Feeding of house flies: what foods do insects prefer?

What kind of flies can you find in the house?

It has not yet been established exactly how many species of flies live in nature. The family of these dipterans has several hundred species. However, not all of them need proximity to humans. Among them, those living in the wild stand out, but the number of synanthropic species, at the ecological level associated with human settlements, is impressive.

Synanthropus insects pose a potential threat to human health, which is largely due to what the flies eat. According to the nature of food consumption of adults, several groups are distinguished, and in each of them the specific type of nutrition of the adults corresponds to the method of feeding of the larvae.

So, the following groups of these dipterans live near humans:

Coprophagous - This type feeds on human and animal excrement and food waste. Plant sap is what flies feed on in nature, an additional food resource. The most common species are the grassland Muscidae and the brownie.
Hematophagous - these dipterans in the adult stage prefer human and animal blood, sweat, blood and ichor oozing from wounds, and the larvae require excrement or decomposing animal remains and plant remains. Common representatives are the market fly and the autumn fly.
Polyphages are insects that, as adults, feed on human excrement and food, waste, and secretions from wounds and mucous membranes. The housefly is a typical representative of this type.

House flies and house flies are the most common in homes, but pasture flies, market flies, and autumn flies also enter the house. Usually, with the onset of cold weather, insects disappear; an ambient temperature of 23 degrees Celsius is comfortable for their life.

Feeding process in flies

What do flies eat? These dipterans are considered practically omnivorous. And the lack of teeth is not a hindrance. The feeding process involves a long proboscis - a kind of tongue divided into two tubes. It is through them that the food that the fly eats is absorbed.

This is interesting, but without exaggeration these insects can be called gourmets - they do not eat everything. On the paws of an adult individual there are taste buds that allow you to taste food before the proboscis gets involved.

What do flies eat in the house? It is most convenient for insects to eat liquid food, since solid food is more difficult to eat. The indoor snack lover spends too much energy on eating and digesting it: first, solid food is abundantly moistened with saliva, and only then penetrates the digestive tract.

Typically, these dipterans are not capable of sucking human blood, but the mouthparts of the housefly, which is very similar to a housefly, are designed in a special way. The proboscis, strongly elongated and equipped with chitinous “teeth” at the end, scrapes off the epidermis by friction and lets saliva into the puncture. The zhigalka not only feeds on blood, but also leaves irritation at the site of the bite.

What foods do flies prefer?

There is what flies feed on most readily, and there is food that is used only in the absence of the preferred one. Thus, “favorite” foods include sweet foods: jam, compotes, juices, honey, etc. For the larvae to mature, flies need protein food, and here preference is given to meat, fish, etc., especially decomposing and spoiling foods.

Human housing is an ideal “dining room” for flies, and the food here is very varied. They use ready-made dishes that are not protected by lids and packaging, food waste, and when accessing the toilet (relevant for private homes), excrement. And this is not all that flies eat at home. Animal bowls, children's pots with excrement that were not removed in time, rotting fruit - all this also serves as a place for a feast.

Conclusion

And it carries particles of what the housefly eats from feeding places on its paws and proboscis, thus spreading diseases - helminthic, intestinal, infectious. By preventing insects from accessing human food, the risk of many diseases can be reduced.

Food in the wild

Flies in nature feed on the juices of vegetables, fruits, plants, excrement, and food waste. Products must be either ripe or rotten.

By the end of summer, another type of fly appears in a person's house - the zhigalka. They live most of their lives in the wild, but with the onset of cold nights, they move closer to civilization. Food is found either indoors or in the farm yard, sheds with animals.

This species prefers to feed on the blood of animals and humans. Unlike its domestic relative, its mouthparts end in sharp scales that gnaw through the skin. In addition to blood, burners eat food waste, excrement, fruit and vegetable juices.

Another type of fly that may end up in the house is meat flies. They are somewhat larger than their domestic relatives and have an attractive color with tints of green, blue, and gray. Flesh flies feed on almost the same things, but also the juices of meat, fish, and mucus that forms on open wounds. Decaying mass also often becomes food for them.

What do flies like?

At home, several species of flies live near humans. The most common house fly is the house fly. The synanthropic species is not adapted to life in the wild; it feeds on almost everything that humans eat, as well as garbage, waste, and excrement. The insect prefers liquid food because it is absorbed faster; pests love sweet dishes. They are attracted to products that show signs of rotting. There are also dishes that flies prefer, and those that are eaten if there is nothing better.

fruit, vegetable juice;
jam;
syrup;
sugar;
compote;
lemonade;
honey.

Without much enthusiasm, but if necessary, he eats a fly:

sausage;
porridge;
borsch;
soup;
fermented milk products;
mashed potatoes;
candies;
cakes;
fruits;
vegetables.

On a note!
Flies in the house feed on everything they can get their hands on. Initially, they absorb liquid foods, since less energy is spent on digesting such food, then they move on to solid foods. To be completely satiated, an adult needs only to drink a drop of juice and eat a bread crumb.

How to get rid of flies in an apartment: 4 rules

First of all, it is necessary to identify and thoroughly wash the areas where flies breed. Most often this is a trash can, rotting food, onion peels. This measure will help eliminate most of the eggs and larvae. After this, you can begin to destroy the surviving individuals. To prevent your work from going down the drain, take note of four rules.

High quality cleaning. Deprive insects of comfortable living conditions. Wash cabinets, walls and floors regularly with a vinegar solution. Avoid accumulation of garbage and food waste.
Safety. Give preference to environmentally friendly methods. Only if these prove to be ineffective, resort to the use of chemicals.
Sealing of housing. Strengthen mosquito nets or gauze on windows, vents, and balcony doors. Close the gaps near the windows, under the eaves, and in places where the cable exits.
Prevention. After getting rid of arthropods, it is necessary to take measures to prevent their reappearance.

