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The house fly and other types Filth Flies; can become nuisance pests, but also are important for their potential to harm humans and animals. House flies, for example, can spread diseases such as food poisoning and dysentery. Flies, including stable flies and mosquitoes (which are also classified as flies, or Diptera), can inflict painful bites while feeding on the blood of humans and other animals, and some species transmit disease.
The habits of filth flies favor the spread of bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. Filth flies often feed and lay eggs on garbage, manure and carrion before contaminating human foods and food preparation surfaces by landing on them. When feeding, house flies regurgitate their stomach contents onto food to liquefy it before ingesting it. They also may contaminate food and surfaces by defecating on them.
The order Diptera is composed of theTrue flies,and is one of the largest groups of insects. Diptera means two wings. True flies have only two wings (one pair), instead of four wings (two pair) found in most other types of winged insects. All flies are attracted to moist organic material upon which they lay their eggs. This habit makes filth flies valuable as scavengers, but also brings them in contact with humans.
Filth flies can be divided into two groups, determined by their appearance and food preferences. Filth flies, such as the house fly, blow flies and flesh flies, are relatively small, soft-bodied insects with large eyes. They are strong fliers. Other filth flies, e.g., drain flies, fruit flies and phorid flies, are smaller with more delicate bodies and legs.
Large Filth Flies Small Filth flies
Adult stout bodies
short legs slender bodies
long legs
Larvae maggot maggot or worm-like
Food
preferences manure, carrion,
garbage drain sludge, organic debris,
rotting plant material
The common house fly is a dull gray fly, 1/4-inch long with four dark stripes on the middle section (thorax) of its body. House flies typically lay eggs on animal feces and garbage. White, legless maggots (the larval stage) hatch from the eggs and grow to about � inch. When fully grown, maggots crawl away from their food source to undergo the pupal stage. They form a dark brown cocoon, known as a puparium, and later emerge as adult house flies that can fly one or two miles in search of suitable egg-laying sites.
Blow flies are so-called because the larvae develop inside the bodies of dead animals, causing the carrion to have a bloated appearance. They also are attracted to garbage. Blow flies are about the size of house flies or slightly larger. They have been called bottle flies because their shiny blue and green color resemble colored glass bottles, though some species are shiny black or bronze. Large numbers of these flies indoors usually indicates the presence of a dead animal such as a mouse or bird inside the structure.
Appropriately named, flesh flies usually seek carrion or scraps of meat on which to lay their eggs. Like house flies, adult flesh flies are dark-colored (gray or black). Common species have three dark stripes on the thorax. They are slightly larger than house flies and have a checkerboard pattern on the abdomen.
While not always found in filthy situations, stable flies deserve mention because both sexes feed on the blood of animals, including humans, often biting around the ankles. The bites are painful but are not known to transmit disease to humans. Females lay eggs in rotting straw and manure, moist piles of animal feed and yard waste.
Not associated with filth, cluster flies are mentioned here because they are a common household pest. They also resemble house flies, but hold their wings parallel to the body, not in a triangular configuration as house flies do. Cluster flies are covered with fine golden hairs and have no stripes on the thorax. These flies are unusual in that they lay eggs on earthworms. The larvae consume the worms. In the fall, adult cluster flies often invade homes, especially attics, for a warm, sheltered spot in which to spend the winter. Unlike other filth flies, the principal means of controlling cluster flies is exclusion, that is, sealing buildings to prevent their entry.
Also known as vinegar flies, fruit flies are attracted to sweet or fermented liquids such as liquor, syrup, soda pop and vinegar, in addition to ripening/rotting fruit. Females lay eggs in and around these materials upon which their tiny larvae feed. The gnat-sized adults typically have tan-colored bodies and red eyes.
Also known as humpbacked flies because of their arched thorax, phorids are tiny, dark-colored flies. The larvae feed on a wide variety of decomposing organic (of plant or animal origin) debris. If suitable materials are present, huge populations of phorid flies can build up quickly. Sources of infestation include liquefied garbage, sewage and carrion, often hidden in places difficult to inspect and access.
