Fact Sheet
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      House Fly- Pest Fact

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      Common name

      House Fly

      Scientific name

      Musca Domestica

      Identification

      Characteristics

      Specifications

      Size (Adults)

      8 – 12mm (females slightly larger than males)

      Body shape

      6 legs with antenna, whole body covered with hair-like projections

      General body colour

      Grey thorax, has four longitudinal dark lines on the back, eyes are red and compound

      Features

      One of the most widely distributed insects in the world

      Wings

      One pair of wings

      Others

      Each female fly lays about 500 eggs in her lifetime

      Pest Behavior 

      • Carrier of serious diseases like Cholera, Salmonella, Typhoid etc
      • Maggots and flies feed on dead or decaying organic material (carcasses, feces, garbage etc)
      • Houseflies can only take in liquids, so they spit out saliva which contains enzymes that help to liquefy food. They then suck up the liquefied food using their probocis

      General Control Habits/Safety

       

      1. Identification
      • Rests in the night on hanging objects and fencing etc
      • Feeds in dirty, unhygienic areas (garbage areas, toilets etc)
      • Maggots can be spotted on decaying matter (eggs are white, maggots are cream-colored)

      2. General Control Techniques
      • Call ORIGIN and a technician will assist you
      • Common treatment methods include monitoring of the fly population and species by installing an insect light trap (ILT), as well as baiting

      3. Prevention
      • Bag and dispose of garbage in a thoughtful manner (this includes tying the bag securely and immediate disposal)
      • Practice better sanitation and hygiene habits

      • Glossary

        • Projections – Object or part that sticks out

        • Longitudinal – Line parallel to the direction of a specified length

      ORIGIN Exterminators is the first pest management company in the world to be awarded ISO 14001 EMS certification