Appearance

The fly belonging to this species practically no longer lives in the wild. Therefore, she is the most annoying and impudent guest in our homes in the summer-autumn period. At this time, our life is complicated by the constant struggle with these small, but very fast and resourceful insects.

House flies are most active during the daytime. The homeland of this insect is the steppe of Central Asia. But at the moment, its distribution is observed everywhere near human homes - both in rural areas and in cities.

A fly of this species is not a biting or blood-sucking insect, but nevertheless it causes significant harm to humans. Its limbs have tentacles on which various harmful bacteria and dirt accumulate, leading to infectious diseases.

The housefly's body is gray with brown tints. It consists of the abdomen, head and chest. The chest is connected to wings and three pairs of legs. On the head there are very large eyes, occupying almost the entire head, an oral cavity and short antennae. The upper part of the breast has four dark stripes, the belly has black spots in the form of quadrangles. The lower half of the head is yellow. The total body length of the fly usually does not exceed 8 mm. Males are smaller in size than females.

The female has a wider frontal part of the head, and the distance between the eyes is greater than that of the male. The flight of a fly is carried out only with the help of two front membranous transparent wings, and the hind wings (haleteres) are necessary only to maintain balance. In appearance, many types of flies are similar to the house fly, but its distinctive feature is the vein that forms a break in front of the edge of the wing.

The limbs of the housefly are thin and long with suction cups for convenient movement on various surfaces. These suction cups allow her to move freely even on a vertical glass plane and on the ceiling. The fly's flight speed is very high, and it can last for several hours.

Description and variety of species

You can find conflicting information in reference books: some sources talk about 30 thousand species, while others number up to 90 thousand. The name of the insect sounds almost the same in many languages, as it comes from an ancient Slavic root meaning gray.

The structure of the foot is distinguished by the presence of two claws with adhesive pads for collecting dirt. The tongue is covered with sticky mucus and also collects accumulations of debris and harmful bacteria. The legs and body are covered with small hairs, but the insect can only eat with the help of its trunk.

An adult insect, among moist, decomposing food waste, lays a large number of white eggs, about 1.3 mm in size, from which larvae are born in the form of small worms. After a week, the skin of each larva thickens, and the process of transformation into a pupa occurs.

The types of flies are amazingly diverse. They live close to human habitation and animal burrows and are found everywhere except Antarctica, because the eggs laid die at temperatures below +8°C.

Living conditions in the natural environment have given rise to predatory species that obtain blood by biting animals and humans. Such pests include the desert and autumn burner flies, and black flies that live in northern forests attack prey in swarms. The famous tsetse fly spreads incurable sleeping sickness with its bites to its African “neighbors” - animals and humans.

Nutritional Features

The official classification of flies used by scientists is based on the feeding habits of adult insects. Based on what flies eat at home and in the wild, they are divided into:

necrophages,
coprophages,
nectarivores,
hematophages,
polyphages.

Attention! Houseflies are polyphagous - they are omnivorous in nature. Preference is given to organic food with a distinct smell. They do not disdain rotting, decaying products.

Flies eat both liquid and solid food, but they prefer the first option. Before eating a solid product, the insect will have to spend some time producing saliva (to wet the food).

Diptera insects have no teeth; they absorb food with their proboscis. This organ is a kind of “structure” consisting of 2 tubes. The fly uses them to suck up food.

Before feasting on a particular product, the insect tastes it. For this purpose, there are special taste buds at the tips of the paws.

On the antennae of flies there is a group of neurons responsible for the sense of smell. Therefore, insects do not find food by chance, but purposefully follow a smell that is pleasant to them.

The structure of the fly's mouthparts

Non-bloodsucking house flies are more common in apartments. They have a specific structure of mouthparts designed to feed on liquids or substrates that dissolve in the creature's saliva.

The main feature of the muscoid oral apparatus is the change and hypertrophy of the lower lip of the organ. At the same time, the insect's jaws and upper lip are atrophied. Externally, the oral apparatus looks like a proboscis, attached to the sclerites of the head and jaws. They ensure the flexion of the oral organ and its position above the head.

The main part of the proboscis is the rostrum. Along its edges there are paired plates and palps, supplemented by a clypeus. Direct capture of food is carried out by the lower lip, which looks like an open gutter with a subpharyngeal gland. Through it, the fly sucks in food and secretes saliva.

House flies consume nutrient liquids and food suspensions - products of decomposition of organic matter. Semi-solid food reaches the insect after being processed by saliva. The household pest releases it onto the surface of the food, waits for it to dissolve, and then absorbs the result in liquid form.

Feeding process in flies

Nutrition and life cycle

Life cycle of the syrphid fly

Along with bees and bumblebees, syrphid flies are pollinators and feed on nectar and pollen collected from plants and flowers. The sugar consumed from such food gives them the necessary energy, and pollen is needed in the form of protein for egg maturation and reproduction. They give preference to umbelliferous and asteraceous plants; they fly in meadows, visiting dandelions and other flowers, also among fruit bushes and trees.

The first appearance of adult flies occurs at the end of spring; mating usually occurs only in July, but the active summer will continue until the first half of August.

Adult female flies, similar to bees, when laying eggs, look for places where there will be rich food for future offspring, for example, a cluster of aphids or small spider mites. Hoverfly larvae appear after 3-4 days, their length is usually about 1 cm, and they look like maggots. They hardly move, but actively eat aphids; their daily diet is up to 200 individuals, due to which they gradually grow.