About 1/8-inch long, adult drain flies are slightly larger than other small filth flies. Their broad, hairy wings have given rise to another name: moth fly. They also have been called sewer flies, because they infest raw sewage. Drain fly adults are often noticed resting on bathroom walls. The larvae survive submerged in the gelatinous muck that accumulates in floor, sink and toilet drains, by extending their breathing tubes to the surface for air. To eliminate infestations, drains and traps should be cleaned with a wire brush and/or drain cleaner.
Fungus gnats are relatively delicate, long-legged flies that look like tiny mosquitoes.
The larvae of fungus gnats live in moist places where their food, fungus, grows. Indoor infestations can be associated with pigeon droppings and with over-watered potted plants where fungi develop. When removing pigeon or bat droppings, take care to wet the area first with disinfectant to kill disease-causing organisms that can be present in the droppings.
The key to managing all filth flies is sanitation. Eliminating fly breeding sites, i.e., the material to which they are attracted to and on which they lay eggs, is usually sufficient to eliminate and prevent fly infestations. Conversely, without thorough sanitation, other control methods are largely ineffective. Therefore, trash should be kept in sealed containers (in trash bags and/or cans with tight-fitting lids). Dumpsters should be kept as clean as possible, emptied regularly and kept as far away from buildings as is practical. Manure and other decaying plant and animal material should be promptly removed. Also, eliminate areas of excessive moisture.
Just as sanitation is the key to successful filth fly management, inspection is the key to sanitation. To eliminate fly breeding sites, one must first locate the attracting material. Often this can only be accomplished by conducting a thorough inspection of the premises, and by knowing what to look for and where to look. First, identify the flies involved, inspect for material that attracts that species and then eliminate the material.
Another important step in fly management is to exclude them from the premises. This is done by keeping doors, windows and vents closed as much is practical, and by screening and sealing around these and other fly entry points. Automatic door closing devices and air curtains that blow air away from doorways also can be installed to supplement an integrated fly management program.
In addition to fly swatting, mechanical fly control includes trapping. Sticky fly paper is one type of fly trap. Ultraviolet light traps are another, often used to supplement fly control in commercial buildings. To be effective light traps must be properly placed. This type of trap should be placed where it cannot be seen from outside the building, no more than 5 feet above the floor (where most flies fly), and away from competing light sources and food preparation areas. Bulbs should be changed at least once per year.
While the use of pesticides is usually not the best means of managing filth fly problems, sometimes chemical control can be a valuable component of an integrated fly management program. Pesticide-releasing fly strips can be placed in attics and smaller, unoccupied enclosed rooms where filth flies are a problem. Contact (non-residual) pesticides labeled for fly control can be applied as a space treatment to kill adult flies. This type of control provides only temporary relief, however, and cannot be relied upon to eliminate the problem. Residual pesticides those that remain active for some time can be applied to outdoor surfaces where flies rest, such as the outside surfaces of barns, stables, restaurants and houses. Some pesticide bait formulations are also available for outdoor fly control, including use around dumpsters.
NOTE: When pesticides are used, it is the applicator 1/4 legal responsibility to read and follow directions on the product label. Not following label directions, even if they conflict with information provided herein, is a violation of federal law.
SANITATION IS THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.
House Flies Flesh Flies Sand Flies, No-See-Ums Blow Flies
Chiggers Cluster Flies Deer / Horse Flies Drain Flies
Fruit Flies Little House Flies / Stable Flies Black Flies Phorid Flies
Midges Get Pest Information
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The common house fly, is a pest all over the world. The adult has the fourth wing vein sharply angled and four length-wise dark stripes on the top of the thorax. Its face has two velvety tripes which are silver above and gold below. Each adult female begins laying eggs a few days after hatching, laying a total of five to six batches of 75 to 100 small., white oval eggs. In warm weather these hatch in 12 to 24 hours into cream-colored larvae which burrow into the food material on which they hatched. These larvae grow and pupate in 4 to 7 days in warm weather. The mature larva contracts until its skin forms a case about 1/4 inch long. Inside this case, the true pupa forms.When fully formed, the adult fly breaks open the end of the pupal case and emerges. It is ready to mate within in a few hours after merging. The hardened larval skin which is left behind still exhibits most of the characteristics which are used in larval identification; thus determination can often be made on the basis of the skin alone.
