Flies

Drain Fly

Drain Flies

Drain flies are also sometimes called sewer flies or filter flies. They are very small flies about 1/16” long with light bodies. The hold their leaf shaped wings roof like over their backs when at rest. Both the body and their wings are covered with long antennae with 13-15 bead-like segments. The larvae are aquatic and are long and cylindrical with the fore end of the body somewhat flattened on the lower side where eight suckers are found. They have dark, hardened patches on the back of each segment and they breathe through a hardened, stalk-like siphon tube at the end of the body.

Drain Fly Information

Fruit Fly

FRUIT FLIES

Adults are 1/8” long and dull yellow-brown to dark brown. Many species have distinctive red eyes, and the wings have two “breaks” in the leading edge nearest the body. The larvae are small (1/10 – 1/5 inch long) and very distinctive with an extended, stalk-like breathing tube at the rear of the body. The pupae are brown and seed-like with two horn-like stalks at one end.

Fruit Fly Information

House Fly

HOUSE FLIES

Adult houseflies are approximately 1/8-1/4” long, females usually being larger than the males with wider set eyes. They are dark gray in colour with 2 velvety stripes, silver above and gold below. Their thorax has four narrow black stripes. House flies are general feeders, attracted to a wide variety of substances from excrement to human foods. These flies have been shown to harbour over 100 different kinds of disease causing pathogens, many of which are associated with filth. These include typhoid fever, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, tuberculosis, anthrax, polio and others. They have shown to be disease pathogen transmitters via their vomit, feces, and contaminated external body parts.

House Fly Information

Phorid Fly

PHORID FLIES

Adults are about 1/64-1/4” long with a humpbacked appearance in lateral view. Phorid flies can be yellowish, black or brown in colour. Short antenna, basal 2 segments very small, 3rd segment globular with a long bristle. Wings have strong, heavily pigmented veins in front area, remaining veins weak and without crossveins. Larvae up to 3/8”; spindle shaped with projections on rear segments to shorter, broader projections dorsally. Colour is whitish, yellowish white or grayish.

Phorid Fly Information

Cluster Fly

CLUSTER FLY DESCRIPTION

The adult cluster fly is 5/16”-1” long, slightly larger than a common house fly. It is gray in color with golden hairs on its thorax. When it lands on a surface, it folds its wings one on top of the other flat over its back. Cluster flies are slightly larger and darker than house flies and have a coating of short golden hair on their thorax. Cluster fly larvae look like typical maggots but are seldom seen because they spend their lives as parasites inside earthworms

Cluster Fly Information

What’s the difference between house flies and cluster flies?

Flies are among the most bothersome when it comes to common household pests. But did you know there may be several types of flies buzzing around your home? Distinguishing between house flies and cluster flies can help you better control the pesky insects and prevent them from invading your home. What are cluster flies? Cluster…

Don’t let fruit flies ruin your summer

Fruit flies are small, but mighty! Under the right conditions, these teeny tiny critters can quickly get out of hand inside your home. Contrary to popular belief, fruit flies don’t spontaneously grow out of rotting materials. They find their way inside by following the odours of fermentation and alcoholic beverages, overripe fruit, or hitching a…

How to get rid of fruit flies in your house

Are you troubled by pesky fruit flies swarming your kitchen counter? Here’s a handy guide to clearing them out for good. Find the sources First, find and eliminate any potential source of your infestation. Decaying fruit is the fruit fly’s ideal breeding ground, but it’s not the only one. These clever critters can breed in…

How to prevent cluster flies

Of the many flies you encounter in your home, you may be unaware of cluster flies as distinct species. They’re more nuisance than hazardous. If you treat them inside your house with long-lasting pesticides, their dead bodies can attract larder beetles and other scavengers, which may create more troublesome issues in your home. They also…