Flies
They belong to the Order of Diptera, in the family Muscidae.
Housefly (Musca domestica).
Biology
The fly can reproduce extremely easily, as on the one hand it has the ability to lay its eggs in any decomposing material, and on the other hand its larvae develop quickly and become adult insects, ready to reproduce, within about 10 days.
Under ideal conditions, its lifespan is 25-30 days, during which time it can lay up to 1000 eggs in groups of 75-150 every 3-4 days. The adult insect feeds with the help of its proboscis, spraying solid food with saliva to liquefy and suck it up.
Flies can fly several kilometers from their birthplace and are active only during the day, while at night they rest in corners or “glued” to ceilings. The larvae go through three stages of development before reaching the adult stage, lasting 2-3, 3-4 and 4-6 days respectively from the time the eggs hatch. When the larva completes the last stage, it moves to a cool and dry place to become a nymph (cocoon), a process that depends on temperature and humidity. The adult insect has many fine hairs that easily retain germs and dirt, while its digestive system is also full of germs that it transfers with its feces and with the liquid it releases from its mouth to feed.
The number of microorganisms present in the body of a fly exceeds 1,000,000.
It has been found that flies can carry more than 100 pathogenic microorganisms and cause various diseases such as dysentery, salmonellosis, typhoid fever, cholera, anthrax, poliomyelitis, tetanus, etc.
Treatment
Prevention.
All garbage collection points should be kept clean.
Waste should be placed in plastic bags before being thrown into the trash cans. This will reduce odors and attract flies.
Organic waste should be removed daily from our area of responsibility.
Particular attention to litter boxes in equestrian clubs and animal breeding units, zoos, etc.
Armor.
Screens, Air Curtains or Curtains with plastic strips at entrances to food areas.
Insecticide application.
General spraying (aerial spraying) with insecticides is dangerous for the environment and public health and should be avoided.
Targeted spraying of insecticides on organic materials that are breeding sites such as manure piles in animal husbandry units, equestrian clubs, etc. and garbage piles in the city.
Application of growth regulators (larvicides) at breeding sites.
Residual spraying with insecticides in nesting areas.
Bait sprays with special formulations to combat flies.
Spraying insecticides (aerosols) into the atmosphere.
Trapping
Simple traps with colors (yellow) that attract them or with sticky surfaces are available on the market.
There are also traps where flies are attracted by a special liquid, allowing the flies to enter but not exit.
Electric Trap Machines. Discreet, wall or ceiling mounted machines, with ultraviolet radiation and sticky surface.
They work by attracting insects by emitting ultraviolet radiation and then trapping them on a sticky surface.
They are distinguished by their high aesthetics and discretion in capturing insects when placed in high-demand areas, such as offices, restaurants, chemical laboratories, etc. In areas such as food production and warehouses, such discretion is not required.
The devices have lamps that emit UV-A, which is what most insects are attracted to.
The sticky surface should be changed every 1 – 2 months, depending on the existing insect population.
The devices must comply with HACCP legislation.
There are various models in terms of their ability to control smaller or larger spaces.
There are quality ratings: IP-54 and IP-65 (EX Series). In areas with increased humidity and dust, the risk of glass shattering is greater. Therefore, devices with an IP-65 quality index are used, which have protection against glass shattering.
The EX series devices also have the ability to be washed at regular intervals with pressurized water.
Drosophila (Drosophila spp.) or Vinegar fly or Must fly or Fruit fly
The fruit fly belongs to the family Drosophilidae. It is a tiny fly, less than 3 mm long, with light red eyes, a light brown thorax and a black abdomen. It has a slow and hovering flight, with the abdomen appearing to hang down during flight. It has characteristically long legs with large “feet”. Females are usually larger than males and show morphological differences.
Drosophila reproduces rapidly, with its life cycle lasting 8-10 days. The adult female lays about 500 eggs in fermenting materials, while she herself lives for 2-9 weeks. It develops mainly on rotten fruits, vegetables and other organic materials. It is a problem in food businesses and homes, carries bacteria and fungi and can cause diarrhea if its larvae are consumed.
To deal with it, it is necessary to remove rotten fruits/vegetables, clean surfaces with juice residues, smooth construction of spaces without cracks, wash machines, clean behind furniture and apply insecticides or traps.
Sewer fly (Psychodidae).
They reproduce rapidly in sewage networks, developing large populations. They also appear in residential toilets. To avoid this problem, it is important that sewage networks do not “hold” sewage and that the wells are properly maintained. The exterminator must have access to the wells and the cesspool to clean them. It is also recommended to spray the wells with an acaricidal insecticide and a growth regulator to combat the larvae. Finally, residual sprays in the toilets themselves are also necessary to deal with the problem.
Carnivorous flies
Flies of the three families lay their eggs or larvae on living tissues of humans or animals and cause the well-known myiasis.
Calliphoridae, Iridescent flies
Larvae-bearing species, meaning they deposit their larvae (worms) directly, with a global distribution.
They are large, hairy flies without metallic iridescence. They have three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and dark square spots on the abdomen. They are mainly scavengers and deposit their larvae in corpses, feces and decaying materials. They can cause myiasis, although not particularly harmful.
Wohlfahrtia spp. are also hairy flies without iridescence, with three black stripes on the thorax. However, their abdomen does not have the characteristic “checkerboard” pattern of Sarcophaga. Some of these species deposit their larvae on humans or animals, in abrasions, wounds, soft skin of babies, eyes, ears or noses, potentially causing blindness, etc.
Sarcophagidae, Flesh Flies
Larvae-bearing species, meaning they deposit their larvae (worms) directly, with a global distribution.
They are large, hairy flies without metallic iridescence. They have three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and dark square spots on the abdomen. They are mainly scavengers and deposit their larvae in corpses, feces and decaying materials. They can cause myiasis, although not particularly harmful.
Wohlfahrtia spp. are also hairy flies without iridescence, with three black stripes on the thorax. However, their abdomen does not have the characteristic “checkerboard” pattern of Sarcophaga. Some of these species deposit their larvae on humans or animals, in abrasions, wounds, soft skin of babies, eyes, ears or noses, potentially causing blindness, etc.
Oestridae
Short and stocky with a square head, the perfect ones do not feed and are not often seen.
The larvae are found in the bodies of herbivorous animals, usually in the nostrils.
Health importance:
These species of flies feed on living or dead tissues, as well as spoiled food. They cause the disease myiasis in humans and animals. Myiasis is the invasion and settlement of larvae of dipteran insects in living tissues or organs of humans or other vertebrates, at least for a period of their life.
There are various forms of myiasis:
Cutaneous or subcutaneous myiasis
Urogenital myiasis
Ocular myiasis
Nasopharyngeal myiasis
Intestinal myiasis
To deal with these flies, the same measures as for house flies generally apply, such as proper waste management, residual surface spraying, and the use of larvicides.
