There are various types of flies that you can find in Canada. Some are commonly found in households while there are also some that are mostly found outdoors. Getting to know which flies are infesting your home or property will give you an advantage on how to control and eliminate them completely.
Identifying Common Types of Flies
Some of the common types of flies that you may encounter either indoors or outdoors are the following:
Phorid Flies
The actual size of these flies is around 1/8” or less. They can be identified easily because of their “humpback”-shaped abdomen. Also called as humpbacked flies, these are usually tan or dark brown in colour and also have dark eyes.
Most people confuse them as fruit flies and are considered as pests in food and manufacturing facilities. These flies tend to breed and feed on any moist decaying item.
Similar to other flies, these ones visit unsanitary areas frequently. They are also known for transmitting diseases that cause bacteria and germs on sterile surfaces as well as food products. These flies are also known as coffin flies since they also frequent funeral homes and mortuaries.
They all go through a complete life cycle starting from the egg stage, larval stage, pupal stage, and then adult. Females can lay up to 40 to 100 eggs within a span of 12 hours. It will take about 37 days to complete the entire cycle.
Cluster Flies
Inspecting how a cluster fly looks, you might say that they resemble that of a housefly. However, these ones are larger and their thorax has yellowish hairs. They feed on earthworms. This means that an infestation is expected when a place has a high population of earthworms.
During winter, flies will start being active and move to any source of warmth. This usually happens when the flies are exposed to cold temperatures for quite some time.
They become more annoying in mid-winter, fall, and spring. They come out of their hiding places as they are lured out by the light or warmth. Summer is when they go unnoticed because they are searching for earthworms.
Black Flies
The black fly is considered among the small humpbacked fly species. Females of this species are known to suck blood. They are dark in colour and has broad and transparent wings and range from about 2.5 to 3.5 mm long.
Oftentimes, they are called buffalo gnats while some also call it sand flies. Females deposit their fertilized eggs in swift streams and land on rocks. Larvae mature aquatically and adults will emerge at spring.
They are commonly found near rivers and streams or around lakes or ponds. Fast flowing water is needed for the development of the larvae. It is where the larvae are able to get their food supply while they are clinging on underwater debris.
They are commonly found in North America from early May until the middle of June. In other parts, they emerge in huge numbers at around June to July.
Bottle Flies or Blow Flies
These flies come in a variety of colours but are usually in bright blue or green. They are found in most parts of the globe. However, the most common type you’ll see are the green ones.
Such flies usually appear in areas where organic waste and foul odour are coming from. Some of the common areas are places with trash, feces, manure, rotting debris and other areas with similar matter is found. The presence of this fly indicates that there is something rotting near the area or any filth occurred.
With their choice of feeding areas, there is no doubt that these flies are capable of spreading diseases. An interesting fact about this species is that they only consume dead or rotting tissue but don’t touch live tissues. They were used for maggot therapy when antibiotics were not yet used.
Deer Flies
These flies are almost related to horse fly species but these are smaller and are brown or tan in colour. Similar to a horse fly, this species also have a piercing mouth that can inflict pain when humans get bitten.
The nesting sites of these flies are usually a mile away from where you find them. This is the main reason why using fogs and sprays won’t work to achieve complete fly control.
Horse Flies
When you see flies during the hot weather, there is a great chance that you’re seeing this species. They will usually go out during the day in autumn or summer. Most of them like the wet environment, as it makes it easier for them to breed.
Females will lay eggs on vegetation that are overhanging moist soil. Larvae will then hatch and drop onto the most soil and eat smaller organisms till pupal stage.
Stable Flies
Also known as biting flies, these ones not only bit humans but also pets, livestock a well as other mammals. They will usually bite you on the lower parts of your legs like a needle stab.
They are persistent in looking for blood meals, as these meals aid them in reproduction. They usually overwinter in their breeding sites and come out as adults in spring.
House Flies
The most common type of fly that you’ll see is the house fly. One can easily recognize this species because of its dark gray stripes on its prothorax and is gray to brownish colour.
They can be found in almost any dwellings that humans or animals occupy. These are fast breeders with females capable of laying 150 eggs within a 5 to 6-day interval.
Within one season, several generations can be produced. This is why a full-blown infestation can happen in a couple of weeks.
Fruit Flies
These small red-eyed insects are usually found on areas with fermenting or overripe vegetables and fruits. However, these flies can still originate from other sources aside from the presence of fruits.
If there are areas that are consistently moist and wet, it is possible to find these flies and be able to survive. They can also originate in full trash cans and also in items with stagnant water and has a layer of slime on the water line.
Controlling Flies
When trying to control flies, it is advisable that you use Health Canada pest control products. This way, you can make sure that you are using safe products around your home while making sure that it effectively eliminate the infestation.
