Latin: Hippoboscidae
The louse fly or keds is truly its own type of insect. The Louse fly are a whole family of different kinds of flies, which instead of living on carrion and waste live by sucking blood from different animals. It behaves most of all like a louse. The louse fly is an annoying pest to encounter, but as a pest they are mainly a nuisance to wild animals.
Appearance
Although louse flies is a type of fly, it is very similar in appearance to louse. A louse fly has a flattened body instead of a spherical or egg-shaped body that most flies have. Its skin is also leathery instead of the familiar, metallic-shiny surface of many flies. The louse fly has strong legs.
Unfortunately, there are several species of louse flies, such as the lizard fly, also called Crataerina pallida, and the swallow bite, also called Crataerina hirundinis, which cannot fly. This is because their shape has evolved to be parasites on birds and mammals.
The louse fly can be up to 6 millimeters long. Although most flies feed on carrion and various waste, the louse fly feeds on the blood of different host animal. If you find a louse fly on your pet or yourself, you will most likely think that it is a louse or flea. They have the broad hind body that is typically known from louse, fleas, and other bloodsuckers.
Biology and behavior
Both females and males feed on blood, and they can often be found on birds. On chicks you will easily be able to see them with the naked eye. Louse flies prefer to live outside in the wild.
They attach themselves on birds, because by doing so, they will be transported to the bird’s nest, where they can reproduce on the chicks, which might be a know behavior that you recognize from lice in kindergartens.
Louse flies suck blood via a proboscis. They use their strong legs to hold on to their host animal, which makes it easier if they for instance are attach to a bird, that suddenly flies towards the sky. A special thing about the louse fly is that they pupate the moment they are born by the female. The pupae are typically found in bird nests.
Damage
Louse flies are not a danger to humans, but they can off cause live on pets. They will most likely prefer wild birds. It is not uncommon for a louse fly to bite a human, but they rarely stay on for long, as human skin is not an ideal environment for them. Besides, a bite from a louse fly is not dangerous, just unpleasant.
One of the biggest nuisances of lice flies is that they can be very discouraging to some people. Their shape and movement, which is considered crab-like, can be unpleasant for some. Fortunately, they are rarely guests inside, and they are also easy to get rid of if you notice many of them in your home.
Prevention and control
First and foremost, it should be noted that louse flies cannot survive or reproduce indoors. They may reside in abandoned bird nests, which can be placed under rooftops or in low fruit trees.
If you are afraid of getting louse flies, you can prevent them by using a powder against insects. You simply follow the instructions on the given product, and then you powder around old bird nests. It is important to remove old bird nests first, as there may still be pupae and fully grown very hungry louse flies in the nests.
Since louse flies still are a species of flies, it is possible to control them with a ordinary insect spray. However, it is important that you follow the instructions on the product, and that you, keep your insect spray far away from children and pets.
"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)