During warm weather two or more generations may be completed in a month. Normally the population builds up and is greatest in early fall months. The method of over wintering is not well understood, but in some areas populations develop indoors throughout the winter. House fly eggs are laid in almost any warm moist material which will furnish suitable food for the growing larvae. Animal manure, human excrement, garbage, decaying vegetable material and ground contaminated with such organic mater are suitable materials.
Although they are attracted to a wide variety of food materials, house flies have mouthparts which enable them to ingest only liquid materials. Solid materials are liquefied by means of regurgitated saliva. This liquefied food is then drawn up by the mouthparts and passed onto the digestive tract.
During daylight hours house flies will rest on floors, walls and ceilings indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, on the ground, on fence wires, garbage cans and other similar surfaces. At night they will rest principally on ceilings, electric wires and dangling light cords indoors. In all situations they prefer corners and edges or thin objects such as wires and strings. Night resting places are usually near daytime sources of food and are usually 5 to 15 feet off the ground.
1. Exclusion and Sanitation:
Sanitation is the first measure of defense.
Whenever possible, food and materials on which the flies can lay their eggs must be removed, destroyed, as a breeding medium, or isolated from the egg-laying adult. Killing adult flies will reduce infestation, but elimination of breeding areas is necessary for good management.
House flies, flesh flies, bottle flies and blow flies breed in similar substances such as decaying organic materials, garbage,animal excrement or decaying animal corpse.
Garbage cans and dumpsters should have tight-fitting lids and be cleaned regularly.
Drainage will often aid control, getting rid of extra moisture.
Openings of buildings should be tightly screened with screen.
2. Insecticides
DEMON WP or Cynoff WP wettable powders, mixed with water to spray exterior surfaces where flies would land, sprayed once a month.
We also carry fogging material and professional fogger equipment:FOGGING MATERIAL/EQUIPMENT
3. Trapping-Glue and Outside
FLY PAPER-1 ribbon=3 ft.x1 inch strip of sticky paper .
WINDOW FLY TRAP-allows you to use a trap to stick on the window, without using an insecticide.
ADVANTAGE FLY TRAP is an excellent trap for the outside, with a unique attractant lure included.
It will trap house flies, blow flies and a broad range of other fly species:
3. Electronic traps: Inside Use These electronic fly traps are very efficient and functional:
EXCALIBUR HLO80 SPLASHPROOF-COMMERICAL MODEL
EXOCUTOR EX 30 ELECTRONIC FLY TRAP
COMMERCIAL FLY TRAP-FT 30
LURALITE FLY TRAP and the LURALITE PRO FLY TRAP
4. Fly Baits :
A recommended fly bait would be: STIMUKIL FLY BAIT
5. Aerosols
A good contact aerosol would be: KONK FLYING INSECT KILLER/ AUTOMATIC AIR GUARD DISPENSERthe dispenser is an automatic dispenser to be used with the the Konk Flying Insect Killer. The aerosol will last 30 days.
Place the Advantage fly trap and the Stimukil fly bait away from areas that you want to see flies, in that they have attractants that will draw the flies.
You will want to place the Advantage trap in sunny area on cooler days and shady areas on warmer days. The Advantage trap is designed to be hung. Call for further information as each situation is very different with perhaps different product recommendations.
The STABLE FLY can be easily distinguished from other common domestic flies by the long, pointed proboscis which extends in front of the head. Both males and females use this proboscis to pierce the skin of a host and suck blood. The bite is painful and outdoor human activity may be curtailed when these flies are numerous. Eggs are laid in sch places as decaying hay, straw, fermenting weeds, grass and sea weeds. Stable flies are commonly found around stables and houses, and also along the seashore and near dog kennels. In these last woe areas they are frequently called biting beach flies and dog flies. The eggs hatch from 1 to 3 days into yellowish-white maggots or larvae. These larvae pass through 3 instars and pupate in the last larval skin. In warm weather the pupal stage lasts 6 to 20 days. The average adult lives about 20 days. The false stable flies and dump flies may also be problems in certain areas. They are non-biting flies.
