible, food and materials on which the flies can lay their eggs must
be removed, destroyed, as a breeding medium, or isolated from the egg-laying
adult. Killing adult flies will reduce infestation, but elimination
of breeding areas is necessary for good management.
- The key
to controlling these infestations is to locate and eliminate their breeding
sources.
.
- Garbage
cans and dumpsters should have tight-fitting lids and be cleaned regularly.
- Drainage
will often aid control, getting rid of extra moisture.
- Openings
of buildings should be tightly screened with screen.
.
2. Insecticides : Residual, Aerosols, and Fogging
House flies rest on sunny surfaces in the daytime, and have a tendency
to come inside or under eaves at night. These areas where the flies are
resting can be sprayed with residual or contact insecticides.
The flies rest on the sprayed surface and pick up enough insecticide to
kill them.
When spraying the surfaces, it should be wet enough to the point of runoff,
but not enough to form puddles.
Residual Insecticides:
DEMON
WP 
or  Cyper
WP are wettable powders, mixed with water to spray exterior
surfaces where flies would land, sprayed once a month.
Aerosols
Hand held space sprays for a quick knock down would be pyrethrin contact
aerosols:
V ONE
 V TECH MIST METERED
FLYING INSECT KILLER
 AUTOMATIC
AIR GUARD DISPENSER is an automatic dispenser to be used
with the the V Tech Mist Metered Flying Insect Killer.
The V Tech Mist Automatic aerosol will last 30 days.
Fogging Insecticides-Non Residual
If you find that fogging inside a building would be neccessary, we also
carry fogging material and professional fogger equipment:
 FOGGING
MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT
3. Trapping-Glue and Outside
 FLY
PAPER-1 ribbon=3 ft.x1 inch strip of sticky paper .
 WINDOW
FLY TRAP-allows you to use a trap to stick on the window, without
using an insecticide.
 ADVANTAGE
FLY TRAP is an excellent trap for the outside, with a unique attractant
lure included.
It will trap house flies, blow flies and a broad range of other fly species:
3. Electronic traps:
Inside Use
These electronic
fly traps are very efficient and functional
 INSECTALITE
18 WATT FLY TRAP and the  INSECTALITE
30 WATT PROFESSIONAL FLY TRAP
 Insectakill
Fly Traps-Insectakill Zappers- 30,40, 80 Watt Models-White Metal and
Stainless Steel
Click Here: All
Electronic Fly Traps
4. Fly Baits :
Insecticide baits such as Maxforce
Fly Bait or Stimukill
Fly Bait can be used to aid in house-fly control.
The baits should be distributed along walls, window sills or other areas
where flies congregate inside buildings, and in areas outside where flies
congregate.
As with all fly control, sanitation is very important when using a fly
bait. Remove trash and other breeding sources, so the Fly bait will be
there only feeding source.
Make sure the baits are inaccessible to animals or children. Recommended
fly baits would be:
MAXFORCE
FLY BAIT
Stimukil
Fly Bait 
 Use Apache Fly Bait Stations to hold the Fly Baits
Place the Advantage fly trap and the fly baits
away from areas that you want to see flies, in that they have attractants
that will draw the flies.
You will want to place the Advantage trap in sunny area on cooler days
and shady areas on warmer days. The Advantage trap is designed to be hung.
Call for further information as each situation is very different with
perhaps different product recommendations.
-
Quick Strike Fly Strip
- Single Application of Quick Strike Fly Strip kills flies up to 8 weeks
- Quick Strike Fly Strips are compatible with IPM programs
- Quick Strike Fly Strips have an advanced patented triple action attractant.
Place the Advantage fly trap Maxforce fly bait , and Quick strike Fly Strip
away from areas that you want to see flies, in that they have attractants
that will draw the flies.
You will want to place the Advantage trap in sunny area on cooler days
and shady areas on warmer days. The Advantage trap is designed to be hung.
Call for further information as each situation is very different with
perhaps different product recommendations.
|