Gradually, the grown larva forms into a puparium - a shell similar to a drop of resin, inside which the insect matures. The adult flies out of the cocoon, after 12-14 days, after 1-2 hours it spreads its wings and is able to fly.

The body of the hoverfly pupa is drop-shaped and the outer shell resembles amber. Wintering pupae have a brown tint, summer ones are light with a yellowish tint.

The body of an adult is both elongated and quite massive; the size of the hoverfly varies from 5 to 25 mm. The main feature of the insect is the absence of a covering of hard hairs, which are characteristic of most types of flies - its body is covered with fine fluff.

The color of the adult pest is dark, sometimes almost black, and there are distinct yellowish-red stripes on the back and abdomen - this description of the appearance resembles bees or wasps. This coloring was not given to the individuals by chance: many birds, mistaking them for bumblebees, try to stay away from them for fear of being stung.

After emerging from the pupa, individuals begin mating, and then the females begin laying eggs. Eggs are laid on foliage, stems or branches, and in some cases - directly on the ground, not far from crops used by the hoverfly for food.

The eggs develop for 8-12 days, after which the larvae are reborn, which feed for a month, and then enter the pupal phase. The new generation flies in July-September. With the onset of cold weather, the new generation of caterpillars hides for the winter.

Lifestyle

The housefly is, of course, a subspecies of the common wild fly, which over time became so addicted to, albeit unsafe, but such comfortable and fertile cohabitation with humans, that it spontaneously branched off from its native taxon and formed a new one. This is how house flies appeared - regulars in kitchens, balconies, verandas and rooms.

These insects live mainly in those houses and apartments where there is always something to eat. They are attracted by the smells of something edible, especially rotten fruits, vegetables, and meat products. They have a licking-sucking apparatus, so they do not pose any danger to humans in terms of bite.

The fly is an exclusively diurnal insect. At night they see almost nothing and therefore sleep. During the day they are tireless in their activity.

House flies reproduce very quickly and easily, and can create a considerable problem for a careless owner, under favorable conditions, causing a real invasion. After all, flies appear in the home environment most often under conditions of “sanitary liberalism” on the part of the owners, this should not be forgotten.

We suggest you read: What is the name of the place where wasps live?

In this case, you have to take measures to reduce the number of bred flies to at least an acceptable minimum, but that’s a slightly different story. By the way, about the lifespan of house flies. It ranges from two weeks to a month. If no one tries to shorten the fly’s lifespan, the lifespan of the annoying parasite largely depends on the temperature parameters of its habitat.

Other species of Diptera

What a fly eats and its favorite delicacies depends on the specific species. For example:

Drosophila feed on rotten fruits and lay eggs in them.
Fruits are found in those apartments where sour foods are found. These are small midges that reproduce very quickly. They can also grow in baskets where onions, carrots, and other vegetables are stored.
Carrion eats decaying food.

Thus, the question of what a fly eats cannot be answered unambiguously; it all depends on the specific species.

Classification of flies: types and nutritional groups

The number of species of dipterous insects, which include flies, numbers several thousand. Some of them are synanthropic, i.e. they tend to live closer to people and consume waste, while others live in the wild (forests and fields) and are constantly searching for food.

According to the organization of the feeding process, flies are divided into 3 groups:

hematophagous (bazaar, zhigalka, tsetse, etc.) - blood-sucking, such flies in nature feed on blood, ichor and sweat, the diet of the larvae consists of excrement;
nectarophages (wohlfart fly) - for adult individuals, plant juices serve as food, less often - animal droppings, the larvae develop and feed on organic tissues, since the female lays eggs on wounds and mucous membranes of animals and humans;
coprophages (pasture, house) - they feed on food waste or excrement, in nature they can also consume plant juices;
necrophages (meat), in which adult individuals feed on corpses, as well as food and meat waste, excrement;
polyphages (indoor, etc.) - are omnivores, consuming food products and waste of plant and animal origin, as well as waste products of living organisms, discharge from wounds and mucous membranes as food.

Interesting!
Among the types of flies there are also predatory ones (ktyri), which feed on mosquitoes, cats and even bees. And there are those who eat cheese heads all their lives, their larvae - cheese flies - multiply and grow in them.

Classification

Annoying insects can live both in nature, obtaining their own food, or settle closer to human habitation and use those products that people forget to remove or throw away.
Let's consider what flies eat, and what groups are divided into in science depending on the organization of nutrition. The information is presented in the table. Classification of flies

Group	a brief description of	Examples
Hematophagous	Adults are bloodsuckers and also consume ichor and sweat. Larvae feed on excrement	Bazarnaya Autumn burner
Coprophagous	Food consists of food waste and excrement of people and animals. In nature they can consume plant juices	Brownie
Polyphages	Omnivores: feed on waste, food products, and excrement	Room

Most often in houses and apartments you can find house flies and house flies, but autumn flies and some other species often fly in as well.

Feeding the burners

Autumn burner flies are found on all continents, but more often they settle in places where animals (cows, sheep, etc.) are kept. They appear at the end of summer and early autumn, and with the onset of cold weather they can move closer to human habitation.

The main diet for live baits is blood. To get to it, they have chitinous teeth, with which they scrape off a small piece of skin from the victim to get to the blood vessels.

Important!
They prefer the blood of cattle, and are capable of biting a person only if they accidentally enter his home. This species is dangerous for people because it is capable of carrying infections that are transmitted through the blood (ulcers, trypanosomiasis, tularemia, etc.), after introducing bacteria into the wound, they contribute to the development of sepsis (blood poisoning).