These flies usually appear in the early spring before the house fly has become numerous. These species are smaller that the house fly, more slender in appearance and the fourth vein extends directly to the edge of the wing instead of curving sharply upward as in the house fly. Eggs are laid in animal excrement and decaying vegetation and sometime in vats in cheese plants. The little house fly is frequently seen hovering in midair or darting about in the middle of a room. It differs from the house in that it is found throughout the house and very seldom on a spread table. This species lays it eggs on decaying vegetable matter and excrement, particularly of chickens, human, horses and cows. The larvae emerge in about 24 hours and may be recognized as a flattened, spiny organism about 6 mm long when full-grown. The pupal period lasts about 7 days under favorable conditions. The complete life cycle last 15 to 30 days. The Latrine fly, is very similar to the little house fly, but the latrine fly adult is slightly larger. Its biology and habits are also the same.
As a group, flesh flies occur throughout most areas of the world although species distribution varies. Flesh flies are found in urban and rural communities but fortunately, are relatively uncommon in houses or restaurants. They breed in excrement, decaying vegetable matter and animal flesh or meat. Though they can carry leprosy bacilli, flesh flies usually are not problems as disease carriers or even as nuisances and pose little threat to human welfare or to livestock. Some species can cause intestinal pseudomyiasis in humans who consume food contaminated with larvae. Flesh flies are medium to large sized flies and usually have three dark thoracic stripes and mottled abdomens. Many of the common species have a red tip on the abdomen. Though some species may be smaller than house flies, most flesh flies are about 1/3 to 1/2 inch long.
Flesh flies retain their eggs within the body of the female until they are ready to hatch, The larvae are deposited directly onto the food, the immature will be eating. The life cycle for the common species can be completed in eight to 21 days. The preferred breeding media around residences are decayed flesh, spoiling meat, and manure. Usually garbage can meat scraps and dog food left outside are abundant sources of flesh fly breeding. Flesh flies can breed in dead rodents and birds in attics or wall voids of houses.
Adult flies do not bite but feed on a wide range of liquid substances. Most larvae infest wounds, carrion or excrement. The larvae of some species of flesh flies are beneficial in that they prey on eggs, nymphs or larvae of more harmful insects. Lesser house fly and blow fly larvae, and grasshopper nymphs are common hosts of flesh flies.
Flesh fly life histories vary wit species and location. They over winter as pupae in temperate climates. Rarely very numerous. the flies emerge In spring and mate. Eggs are laid only under very unusual circumstances. As a rule, eggs hatch within the body of the adult. Females of most species deposit 20 to 40 larvae directly onto the host or substitute. As many as 325 larvae have been known to be born by a single female. Flesh fly maggots feed for three or four days and develop though three instars. Soon afterward, these mature maggots enter the pupae stage. Adult flies emerge in ten to 14 days and the life cycle is repeated. Several generations are produced each. year. Flesh flies rarely require chemical control. The burial or destruction of carcasses, manure heaps and mounds of decaying organic matter eliminates many favorable breeding sites. Proper treatment of wounds also helps to prevent flesh fly harm to animals
Blow Fly, any of a large family of flies known for the habit of the larvae, or immature flies of, infesting animal carcasses. They are found worldwide, occurring nearly every place inhabited by people. Blow flies are slightly larger than true house flies, and the bodies of many are metallic blue or green in color. Worldwide, there are about 1200 species of blow flies, and in North America there are 80. In many areas such as the American Southwest, blow flies are the most common type of flies found in and around houses and other human habitations.
Blow flies range in length from 7 to 16 mm (0.28 to 0.63 in); they have robust bodies and wide heads. The name blow fly comes from the bloated condition of the rotting animal carcasses that their larvae, known as maggots, infest. The most frequent species found under these conditions is the common blow fly. Adult blow flies feed primarily on flower nectar, plant sap, and other sugary materials. The female blow fly typically lays her eggs on the body of a recently killed animal. The eggs hatch quickly and the maggots then feed on the decaying tissues.
In warm weather, some species can complete their larval growth within a week. They then burrow into the soil and pupate, to emerge later as adult flies. Blow flies play an essential role in nature by decomposing dead tissue. The cluster fly species of blow fly is an exception: its larvae prey on earthworms.
