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Identifying The Most Common Small Flies
“Small flies have replaced the cockroach as the premier pest in restaurants and in food handling accounts. The major problem is that you only see 20% of the actual problem” * says Stephen A. Kells, Ph.D. and an industry expert on small flies. Pest control companies for years have explained to business owners that the reason they have the fly problem is that they have bad sanitation practices. The company every month would write on the service ticket that the reason they have a fly problem is that they have a “sanitation problem”. The business would then counter by saying “Can’t you do anything to control this problem, I am paying you for pest control”. Sanitation is a big part in controlling small flies, but it is not the end all answer. At TNT Exterminating we have the answer to your growing fly problem. Our extensive experience in the field and research with independent scientists and product manufactures, all leaders in the pest control industry, has led us to our current fly program. Click here for details. * Stephen Kells, Ph.D., B.C.E. is Technical Support Manager with Abell Pest Control, Inc. in Toronto Canada. He is a graduate of Purdue University, Department of Entomology. Information taken from a lecture at Purdue University 1/9/01 WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL FOR A FREE INSPECTION! |
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Fruit Flies, also know as vinegar
flies, are arguably the most popular and annoying fly in commercial businesses
today.
The adults are around
1/8” long including the wings and their bodies are a brownish yellow
or black. The most recognizable marking on the fruit fly is it’s
bright red eye. Adult females lay about 500 eggs near the surface of
fermenting fruits and vegetables. These eggs hatch in about 30 hours
and this larva feed on primarily the yeast of decaying matter for about
5-6 days. Before adulthood, these larvas seek drier areas of the food
or go elsewhere. As adults, mating occurs in 2 days. The life cycle (adult
to adult) may be completed in 8-10 days making the reproductive potential
enormous.
The
Moth fly, also known as the drain or sewage fly, get their name from
their fuzzy appearance
and where they can normally be found. The adults
are around 1/16” long. Their color is a pale yellowish to brownish
gray. Adults lay 30-100 eggs along the water-free portions of drainpipes.
Both the larva and adults feed on algae, bacteria, fungi and sludge.
The eggs hatch in 32-48 hours, the larva stage lasts 8-24 days and the
pupal stage lasts 20-40 hours. The developmental stage (egg to adult)
is 7-28 days and adults typically live about 2 weeks.
Phorid
flies, also known as humpbacked flies, are mainly nuisance pests but
can be a great
problem in food handling facilities. Because it frequents
unsanitary areas, it could potentially carry disease-casing bacteria.
The adults are about 1/64” long and are black, brown or yellowish
in color. Female’s lay 40 eggs over a 12-hour period and larva
emerge in 24 hours. The entire life cycle is around 14 days.