CEDAR TREE / PESTS
FLY FACTS & INFORMATION
Some common flies you'll find in/around your home. Here are some facts and ways to identify them.
House Fly
(Musca domestica)
House flies are one of the most common flies you'll see in your home, making up around 80% of flies near inhabited areas. Once a large health hazard among major cities, these flies still carry several diseases and bacteria which is why it's important to remove them.
Appearance
They range from about 5-7mm long, with a dark brown/gray body. They have dark stripes on their thorax and thin strands of hair covering their body, which act as taste organs. Their complex eyes house around 4,000 facets, giving them a wide range of vision.
Signs Of Activity
Flies will likely be in sight as they travel around your home in search of food. You may find small clusters of feces along surfaces of your home. Maggots may begin appearing near decaying food, be sure to keep areas clean and dispose of garbage frequently to prevent the resurgence of flies or larvae.
FLY FACTS
THEIR REACTION TIME IS ABOUT 4X FASTER THAN OURS.
Fruit Fly
(Drosophila melanogaster)
Similar to the House fly, Fruit flies are a concern not only as a pest but as a contaminator as well. It comes as no surprise to find out these pesky insects are one of the major hazards in all food processing plants, posing a risk to contaminating produce and other items too.
Appearance
Slightly smaller than the House fly, around 3-4mm in length. They have a tan/brown body with dark marks on their thorax. Most commonly bearing a rounded head with red or dark red compound eyes.
Signs Of Activity
You will see an abundance of them around food sources, sinks, and trash cans/dumpsters. They heavily rely on food sources, decaying or not. To minimize the risk of an infestation, dispose of expired or rotten foods, keep foods prone to quick expiration in cold storage.
FLY FACTS
THERE ARE ABOUT 18,000 SPECIES OF FLIES IN THE U.S.
Horse Flies
(Tabanidae)
Horse flies are large, strong insects usually found around marshes or wooded areas. They usually deposit their eggs in the grass and emerge as adults by Summer. The bloodsucking females are infamously known as pests to humans and other animals as well.
Appearance
They vary in length from 1/2 - 1 inch. Either black or gray in color with antennae that are shorter than their heads. The female being equipped with sharp mouthparts to use as a means of drawing blood from the bite wound. The males have a smaller, weaker mouth so their diet is much simpler (nectar/pollen).
Signs Of Activity
Activity will be more common near farms and wooded areas. Increased activity could result in bite marks from the female horse flies. They will fly away if interrupted, but will attempt to come back and bite again, or find another host close by instead.