Nutrition of larvae

In order to comfortably go through all stages of development from eggs to pupa, insects need appropriate conditions. Before making a clutch, the female fly first studies the characteristics of the nutrient medium in which she will have to leave her offspring. Additional taste buds located on the abdomen help with this (they are absent in males).

The diet of future larvae depends on the type of insect. Therefore, flies lay eggs in a variety of places:

burner - in a dung heap;
meat - in offal, fish, rotting meat residues;
domestic - in food waste, excrement, rotting vegetables and fruits.

The nutrient medium must be of sufficient size to support all the larvae hatched from the eggs. In this case, the place of development of the worms must be close to the food source of the imago. A young fly emerging from a cocoon will immediately need food.

Ecology of flies

Among the flies there are both inhabitants of the wild and synanthropic species that live near humans. According to the degree of connection with humans, flies are divided into village, semi-village and pasture flies.

Village species are confined to populated areas. They live and reproduce exclusively in the village. Some species, such as the housefly (Musca domestica), are closely related to humans. They live in or near residential areas. They feed on human food, licking sweat, as well as secretions from mucous membranes and wounds. Human feces and food waste serve as sites for the development of larvae. The absence of domestic animals in the habitats of such species does not in any way affect their livelihoods. Other species, on the contrary, are confined only to those populated areas where there are livestock. The connection between such flies and humans is through domestic animals. The source of food for adults is animals, less often humans. The larvae develop in manure. An example is the blood-sucking autumn fly (Stomoxys calcitrans).

Semi-settlement or facultative-settlement species live both in populated areas and in natural conditions. An example of this group is all types of blowflies.

Pasture flies can also fly into settlements, the larvae of which develop in livestock droppings on pastures.

Housefly

What does a housefly eat as a larva? During this period, her food is sewage. To develop, the larvae need protein, so they prefer to feed on decaying meat or fish.

Adult insects can sometimes find food by smell or see something tasty with their compound eyes, but more often they discover food by accident. So, crawling along the surface of the table, a dipteran can “stumble upon” a drop of jam, which will become food. Unlike bees, a well-fed fly will not call on its relatives, preferring to feed alone.

Habitat

Having appeared in regions with temperate climates, houseflies now live in all countries of the world.

Both types of houseflies are very active indoors. Small house flies easily tolerate cool climates and are often found in poultry houses. Both species prefer warm climates, where they can easily find spoiled food and lay eggs on it. In cooler conditions, flies struggle to survive and become less active, which leads to a decrease in their reproduction rate.

We suggest you read: How to deal with house flies

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of unwanted “guests”, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the house, especially in the kitchen: wet cleaning, timely emptying of the trash can, washing dishes, destroying spoiled food. Here are four more recommendations that will protect against the “invasion” of flies.

Proper food storage. Store all food products either in the refrigerator or in a tightly closed container or tied plastic bag.
Animal hygiene. Clean the cat's litter box or cage in a timely manner, as flies feed on excrement. Wash your pet's bowl daily.
"Strengthening" windows. In the warm season, when windows and vents are constantly open, install mosquito nets to prevent insects from entering the apartment.
Repellers. Add essential oils to the water for washing floors, periodically light aroma lamps, hang bunches of dried herbs, the smell of which flies do not like, plant geraniums.

In Ancient Egypt, dipterous insects were considered a symbol of courage and audacity, but now the buzzing arthropod creature personifies importunity. When thinking about how to deal with flies in an apartment, you need to take care of the safety of the methods used for households and pets.

Video on the topic

Synanthropic flies

For humans, synanthropic flies (flies ecologically associated with human settlements) are of greatest importance (and pose the greatest danger to human health). These include, first of all, representatives of the following families: Muscidae - true flies, Calliphoridae - blue or green blowflies, Sarcophagidae - gray blowflies, Piophilidae - cheese flies, Drosophilidae - fruit flies, fruit flies, Hippoboscidae - bloodsuckers and representatives of three families gadflies: Gastric gadflies (family Gasterophilidae), Subcutaneous gadflies (family Hypodermatidae) and Cavity gadflies (family Oestridae)

Who are flies and what do they eat?

Flies are insects from the order Diptera (diptera).
The name of the order comes from the Greek δι- di two and πτερόν pterion wings. Insects of this order use only one pair of wings to fly, and the hind wings have been transformed into organs that act as high-speed rotational motion sensors and allow the dipterous flies to perform complex aerobatic maneuvers. Flies have a movable head with a pair of large compound eyes and mouthparts that perform piercing, cutting, licking and sucking functions. Their wings give them great maneuverability in flight, and their claws and foot pads allow them to cling to smooth surfaces. These insects undergo complete metamorphosis; the eggs are laid on a larval food source, and the larvae, which lack limbs, develop in a protected environment, often in their food source. The pupa is a hard capsule from which the adult emerges.

These insects are capable of laying eggs within any decaying biological material. The rate at which larvae reach the individual adult state, in turn becoming capable of reproducing individuals, is approximately ten days.

Habitat

These insects are found on almost all continents except Antarctica.
More than 150,000 species have been officially described, but the actual species diversity is much greater. Flies have significant ecological importance. They are important pollinators, as they were among the first pollinators responsible for the early pollination of plants. These insects are the second largest group of pollinators after Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, etc.). In humid and cold regions of the Earth, they, as pollinators, are much more important than bees, since compared to bees, they need less food, since they do not need to feed their larvae.

But these insects also cause harm, especially in some parts of the world where they are found in large numbers. Large species such as tsetse flies cause significant economic losses to cattle.

