Know The Enemy- House Fly

The house fly lives all over the world. Female lay eggs soon after hatching, laying a up to 600 white oval eggs. In warm weather these hatch in several hours into cream-colored larvae which burrow into the food material on which they hatched. These grow quickly in warm weather. Warm weather enhances growth. 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 wet debris such as animal manure, human excrement, garbage, decaying material and ground contaminated with such organic mater are suitable materials. House flys are attracted to a wide variety of food materials, they 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. Removal of habitat is the best control. No decaying material to lay eggs means no more house flys. Cleaned up spills also helps.
Fly traps help control adult flys but good sanitation is the best. Keep garbage tightly closed. Clean up any indoor and out door mess that may allow flys to lay eggs. Sticky fly paper hung in good locations will help contain a fly infestation.