Flies

Flies are one of the most important pest groups because they are not only nuisance pests, but many are also important in disease transmission. For instance, the common house fly, Musca domestica Linnaeus, has been found to harbor over 100 different pathogenic organisms and the latrine fly, Fannia scalaris (Fabricius), has been known to cause myiasis in man.

Flies feed on a variety of food materials but most of those of structural importance develop in either fermenting or decaying organic matter, although a few are parasitic on other animals.

Fly control is often quite challenging because their larval developmental site(s) must usually be located and eliminated for success, and these sites may be some distance from where the adults are nuisances. Also, flies may invade the walls and attics of structures in large numbers to overwinter, presenting winter-time control challenges.

In America north of Mexico, there are more than 18,200 species of flies placed in 108 families. Of these, about 200 species either require man’s environment or are greatly benefited by it and are commonly called “domestic” or “filth” flies. It is necessary to know which fly species or species group is causing the problem because they vary greatly in their larval developmental sites.