What do flies eat?

The nutritional spectrum of these insects is very wide and varies from species to species. Their diet includes nectar and rotting corpses, fruits and feces, fresh blood and dried bread.

Like other insects, they have chemoreceptors that detect smell and taste, and receptors that respond to touch. The third segment of the antennae and maxillary corpuscles bear the main olfactory receptors, and taste buds are found in the lips, pharynx, legs, wings and female genital organs, allowing flies to taste their food by walking on it. Taste receptors in females at the tip of the abdomen receive information about the suitability of the site for ovipositor.

Flies that feed on blood have special sensory structures that can detect infrared radiation and use it on the body of their hosts. Many blood-sucking species can detect increased concentrations of carbon dioxide that occur near large animals. Species that feed on the blood of vertebrates can transmit some diseases.

Tahini flies (Ormiinae), which are parasites of bush crickets, have sound receptors that help them find their hosts by their singing.

What do larvae eat?

Larvae play important roles at various trophic levels, both as consumers and prey. Larvae can be:

herbivores;
scavengers;
decomposing;
predators;
parasites.

Moreover, consumption of decaying organic matter is one of the most common types of feeding. Flesh-eating larvae have hooks near the mouth. The larvae of some groups feed on or reside in the living tissues of plants and fungi, and some of them are serious pests of agricultural crops. Some aquatic larvae consume films of algae that form underwater on rocks and plants. Many of the parasitic larvae grow inside arthropods and eventually kill their hosts.

What do species that live near humans eat?

Flies are most active when it's warm. They are attracted to human habitation because of the warmth and smells emanating from there.

Adults feed and lay their eggs on organic decaying material which includes: fruits, vegetables, meat, animals, plant excretions and human feces. Both males and females also feed on nectar from flowers.

House flies

These insects eat all human food and human feces. They only feed on liquids, so they are able to convert solid foods into liquid using enzymes in their saliva. They are attracted to various substances, such as:

overripe fruits and vegetables;
human and animal feces;
sweet substances.

Domesticated species are generally limited to human habitats, but these insects can fly several kilometers from where they were born. They are active only during the daytime.

Fruit flies

Fruit flies, or fruit flies as they are also called, are attracted to fermented foods and liquids, which is why they are so common in homes and food processing plants. Fruit flies look for foods such as:

liquids: beer, wine, cider, vinegar;
fruits such as: fruits, vegetables;
sweet products.

Small fruit flies can carry a variety of diseases.

Carrion flies

This name includes several species and representatives of which are quite large insects with a metallic blue, green, bronze or black sheen. They are usually the first insects to appear after the animal dies. These flies prefer fresh or rotten meat , animal carcasses and feces.

Who eats flies

These insects are food for other animals at all stages of their development. The eggs and larvae are eaten by other insects, and some vertebrates specialize in feeding on flies. This:

birds;
the bats;
frogs;
lizards;
dragonflies;
spiders.

Most of them consume flies as part of a mixed diet.

What do flies eat in the house?

Diptera polyphags, which include the familiar house flies, are not picky about food. Insects can be seen on food products, in places where animal and plant waste accumulates.

Flies are not averse to feasting on human and pet feces, as well as secretions from mucous membranes (tears, saliva) and festering wounds.

Among house flies there are also coprophages. They live in garden plots, in pastures, and also fly indoors. These flies tend to feed only on animal and human excrement.

Housefly diet

Although flies are omnivores, they give preference to sweet and tasty food and dishes.

List of foods that flies love:

fruit and vegetable juices;
compotes and sweet lemonade;
sweetened tea;
jam, honey and jams.

They can also feed on leftovers from any food products and dishes:

sausage;
soups, porridges, borscht;
mashed potatoes;
cakes and sweets, etc.

On a note!
For complete saturation, flies need very little: a bread crumb or a drop of juice. However, you need to eat often, so insects are constantly in the process of searching for food, flying from one place to another.

In the absence of fresh food, they find rotting fruits or vegetables, leftover food in the trash can, etc.

house fly

These insects are omnivores, so feeding is not a problem for them. How do such insects feed?

Taste buds are located on the legs, thanks to which the fly tastes the selected food.
They suck up food using a special forked proboscis tongue, which simultaneously softens it.
The food then enters the digestive system.
Due to the lack of teeth, they prefer liquid food.

What do house flies eat? Some of their favorite treats include:

Sweet tea.
Juices and lemonades.
Fruit juices.
Jam, jam.
Honey.

Often these insects are interested in solid food, but it needs to be abundantly moistened with saliva, so most often the fly will choose a sweet liquid. However, if necessary, insects will feed on fresh or rotting fruits and vegetables.

How to protect your home from flies?

Having thoroughly frightened the reader with the possible consequences of the invasion of these insects, we will allow ourselves to give some advice on how to prevent the appearance of flies in the house. Preventative measures to prevent “fly infestations” in your home can be derived from the reasons for their occurrence.

Let us highlight the following points, most of which relate to basic hygiene inside the home, namely:

empty the sink of dirty dishes in a timely manner, since there is no greater temptation for flies than to profit from leftover food on dirty plates, this is their bread and butter;
do at least weekly wet cleaning of the kitchen and rooms;
in the summer, a mosquito net should be placed on the windows; such a barrier can solve the problem of most insects entering the apartment;
do not leave fruits, vegetables, and especially meat products out of the refrigerator for a long time - insects will certainly take advantage of the moment to lay their larvae;
use known folk, mechanical and chemical means of repelling and killing insects.

