Blue flies or Blow Flies are also called bottle flies; they are a larger fly and are easy to recognize. You can identify them because they are a metallic bluish color that differentiates them from the others. How long do flying flies live? It is a question that most people ask themselves.
Below you will obtain all the information you need to learn more about Blowflies and know how long they live.
What Are Blow Flies?
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The flying flies or blue flies are a species that can be found all over the world. They are also called blowflies and are known for their bright blue-green color and larger than house flies. They belong to the Calliphoridae family, and their most peculiar characteristics are the buzz they make when they fly.
They have an average size of 8 to 10 mm, which is 0.3 to 0.4 inches. That is why they are slightly larger than house flies, although they are similar in their habits.
Blue and bottle fly generally feed on rotten meat or garbage and feed on live animals’ wounds. They will always look for food with a bad smell or rotten meat to eat, that is why they are considered pests because they can transmit diseases.
They can produce mechanical contamination of food, can transmit diseases such as e. Coli and salmonella.
If you see them inside your house, act fast, and get rid of them because they can reproduce quickly and lay eggs. You can have a significant infestation of these nasty pests and don’t get rid of them in time.
This fly gets its name from “hit” by the infestation they can inflict on rotting animal carcasses during their larval or worm stage when the carcass is still swollen. Bottle flies or blue flies can lay hundreds of eggs in rotten meat, and these will hatch into larvae and eat the meat until there is nothing left.
How To Identify A Blow Fly?
It is easy for you to identify a Blow Fly by its color; you can identify them by their metallic greenish-blue color. Another characteristic that differentiates them from the others is that they are larger than common flies. They can be up to half an inch long; if you look at them with a magnifying glass, you can see tiny hairs on the body.
Another easy way for you to identify them is by looking at where they are. Bluefly is usually near dead animals. They are also close to manure and garbage. Most species of these bottle flies have blunt mouths.
How Long Do Blowflies Live?
How long do flying flies live? Generally, a blue or flying fly can live for 7 to 20 days. As already mentioned before, these flies emit an audible buzz when they fly, and that is why they can be detected more easily. It can breed near spoiled meat or spoiled food.
They can lay their eggs in the open wounds of cattle and other animals. They are scavenger pests and can also consume nectar rich in carbohydrates.
Life Cycle Of A Blow Fly
This Bluefly always reproduces in the warmer months of the year. Both the pupa and the larvae can withstand harsh winters, but the adult flies cannot. A bottle or blue fly can lie between 2,000 and 3,000 eggs in its lifetime.
The eggs are pale yellow or gray. The eggs’ incubation time is 4 to 5 days; in more humid and warmer climates, the time can be up to 24 hours. After hatching, the larvae are rice-shaped and can be 9 to 22 mm long.
Depending on where these larvae and worms feed, they can complete their development between 4 and 10 days. After the period, the larvae can burrow into the tissues to search for pupal sites. This pupal period can last up to a week. After pupation, the flies will emerge, and the life cycle will continue.
It can be said that the life cycle of blue flies can be divided into six parts:
- First is the eggs they lay are in the areas of the animals’ wounds, in the garbage, or around the openings such as the ears, eyes, and nose.
- Then, the eggs hatch to become larvae, which is the first stage of worms. (It can be in 24 hours).
- The larvae can feed and molt into the second worm stage.
- When they continue feeding, they can transform into third stage worms.
- After this phase, they become pupae in the ground.
- After pupation, the adult flies come out to start the life cycle again.
As you can see, the life cycle of blue flies begins when the female lays her eggs. The life cycle can take 2 to 3 weeks to complete. Female flies have to consume protein before they can mate, whereas male flies are sexually mature when they hatch.
Also Read: How to Get Rid of Blow Flies Naturally
Factors Affecting Blow Fly Lifespan
Many people always wonder how long do flying flies live? To know how to act if you see one pest in your home. Factors that can affect the lifespan of blue flies are:
- Cold climate (less than 17 ° C)
- Strong heat that is higher than 38 ° C
- Very dry climates
- A wind that is over 30 km per hour
Favorable conditions for this blowfly include humid and hot weather.
Inspection Of Blowflies Infestation
When you detect that you have Blowflies in your home, you can continue inspection to know how big the infestation is. This way, you will know which treatment to use at home to eliminate them correctly.
You will see blowflies around garbage containers near your garden where they can find organic material and feces outside the house. They can also be near compost piles. If blue flies inside your home, it may mean you have something rotting nearby that attracted them.
You can search the kitchen, under or near your appliances, in your garbage bags, or near the lamps. These blue flies look for strong odors such as dead animals, matter, or rotting food. Inside your house, check your rooms where you have seen the fly. It may have entered from a dead rodent, and look for this odor that may have attracted these flies.
When you find the problem location, you can use the treatment to eliminate them. If you only see one and see no more flies, it may be an isolated case of a fly that entered your house and then came out again; if so, you should not worry.
