Latin: Musca domestica
We probably all know the fly, which is found in living rooms around the world and is incredibly widespread. In Latin, the housefly is called Musca domestica, and originally it comes from Siberia. The housefly is an ancient species, it is believed that it came to Denmark during the Iron Age. So, it is an insect that has been part of our lives in Denmark for a very long time.
Appearance
The gray-colored housefly is about 6-8 mm long. It can be recognized by the four black stripes on the back and black and orange parts at the hind body. The fly larva is white and have approximately the same length as the adult fly. When the larvae hatch from the egg, they enveloped in a pupa for a few days, where they develop into an adult housefly. After the pupa stage they move along walls and crack to a dark hole. In the dark hole, they develop and unfold their wings. After 24 hours, the flies can fly, eat, and mate.
Biology and behavior
The housefly often lives in places where there is fertilizer or manure, which can be found on farms and the like. The reason the this is among other things, that manure is the perfect place for the fly to lay its eggs and leave the small larvae when they have hatched. The hatching typically occurs from May to September. The larvea thrives in the temperatures that can be found inside manure from pigs and calves. The reason why the house fly can also be found in the cities can be, that the flies are also able to lay its eggs in organic waste like waste from the kitchen.
The life of a house fly is primarily centered around its sense of smell and sight. The housefly is very interested in all the smells and sights it encounters on its way. In addition, the house fly is moving around to find food, and here it is especially the sense of smells that play an important part. If the house fly is hungry it flies around tasting everything it comes near. The behavior of the house fly is most often determined by its senses and it search for food. It is important to notice, that the housefly can fly relatively far, compared to its small size.
The fly does not chew the food, but spits on the food they want to eat and then slurps a combination of saliva and half-digested food.
The fly has enormous reproductive potential. An adult female lay between 100-120 eggs divided in 1-6 times. The development from egg to adult takes 1-2 weeks during the summer.
Damage
The housefly is known to be a peaceful insect, but if there is more than just a single fly in the home, one can quickly get tired of their buzz. A common perception of the fly is that it creates an unhygienic environment. If you are in a house with many flies, most people would think that the house is unhygienic in one way or another, as the house fly most found is in the countryside, where they live in manure and the like.
The housefly can spread diseases, like diarrhea caused by the bacterium campylobacter. However, in Denmark this is a minor issue.
The house fly is most often an annoyance in house placed near farms. Please read below on how to prevent the house fly in the home.
Prevention and pest control
If you do not want the housefly in your home, there are several options for prevention and control. If you have a home near a farm and have major issues with flies, you can prevent this by setting up insect nets in front of doors and windows. This is only relevant during the summer when you have open doors and windows. There are several methods for control if they have entered the house. You can use light traps, which will lure the flies into a container by attracting them with the light. Then they are trapped in the container or die due to the electrical voltage found in some light traps. Another way of control is fly paper with a lure or poison that is glued to the paper. This both attract and traps the fly.
"Pests in House and Home"
"Bed Bugs - Bites, Stings and Itches"
"Food Pests"
"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
"Skadedyr i træ" (Timber Pests - Only danish)
"Stuefluen" (Common Housefly - Only danish)