Blow flies have played a role in medicine: species such as the green bottle fly and the black blow fly were once commonly used to clean open wounds in humans because the maggots tend to feed only on decayed tissue. Some blow fly species, such as the screw worm fly, lay their eggs on living animals. The maggots then feed on the animal's healthy tissue. Because blow flies routinely move between dead animals or dung and human habitats, they may transmit disease organisms to people, including the bacteria that cause dysentery, typhus, and cholera.
Also called moth flies, sewer flies or filter flies these true flies have bodies and wings covered with numerous hairs. If crushed they leave a powdery smudge
Drain flies, or moth flies, can be found in moist, highly organic debris areas such as sink drains, sewage treatment facilities, storm drains, dung and rotten vegetation.
Adults range in size from 1/16 to ?inch . They may be yellow to brown /black in color.
During daylight, they will often be found resting on walls near drains.
Adult female drain /moth flies most often lay their eggs in masses on the surface of gelatinous film found in drains and sewers. They may also breed in moist, shady areas outdoors such as under potted plants, in bird feeders and baths, in moss, in clogged roof gutters, under air conditioners, in thick mulch, or on wet ground areas.
The larvae feed on decaying material that collects in drains. In natural settings, moth fly larvae feed on decaying plants and animals. Most moth flies are harmless to humans, though they may transmit bacteria and other microorganisms from their breeding sites to areas where people are. Moth flies do not bite. Adults live about two weeks
Control
Finding the sources of breeding and eliminating them is the best control.
Floor drains, overflow cuts in sinks and tubs, sump pump pits and sewers can accumulate organic matter but often do not receive enough water to flush the waste down the drain.
They may be common in laundry and floor drains, toilet and shower drains.
The drain/moth fly larvae feed on the sides of the drain and in the drain trap if there is an accumulation of organic debris there. You can check it by placing some tape over the opening (leave some opening for air flow). If you find these flies stuck to the tape , you have discovered the source.
Pouring bleach down the drain is not effective. A bacterial digester like Vector Drain Gel may be used to break up the organic debris.
. Re-grouting tiles to prevent water seepage into walls will stop breeding in those sites. If found in rotting vegetable matter, the source should be destroyed. If adults do not disappear within a week further treatments or looking for other breeding sources is needed
Size: The adult flies are very small insects, about 1/8 inch long (3mm)
Color: Body color is usually a light yellow to tan color
Fruit flies belong to the order Diptera. True fruit flies constitute the family Tephritidae. Vinegar flies constitute the family Drosophilidae. The apple maggot is classified as Rhagoletis pomonella, cherry maggots as Rhagoletis cingulata and Rhagoletis fausta, the currant fruit fly as Epochra canadensis, the melon fly as Dacus cucurbitae, the olive fruit fly as Dacus oleae, and the Mediterranean fruit fly as Ceratitis capitata. The red-eyed pomace fly is classified as Drosophila melanogaster.
Fruit flies are among the smallest flies found in homes.
With the end of the summer season, many homeowners often encounter fruit flies in and about their kitchens and near garbage storage areas.
They are generally found hovering around decaying vegetation and overripe fruit. These pesky insects are often found in the kitchen, especially when vegetable or fruit materials are present after major home canning efforts.
Fruit flies most often are found hovering around overly ripe fruit. Fermenting materials, such as leftover beer or soft drinks, also are a favorite food of these flies. Populations tend to be greatest in late summer and early fall as they infest fruits during the harvest season. Occasionally, pomace flies, similar in appearance to fruit flies, may infest the home. The source of a pomace fly problem is often standing water like a forgotten mop pail or an open sewer drain.
The Fruit fly is about one third the size of the house or filth fly. Adults have red eyes and yellow-brown bodies. Life cycle from egg to adult is approximately 10 days. Eggs are laid near or on top of attractants (fermenting materials) such as beverages, decaying fruit and vegetable matter, garbage or slime in drains. They are attracted to any area where moisture has accumulated including mops and wet rags.
They average between 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. They are dark gray, never metallic blue or green. When crushed, they give off an odor like buckwheat honey. Cluster flies closely resemble house flies, but they are usually larger and have a yellowish sheen on the thorax.
They are parasites of earthworms and breed outdoors in lawns and fields during the spring and summer. You can find them almost everywhere in the United States and Canada, except for the Southern states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
Females lay their eggs in cracks in the soil, which hatch in three days. The larvae use earthworms as a food source. The larvae feed for about 22 days. After that, they go into the pupae stage, which lasts 11-14 days before emerging as adults. Adult flies feed on flowers. There are about four generations hatched per summer.