Let's dwell a little more on the last point. Traditional methods include, for example, planting plants such as geranium or tansy near places where flies enter the home area (windows, balconies), the smell of which flies cannot stand. You can also use good old fly swatters and fly traps, both store-bought and homemade. Sticky tapes will also be a good tool in the fight against insects, as well as all kinds of chemical agents.

What do flies fear most?

Since flies do not have organs that produce poisons, nor sufficiently hard protective covers, nor the ability to mimic (color the body to match the color of the surrounding environment), there are many hunters to feast on their flesh.

Fly close up

Therefore, these dipterans survive in this world not only thanks to the speed of reaction to the situation, but also due to their very high sensitivity. It is this quality that a person uses in the fight against the ubiquitous and voracious insects, answering the topic of what flies are afraid of.

Using plant scents

The most technically simple solution is to use plants with odors that are especially unpleasant to them against insolent insects.

They cause a change in chemistry in the processes occurring in the nervous system of the fly, which serves as an analogue of an alarm signal among higher animals.

Specific odors cause disgust in flies:

lavender;
tomato greens;
wormwood;
tansy;
mint.

The aura of such aromatic herbs growing in the garden as rosemary and basil also helps to ward off impudent flyers.

Basil bush

None of these plants, which cover the topic of what flies are afraid of, require much effort to grow or collect - you just need to stretch your hand over a bed or natural patch of grass. Hung in bunches in the rooms, they reliably protect the house from the penetration of harmful “visitors” and will work until the smell from them completely disappears.

Application of essential oils

You can keep flies away from your home for a long time by burning incense - essential oils that evaporate when heated in an aroma lamp.

Lavender oil

Insects absolutely cannot tolerate the aroma of oils:

geraniums;
eucalyptus;
lavender;
clove;
rosemary

A common household spice like cloves is also a source of essential oil evaporation, as is:

Bay leaf;
anise;
turmeric;
citrus fruits (lemon, orange, lime).

It has been noticed that there are no flies around oriental cuisine establishments, despite the abundance of flour and bread temptations for them.

“War” with flies in folk style

The simplest measure (and one that does not have a service life) is to plant plants near the entrance to the house, under the windows or along the perimeter of the area that are “foul-smelling” in the sense of flies:

black elderberry;
walnut;
jasmine;
bird cherry;
juniper;
thuja.

This is the most elegant answer to the question of what smells flies are afraid of.

But lilac, on the contrary, during the flowering period will gather on its brushes the entire “insect” population of the area, which will simply have no reason to enter the apartment (if there is so much nectar nearby).

A device that somewhat restrains the onslaught of pests is the nets on the windows (mosquito protection), and those that break through can be met with a cloud of sprayed insecticide:

Dichlorvos;
"Dohloksa";
Karbofos.

Karbofos from insects

To avoid the need to evacuate the entire family, including pets, from the house, you can use:

ultrasonic repellers;
sticky traps.

The latter are ribbons suspended in rooms, impregnated with an adhesive composition that has an odor attractive to insects.

Fly tape

The latest “fashion” is electric fly swatters, which kill any insect that touches their surface with a weak electric discharge.

Electric fly swatter

Residents of warm countries can get a chameleon, which deftly “shoots” its tongue, to which insects easily stick, or get insectivorous plants:

"Venus flytrap";
sundew.

For a while, until the smell wears off, lubricating the frame bindings with vodka (cologne), kerosene, and vinegar will help, because flies are afraid of these smells.

Venus flytrap

The remains of beer at the bottom of an open bottle will make an excellent trap for flies; it will rarely fly out.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the fears of a fly are multiple and varied, it is drawn to human habitation by hunger.

It is here that she can easily find food for herself, but at the same time she always makes many different movements, which cannot please the owners of the house.

But the question “what are flies afraid of” should not be immediately answered with irrepressible aggressive emotionality - you should just observe where the “flying armada” is leaking from.

And then, having eliminated the “gap in the perimeter,” methodically deal with those who flew in and could not find a way out.

What does a blowfly eat?

As their name implies, the main diet consists of meat, lard, as well as carrion and the flesh of dead animals (in the forest or in nature). Adults and their larvae can consume other foods:

rotten fruits and vegetables;
grasshopper larvae, beetles.

Due to the fact that blowflies land with their paws on corpses and rotting food, they become carriers of infectious diseases. However, in nature they are beneficial, destroying rotting remains (they can completely eat the corpse of a small rodent) and accelerating the decomposition processes of animal corpses

What do different types of flies and their larvae eat?

Understanding what flies eat is one way to prevent them.
By properly storing, disposing of food, and cleaning areas where food is consumed or prepared, the likelihood of these pesky insects can be greatly reduced. Flies are an important group of insects and have a significant impact on the environment. Some species, such as leafminers, fruit flies Tephritidae and Drosophilidae, and gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) are pests of agricultural crops; others such as the tsetse fly, the blowfly and the botfly attack livestock, transmitting diseases that create significant economic losses.

Some species, such as drain flies (Psychodidae), affect human health by serving as vectors of major tropical diseases: midges cause river blindness, sand flies cause leishmaniasis. These insects are a nuisance to humans, especially when present in large numbers; they contaminate food and spread foodborne illnesses.

Lifespan

We looked at what the Drosophila fly and some other species of these dipterans feed on. Let's find out how long they live and whether they can live without food.

The average lifespan of fruit flies under favorable conditions is short, only 10-20 days. However, if the temperature is up to +18 °C, and there is a lot of food, pests can live for more than 2.5 months. Diptera are almost never left without food, since they find food everywhere both in human homes and in nature. If necessary, they can eat food in garbage dumps and landfills. In winter, the insect goes into suspended animation and can survive without food until the first warm days. It should be remembered that newly awakened flies are very lethargic and it will not be difficult to kill them.

