Most fly species primarily breed outdoors in decaying material which is most likely teeming with bacteria capable of causing disease. The flies in this group include house flies, little houseflies and blowflies.

Fermenting manure (from dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, etc) is a favourite breeding medium for house flies. The manure must be less than 1 day old to be attractive, so even if you are cleaning manure daily there will still be flies around. Fermenting vegetable refuse and kitchen scraps are attractive breeding sites. Urine soaked disposable nappies are also highly attractive.

The fly's bodies are covered with hairs and bristles which always pick up dirt particles. The end of each leg has cushion type hairy structures that exude sticky secretions which enable them to climb vertical surfaces and also act to transport bacteria. Worse still, the house fly excretes and regurgitates on surfaces all around your home.

Flies regurgitate their saliva onto any potential food source. They then suck the saliva and food mixture up. The regurgitation is the main reason flies transfer salmonella (food poisoning) and gastric infections onto human food.

Considering the habits of flies and the potential for disease transmission, the presence of flies in homes, cafes, or food manufacturing can be dangerous. Flybusters Antiants will treat fly resting surfaces with a odourless contact treatment and provide advice on removal for any potential breeding site by applying integrated methods such as trapping and exclusion.

• Warning! The sudden appearance of large numbers of blow flies usually means a dead rodent or other animal is inside your ceiling or under your house.

TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY!

Common NZ flies you might have around your home:

Vinegar flies (Drosophila Spp.)

A misnomer applied to the Drosophila species - Vinegar Fly - are the small flies with light red eyes that you find in the kitchen in summer whenever fruit has become over ripe. Once you get some in your house they tend to hang around and sometimes fall into your drinks especially beer, wines, cordials and fruit juices. Get rid of the aging fruit.

Common House Fly (Musca domestica)

The maggots are generally found living in rotting vegetable matter and dung, and are a real nuisance when cooking or serving food.

Lesser House Fly (Fannia canicularis)

The males tend to fly in circles around your living room. This generally means that poultry farms are nearby or that there are plenty of birds in your back yard. The females lay eggs in bird manure, but never come inside. The males seen in your house are socialising and waiting for females to mate with. The males are not controlled by surface sprays as they seldom land. A flytrap placed outside is necessary to get control of this species

Cluster Flies (Pollenia pseudorudis)

Cluster flies mate in spring and lay, their eggs in soil. Larvae burrow into earthworms. They get into ceiling cavities and wall voids to shelter from cold weather and hibernate there. They become very annoying when vast numbers appear inside houses when the weather warms. Not easy to control.

Blow Flies (Calliphora spp. Lucilia spp.)

Blow flies are large and strong insects that are often brightly coloured and hairy. The larva of these flies mostly feed on carrion (recently dead animals) but only when it contains a high degree of moisture. Blowflies are highly attracted to thawed out or cooked meats and can be quite a nuisance in warmer places. Blow flies are a real menace to farming communities as they lay their eggs primarily on sheep and the larvae burrow into the animal to feed and grow. This burrowing results in a burning wound which becomes infected with bacteria and can often result in death if not treated quickly. Economically this is very damaging to New Zealand as blow fly strike kills up to 180,000 sheep annually.

Fly Control - HELPFUL HINTS  

• Keep your rubbish dry and bin clean. Empty bin regularly. Situate bin away from your house.
• Keep a tight fitting lid on your rubbish bins.
• Clean up after dogs daily.
• Don’t put grass clippings around plants that are close to the house. They often become laden with maggots because they stay moist.
• Keep compost bins away from the house and turn the compost regularly.
• Don’t leave dirty dishes or uncovered food out.