When fall approaches, they begin to enter structures in large numbers. Problems with cluster flies begin in late August as they move to winter quarters to over-winter. They are seeking warm sites with protective cracks for shelter, crawling back as far as they can get. It is important to consider treatment before this happens.
They have been known to squeeze around the edges of windows that are weather-proofed. As the number of flies attracted to the building increases, large clusters of flies huddle inside wall voids, attics, and false ceilings. Most infestations occur in the upper regions of a buildings, such as the attics of homes. In multi-story buildings, they can be found in the upper two or three floors, and almost always of the south and west sides of the buildings.
If you have unseasonably warm weather in the late fall or winter, they may emerge thinking it is spring, going for the warmer air outside. They fly very slowly when they just wake up. They are strongly attracted to light, so they are usually found around windows. At night they are attracted to lamps.
Check around windows for live or dead flies. If you can find the voids in which they are over-wintering, you can treat the voids with a dust or aerosol, but that is not an easy task. In most cases, the voids can't be located.
To locate the voids, start with an inspection of cracks and crevices on the southern and western exterior walls. Usually the only accessible voids are the attics, crawls paces and false ceilings.
Cluster fly problems can be partially prevented, but after the fall little can be done. All of those currently found within the home had infiltrated walls months ago.
A "mini-vac" is the best control of the individual flies that are currently present.
If this is not successful an aerosol like CB-80 pryethrum contact aerosol can be used. Spray lightly and repeat spray as needed.
An alternate would be electronic fly traps such as:
EXCALIBUR HLO80 SPLASHPROOF-COMMERICAL MODEL
EXOCUTOR EX 30 ELECTRONIC FLY TRAP
COMMERCIAL FLY TRAP-FT 30
LURALITE FLY TRAP and the LURALITE PRO FLY TRAP
Late August and early September are the times to use a good residual spray like Suspend or Demon WP,spraying the outside walls of the building where cluster flies are likely to land and rest before entering the building.
These residual insecticides are applied outdoors to window frames, door frames, soffits and eaves as well as any other areas that are vulnerable to entry.
Application of to the surrounding soil may also help minimize Cluster Fly populations and later entry.
Recommended also would be a dust like Delta Dust, dusted into cracks that have not been sealed, allowing the dust to flow back into the void areas.Thoroughly caulking all exterior cracks on the sun-exposed sides (south and west) is very important.
Generally, Deer flies are pests of domestic and wild animals, but will annoy and bite humans. Deer flies feed by sucking blood and cause a severely painful bite. These flying pests are closely related to horse flies. Often confused with Horse flies, Deer flies are a little smaller in size. The wings of this fly have dark markings and their body is tan or dark in color. The female of the species feeds on animal blood, while her male counterpart is a pollen collector. Deer flies deposit their eggs in damp areas around bays, lakes, ponds or swamps. The larvae of this fly feeds on insects and can be found developing in wet areas.
These are strong fliers and serious pests of warm-blooded animals and people. Only the females need a blood meal. Their mouthparts are blade like and it is painful when they cut through the skin. When the blood is flowing from the wound they will "lap" it up. The larvae feed in a wide variety of wet or damp sites that are high in organic material. Most females feed during the warmer parts of the day, but some species prefer the hours at dawn or dusk. Horse flies are larger than the deer flies and usually have clear wings while the deer fly has dark markings on the wings.
This fly belongs to a family of small to moderately large flies. People are often alarmed by midges since they resemble mosquitoes. However, they differ from mosquitoes in that the wings are not scaled and the mouthparts are short and not adapted for biting. Adult midges are slender, usually less than 5 mm long with long, slender legs and wings. Midges lay their eggs on water. The larvae are usually aquatic, are found in quiet water such as lakes, ponds, reservoirs and tanks, and are bottom feeders. Polluted water apparently favors their growth and development. In the summer, eggs will hatch in about 3 days and larvae will reach adulthood in about 4 weeks. During peak emergence, large numbers of midges fly into residential and industrial areas causing annoyance and damage. They are attracted to lights at night and thousands will rest on the outside of buildings and will enter homes through the slightest crack. They fly into people's eyes, ears and mouths and are sometimes inhaled. Everything is contaminated by midges.
