House Fly Facts & Information

House flies are usually gray in appearance and display four black stripes on their thorax. They have slightly hairy bodies, a single pair of wings, and compound red eyes. They clock in at about ¼ inch with the females growing to be larger than the males. Flies usually signify a larger sanitation issue that needs to be addressed so if a fly exterminator is telling you they can take care of them completely, they aren’t telling you the whole truth.

House fly eggs are deposited in decaying matter such as grass clippings, garbage, and human and animal excrement. Horse manure is the preferred breeding medium, but they aren’t all that picky. About l00-l50 eggs are deposited by each female on appropriate food. Eggs may hatch in 7 l/2 hours when temperatures are high enough to hit about 99 degrees F but it could take two days if the temperature is only 59 degrees F. Eggs hatch into worm-like creatures called maggots. Maggots lack definite heads, eyes, antennae, or legs. Their bodies are pointed at their front end and gradually widen at the rear.

Not the fly you have?