In forests, dipterans have a lot of natural enemies (birds, frogs, spiders), so they rarely survive more than 10 days.

We looked at what flies eat and were convinced that these creatures are able to survive almost anywhere, since they are not picky about food.

Lifespan of the common fly

Sometimes it seems that flies are indestructible and live longer than the Serpent Gorynych. As soon as the sun warms up, you can immediately hear its buzzing. Such a nuisance can happen if a fly from the last autumn brood remains to overwinter not far from the dwelling. It is not for nothing that this insect received the name Musca domestica or house fly; it can only survive in proximity to humans. Although, most often it is a person who ends the life cycle of the common fly.

At different latitudes, the lifespan of a housefly can vary. The optimal conditions that guarantee maximum life of the fly are:

humidity about 80%;
temperature above 23 °C.

In such cases, with sufficient nutrition and the absence of dangers, the fly can live for more than 2 months. Well, how long a fly lives in an apartment depends on the owner of the home; usually this time does not exceed three weeks.

Some interesting facts

Among these insects there are many species with unusual feeding preferences. Let's look at what flies eat in natural conditions:

There is a special type, cheese flies, that can breed and feed inside the cheese wheel. They are called pyophilides.
The striped yellow-and-black syrphid, or hoverfly, a wasp-like dipteran, eats flower nectar.
The larvae of hover flies are distinguished by an enviable appetite: during their development to an adult, each of them eats more than 2 thousand aphids.
The dangerous Tsetse fly prefers the blood of wild animals, cattle, and people as food. The bite of this African resident can cause incurable diseases of the nervous system and immunity.

Among the flies there are also real predators, for example, ktyri, owners of a sharp poisonous sting. Their food includes mosquitoes, midges, even bees and flies. Interestingly, some types of flies are cultivated by fishing fans. Thus, the blue spring fly is specially bred on bird droppings, pig manure, its food is rotting organic remains, and the insects are also fed with sugar and dry milk.

https://apest.ru/muhi/o-muhah/chem-pitayutsya-muhi/
https://WikiParazit.ru/babochki-i-moshki/pitanie-muh.html
https://komarmuha.ru/chto-edyat-muhi
https://dezbox.ru/dezinsekciya/chem-pitayutsya-muxi-v-domashnix-usloviyax/
https://klopkan.ru/muhi/chem-pitayutsya-muhi-v-prirode-iv-domashnih-usloviyah/
https://notklop.ru/muhi/2-fakty/29-chem-pitayutsya-muhi/
https://bioros.net/vsyo-obo-vsyom/chem-pitayutsya-muhi.html
https://www.syl.ru/article/362975/chto-edyat-muhi-raznoobraznyie-lakomstva-dlya-dvukryilyih

Natural enemies of the tsetse fly

Photo: Tsetse fly

Tsetse has no enemies in its natural habitat. Some small birds may catch them for food, but not systematically. The fly's main enemy is man, who fiercely strives to destroy it for obvious reasons. The insect participates in the natural chain of transmission of African pathogenic trypanosomes, which are the causative agent of sleeping sickness in humans and domestic animals.

At birth, the tsetse fly is not infected with the virus. Infection with harmful parasites occurs after an individual drinks blood from an infected wild animal. For more than 80 years, various methods of combating the most dangerous insects on Earth have been developed and applied. Many of the advances in baiting techniques have come from a better understanding of fly behavior.

The importance of visual factors in attracting tsetse flies to bright objects has long been appreciated. However, it took much longer to understand the true importance of smell in attraction techniques.

Artificial baits for tsetse control work by mimicking some of the organism's natural characteristics, with cattle used as an "ideal" test model.

The most effective way to get rid of tsetse is to sterilize the males. It consists of directed radioactive radiation. After sterilization, males who have lost their reproductive functions are released to places where the largest population of healthy females is concentrated. After mating, further reproduction is impossible.

This honeydew is most effective in areas isolated by water. In other regions it also bears fruit, but only temporarily reduces insect reproduction.

Varieties

There are several varieties of blowflies, which differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in their feeding and behavior characteristics.

blowfly

The most common types of blowflies are:

gray meat;
Wohlfarth fly;
green carrion;
blue carrion.

Each of them, appearing in the house, causes a lot of trouble.

Gray blowfly

Some people confuse the gray blowfly with the housefly. Indeed, they have similar features, but the gray fly is much larger, can reach 2.5 cm. The color varies from ash-gray to dark gray. There are black stripes or spots on the body. The head is round with two large burgundy eyes.

Gray

Gray blowflies have an excellent sense of smell and can smell decaying meat from a great distance. Females are viviparous, most often laying larvae on carrion, as well as feces, rotting fruits, and decaying organic matter, which is what they feed on. Adults eat nectar.

Wohlfart fly

The body dimensions of this fly are 7 – 10 mm, the color is gray with dark spots on the abdomen. Unlike other species, the Wohlfarth fly is not interested in carrion. The female lays eggs on mucous membranes or on wounds on the body of animals (much less often than humans). The larvae parasitize animals, most often sheep, horses, and cattle. They penetrate the body and feed on soft and muscle tissues. Adults are nectarivores, feeding exclusively on nectar.

Wohlfartovaya

Green blowfly

Beautiful emerald green flies with a glossy abdomen reach sizes of 6 – 10 mm. Most often they can be found in slaughterhouses, near cesspools, in excrement and carrion.