Control:
Tney are rarely a problem in a balanced aquatic community.
Pollution of water, where algae grows, providing food for the larvae to feed on, results in high populations.
Fogging Materials may provide temporary relief, when proper water management is not available.
Midge invasions may also be reduced by avoiding the use of outdoor lighting to the greatest possible extent.
For those midges that are still able to find their way indoors, the residual insecticide an aerosol and fogging treatments as described in House Fly Control would apply.
Biting Midges,""no-see-ums," "punkies," or "sand flies" - They are very small flies (about 1/25-1/10) inch long whose small but bladelike mouthparts make a painful wound out of proportion to its tiny size. Welts and lesions from the bite may last for days. The larvae of various species breed in a wide variety of damp or wet places high in organic matter. Most are attracted to lights. One vicious biter breeds along the Atlantic coast in salt marshes and wet soil. Another species, found in mountainous areas, feeds in the evening and night hours and is small enough to pass through ordinary screens. These are important pests along coastal and mountainous areas and can seriously interfere with outdoor activities.
Control:
Removal of breeding sources
Biology:
Black Flies, or buffalo gnats - These are very small (1/25 to 1/5 inch) blood-sucking flies that are black to gray in color. They usually bite in shaded or partially shaded areas and may fly as far as 15 miles from breeding areas. The larvae are found attached to under water objects in shallow, fast-running rivers and streams. For this reason they can be very troublesome in mountainous areas. The saliva injected while feeding causes swelling and numb- soreness that may persist for days.
Because of the wide-spread breeding sites and long flight range of black flies, control by homeowners is not very practical. Aerosols such as CB-80 can be used indoors for occasional invaders.
The chigger is a tiny red-colored mite which in its immature stage will feed on man, rodents, birds, snakes and a wide variety of other animals. It is especially common in second growth areas, blackberry patches and forest edges. Chiggers are very active in crawling about looking for a host, and may crawl over the skin for some hours before beginning to feed. When the mouthparts are inserted into the skin, a fluid is injected that dissolves the cells upon which it feeds. The chigger does not, as commonly believed burrow into the skin. Itching can begin three to six hours after exposure. Examination of the skin may reveal minute red mites moving rapidly over the surface. A soapy bath taken as soon as their presence is noted will often remove many of them before they begin feeding.
Control: Residual insecticides such as SUSPEND and DEMON WP are labeled for Chiggers.
The phorid fly breeds primarily in and feeds on moist decaying organic matter. Because it frequents unsanitary areas (with the ability to spread disease causing bacteria onto food products) this fly is of particular concern to hospitals, health care facilities and restaurants. The reproductive potential of these flies is tremendous and very large numbers of them may appear in a short time. Adult flies are strong fliers, having been known to travel as far as 6 miles within a 24 hour period. Phorid flies are found throughout the world and are a serious pest when found in food producing, food handling or food serving facilities. Health care facilities are another favorite target of this fly. Phorid fly larvae have been found in the open wounds of patients in nursing homes and hospitals. Fermenting materials such as fruit, dirty garbage containers, rotten vegetables or slime in drains are just a few of their favorite breeding and feeding places.
Phorid flies develop by egg, larva, pupa and adult. The female will lay about 20 eggs at a time and will lay about 40 eggs in a 12 hour period. Each adult female phorid will lay approximately 500 eggs. The tiny eggs are deposited on or near the surface of decaying organic matter. Larvae emerge in 24 hours and feed for 8 to 16 days. The Phorid fly larvae then crawl to a drier spot to pupate. The life cycle from egg to adult can be completed in as little as 14 days (under ideal conditions) but may take as long as 37 days to complete their cycle.
Sanitation and habitat elimination are keys to managing this group of flies.
It may be difficult to locate the source of infestation since the flies can be well concealed in and around plumbing and areas where moisture may collect.
When the breeding source can not be eliminated, the use of residual insecticides such as :
DEMON WP or Cynoff WP wettable powders, mixed with water to spray exterior surfaces where flies would land, sprayed once a month.
