A fly’s life is short compared to our own. Understanding their average lifespan and life expectancy can help us better understand their behavior and how best to tackle an infestation problem.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the world of flies and explore precisely how long does a fly live.
Content
- 1 How Long Do Flies Live? The Life Cycle of a House Fly
- 2 House Flies Can Spread Disease, So It’s Important to Get Rid of Them Quickly
- 3 There Are Many Ways to Get Rid of House Flies, Including Insecticides, Traps, and Natural Remedies
- 4 It’s Also Important to Keep Your Home Clean and Free of Clutter to Reduce the Number of Flies That Can Thrive There
- 5 Takeaway
How Long Do Flies Live? The Life Cycle of a House Fly
House flies lay eggs, about five to six batches, near sources of food and the eggs hatch. The egg looks like small grains of rice. The egg stage after several hours. The larvae, during the larval stage, feed on organic material found in manure or decomposing matter.
The larval stage continues for about a week. After 4 to 7 days, they form pupae from which adult house flies emerge after about four days. The pupal stage lasts for about 7 days.
Adult house flies usually live for one to two months. Females lay batches of 75-150 eggs per batch and can produce up to five batches in their lifetime.
How Long Do Flies Live? The average fly lifespan of a most common fly is ideal in many households and places of business. Subsequently, these insects are prone to breeding quickly when temperatures rise.
Ultimately, this duration depends strongly on where adult flies reside at any given moment.
How Long Do Flies Live Indoors? The Life Cycle Indoors
The house flies that live indoors would typically have a much shorter lifespan than those living outdoors. The lifespan of a housefly is 15-25 days, while that of a fruit fly is 40-50 days. A common fly’s lifespan is largely determined by food availability, as well as warm and humid conditions.
Without predators and parasites, the life cycle of house flies can be shortened significantly. Additionally, flies inside an average house may suffer from desiccation (drying out) due to air conditioning or other dry environments.
How Long Do Flies Live Outside?
Flies typically live for up to a month outside. Most species of flies can survive in temperatures from 50°F to 115°F, so they are able to thrive around the world and will adjust their lifespans accordingly. Depending on the environment, however, some house fly species may only live for a few weeks or even just days.
How Long Do House Flies Live?
Most homeowners have to deal with house flies. These insects typically live for about a month, though their lifespan can vary greatly based on the environmental conditions. The average adult female fly will live between 15 and 25 days while males typically have a shorter lifespan of 7 to 10 days.
The adult stage of the lifecycle is usually the longest-lived phase, with some species living up to two months.
How Long Do Fruit Flies Live?
Fruit flies live for about two weeks outside in the wild. Their life span is significantly shortened if they don’t have access to a food source, and their lifespans also depend on temperature–fruiting flies are most active at temperatures of 70-85°F (21-29°C).
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How Long Do Horse Flies Live?
Horse flies have a relatively short lifespan compared to other insects. Depending on the species, they will usually live between two to three weeks as adults and larvae can survive up to several months.
During their short lives, female horse flies are focused solely on finding food and laying eggs while males mostly engage in territorial battles with other males. Horse flies are relentless blood-suckers that extract the vital protein from human and animal blood to nourish their fertilized eggs. Not only do they torment animals, but bite humans as well!
House Flies Can Spread Disease, So It’s Important to Get Rid of Them Quickly
House flies are an annoyance and disease vector. So it’s important to eliminate both visible flies and their breeding sources to protect family and customers.
There Are Many Ways to Get Rid of House Flies, Including Insecticides, Traps, and Natural Remedies
Here are some tips for quickly eliminating house flies:
1. Track Down All Breeding Areas
House flies love to reproduce in areas that provide warmth and moisture such as garbage cans, rotting food, decaying matter, food sources, and damp areas.
Additionally, installing fly screens on doorways and windows can help prevent more flies from entering the premises.
2. Use Insecticides
This is a great way to quickly eliminate large numbers of house flies, but it should only be used as a last resort for solving your fly problem due to the potential health risks associated with chemical insecticides.
3. Set Fly Traps
House and fruit fly traps are a great way to kill smaller numbers of house flies without having to use harsh chemicals. You can buy fruit fly traps or make your own using a plastic container or jar, water, and sugar.
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4. Use Natural Remedies
There are several natural methods for getting rid of house flies including spraying vinegar and dish soap solutions, placing cloves in areas where they’re breeding, and hanging bunches of eucalyptus in areas where most flies are most active.
5. Call a Pest Control Service
If you’re unable to get rid of the house flies on your own, it may be time to call in the professionals. Pest control companies can quickly and effectively eliminate these flying insects from any premises using specialized insecticides and traps. They can also provide a treatment plan to help kill the common housefly.
It’s Also Important to Keep Your Home Clean and Free of Clutter to Reduce the Number of Flies That Can Thrive There
To help combat a fly infestation in your home or business, be sure to regularly clean up any spills, pick up pet droppings, and store garbage in sealed containers.
Additionally, installing fly traps or baits in the area can be effective for reducing fly populations. These traps work by luring fruit flies and other common house flies with a food attractant and then trapping them when they enter the trap.
Finally, regularly inspect your home and business for any potential breeding grounds.
By addressing these issues and keeping food preparation surfaces clean and dry you can drastically reduce the number of pests including fruit flies on your property. It’s also important to keep an eye out for any decaying organic matter, such as food, which can act as a breeding ground for these pests.
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Takeaway
Rather than speculating how long flies live, people living in a dwelling can take steps to reduce fly issues. These steps can combat and resolve the problem.
Regularly clean up areas where food sources are present, to reduce common house fly populations.
They may not lve long, but they can reproduce quickly.
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