These flies react very quickly to the appearance of dead bodies nearby. They lay eggs on corpses, and the emerging larvae feed on the tissues, promoting their rapid decomposition. Green blowflies can also lay eggs in open wounds. The ability of the larvae to eat only decaying tissue, without touching healthy tissue, has led to the beginning of research on the use of green carrion insects to treat tissue necrosis.

Blue carrion fly

The blue carrion fly is an insect measuring from 7 to 14 mm, dark blue in color, covered with lighter hairs. Females are attracted to the smell of blood and corpses and lay eggs on open wounds or fresh corpses.

Blue carrion fly

Because blue flies are often found on corpses, they are used to determine the time of death in forensic examinations. Sterile carrion fly larvae are used to treat purulent wounds.

External structure

At first glance, the structure of a fly seems simple. But if you delve into how many features this living organism has, it becomes obvious that not everything is so simple.

The skeleton of a fly consists of three main parts, like those of most insects:

head;
breast;
abdomen.

The head of the pest has a mouthparts, antennae, and a vision organ. The chest is equipped with three segments with a pair of transparent wings, and there are also 3 pairs of limbs on it. The chest part is filled with a powerful muscular system.

Fly head

Entomologists know how many eyes an ordinary fly has, as well as other features of the organs of vision and touch that the fly’s head is endowed with:

Eyes. The organ of vision of a buzzing parasite consists of a large number of simple ocelli. Visually, this represents a faceted grid. The pest sees objects comprehensively, but their image turns out to be mosaic. Each facet sees a small fragment, and they are all combined into a single picture by the brain. Each organ of vision, located on the sides of the head, includes up to 4000 facets. And on the crown there are also 3 simple eyes. It turns out that the fly has only 5 eyes.
Mustache. This is a kind of olfactory organ of the pest. They are antennas or movable jointed appendages of the head that serve as landmarks. The antennae help in capturing odors at long distances and also determine the direction of movement. The antennae of females and males are visually different.
Oral apparatus. It is a sucking proboscis of a fly, of the licking type. The extended lobes of the upper and lower lips come into contact with food. The pest's jaws are powerful. The mouthparts of the parasite, which feeds on blood, are additionally equipped with hard, sharp scales. They perform the function of teeth, helping to pierce the skin of humans or animals. To draw in fluid, the parasite has a pharyngeal pump.

There are more of them in the male sex, and the female has a better developed olfactory system, with the help of which she finds favorable conditions for laying eggs and for the further development of offspring.

Breast

The thorax or thorax is distinguished in all segmented invertebrates. In buzzing parasites it is divided into 3 segments. Bone structures and muscle fibers allow flight, so the middle part of the chest is especially developed.

When considering this section, it becomes clear how many legs such creatures have. Entomologists distinguish 3 pairs of limbs. Each is divided into 5 segments and equipped with its own muscle system.

Each paw ends with claws and suction cups, allowing the parasite to confidently hold on to any surface, even the most uncomfortable.

When moving, the soft pads compress and a sticky secretion is released. This feature helps them hold and move freely on window glass or a smooth surface.

With the help of its paws, the parasite not only actively moves, but also uses it to determine the taste and quality of food. After a few seconds of analysis, he starts eating or looks for a new treat.

Wings of a fly

Entomologists know how many wings such a parasite has. They explain that only the upper wings of the fly are preserved and they are well developed. This exoskeleton appendage is transparent and membranous. The posterior pair is deformed and forms halteres.

They provide support during flight, allow you to hover without moving for a while, and also produce a peculiar buzzing sound. To strengthen the thin wings, cylindrical veins are provided.

During the flight, the parasite turns off one of the wings one by one. It is capable of abruptly changing the trajectory of movement, performing complex maneuvers, and also abruptly taking off without additional acceleration.

Abdomen

Also of interest is the abdomen and how many segments it contains. This part of the body is elongated, cylindrical in shape. Consists of 10 parts and also includes reproductive, respiratory and digestive organs.

The abdomen is covered with elastic chitin, which increases with food intake and before eggs are laid. How much a parasite weighs constantly changes depending on its condition.

The danger posed by the fly and its larva

Almost all types of flies pose some danger to human health. The fact is that the insect’s body is covered with hard bristles, its proboscis is covered with sticky mucus, its legs have many protruding hairs - all these factors allow it to carry on its body many bacteria and pathogenic microbes, which it can leave behind when sitting on food, an open body wound. This is how dipterans mechanically transmit dangerous infectious diseases. These can be viruses, pathogenic bacteria and parasitic diseases.

Most often, pests spread intestinal infections by landing on food or household items associated with eating.

Flies always have contact with feces, after which they sit on food, dishes or hands - this fact is most often the cause of infection. Fly larvae cause considerable harm to living organisms and are causative agents of parasitic diseases. The most dangerous is myiasis - it develops as a result of the laying of eggs on the body of a living organism.

For example, in countries with warm climates, the blowfly lays eggs in the fur or on the wound of an animal; the larvae eat its flesh and often lead to its death. There are often cases when a fly leaves its offspring in fresh or lightly salted fish, as a result of which this product can pose a serious danger to human health.

It is important to carefully consider before purchasing the products that are most often affected by this insect.

Of course, this includes fish and animal meat, as well as all sweet foods and juicy fruits.

Commercial use

The hovering fly is used for commercial purposes, because why use chemicals when there is a natural enemy of many pests, which is capable of producing enough offspring in a short time to destroy all the aphids on the site without using even 1 gram of poison.

Do Hover flies sting or bite?

Hover flies can't sting or bite, but when they lick you, you can feel it and you might think you're about to be bitten, but they're just after your sweat.