Flies

Common House Flies

Common house flies can be 6-8mm long with a
grey thorax and 4 longitudinal stripes along this.

Eggs can be laid on any vegetable or animal matter
providing it is not too dry and can hatch between
8 hours to 3 days. The fly larva is white and
legless turning to a waxy ivory yellow in colour and
more commonly known as the maggot. Pupation follows usually taking place in the soil and this period will vary from 3 to 28 days depending on the temperature. Adult Flies can exist in broods from June but are more numerous in August and September.

House flies can transmit diseases when feeding on liquefiable solid food, which may be moist, putrefying material or food stored for human consumption. Flies liquefy food by regurgitating digestive juices and their stomach contents onto the food substance. However flies may also carry disease on their bodies and transfer these when in contact with other surfaces.

Blue Bottles
Blue Bottle flies are larger than the common
house fly and they have a shiny blue body
dusted with white on the abdomen. They are
also know as blow flies because they 'blow'
their eggs onto exposed meat.

Creamy white eggs are laid on the flesh of
dead animals and can hatch between 18-48
hours. The small larvae known as maggots feed on the flesh of the animal. The fly pupal stage lasts from 9-12 days, the pupa are a cylindrical in shape and dull red-brown.

The normal habitat of Blue Bottle flies is outside. Females may enter houses in search of food unlike the common house fly they may frequent cool dark places such as larders and can be distinguished by their loud buzzing noise.
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