Natural Fly Predators: Friend or Foe?

Flies and Their Important Role on the Food Chain

By sustaining fly predators, flies help maintain healthy populations further up the food chain. If flies were to disappear, countless predators that rely on them for food would be left without a key part of their diet, and the essential process of decomposition would slow down—disrupting the delicate balance of ecosystems.

When the flies are not being eaten as nourishment, they help break down decaying food so other animals and insects can consume it. The next time you think about how annoying the fly is to you, remember that it’s lifesaving to a hungry animal.

9 Natural Predators of the Fly

Natural fly predators keep the number of flies to a manageable number. If you’ve noticed a higher number of insects this year, then the real issue might be an overabundance of flies, and these other insects have stepped in to restore the balance. This natural scenario is particularly common in rural areas with livestock and other animals, which serve as additional attractants.

It’s good to have fly hunters in your vicinity as a form of natural pest control. Here are the most common insects and animals that see the fly as prey.

1. Spiders

People with arachnophobia might not agree, but sometimes spiders are the good guys. These fly predators use their webs to capture all sorts of insects to eat. How often have you cleaned a spider web from your back deck and found a fly trapped inside its web?

Arachnids not only catch flies but also preserve them with silk strands from their web. They tightly wrap them to prevent escape. They then leisurely consume their prey. The sheer number of flies they can devour is astounding. Did you know that an average-sized spider can consume one to four flies every day? That’s a significant contribution to pest control.

Next time you’re about to tear down a spider’s web, consider this: a single spider, with a large appetite, can consume up to 28 flies in a week and a staggering 112 in a month So, before you remove that web acting as an insect trap, think about the role the spider is playing in reducing the number of flies in your vicinity. While spiders aren’t picky eaters, a fly is like a gourmet meal to them.

Each spider species is different in how they capture their next meal. While some wait for the fly to get tangled in the trap, other fly predators hunt for them. The wolf spider is different—they don’t use webs to ambush their prey. Instead they stalk them and attack without warning.

Before jumping and running for the broom at the next glimpse of a spider, remember these creatures benefit the environment and control flies around your home. As long as it’s not the brown recluse or the black widow, keeping a few spiders around can help with insect control.

2. Frogs

A fly doesn’t stand a chance when there’s a frog nearby. Did you know that their tongue can extend up to two times longer than the length of their body? Their tongues have incredible length, and their speed is uncanny—they can move their tongues 5x faster than you can blink!

For frogs, survival is a game of speed and strategy. In the competitive world of ponds, these fly predators need to be quick to secure their food. Smaller tree frogs may not be able to tackle the gigantic horseflies, but they play a crucial role in controlling fruit flies and other smaller species. As for the larger prey like house flies, the full-size frogs have no trouble devouring them.

While the idea of frogs hopping around your home may not be appealing, a ‘frog pond’ used for decoration outside can be a game-changer. Imagine the joy of watching these fascinating creatures in action, significantly reducing the insect population around your home. It’s a win-win situation for both you and the frogs.

3. Fish

If you’re considering putting in a frog pond, you should add a few fish for even better pest control. Koi and other ornamental fish can be beautiful but also beneficial. Fish, being a natural predator of flies, love to eat them, and they’re a large portion of their diets. Flies typically land on the surface of the body of water, and it’s a race between the fish and the frogs as to who gets it first.

Have you ever heard of fly fishing? It was named after the fly, as this method mimics the insect landing on the water. The fish grasp the fake flies or bait, and the angler captures them.

4. Lizards

A relative of the frog is the lizard. They both eat flies and are both part of the Amphibian family. There are numerous species of lizards, and they are all over the charts in size and shape. Even the environment they prefer can be diverse.

While there are many lizards, none love flies as much as the chameleon. These lizards have intense capture abilities as their tongue can extend four feet from their mouth. No fly in sight is safe when this lizard is around.

One of the reasons why flies stand no chance against these creatures is their saliva. Both frogs and lizards have sticky saliva that ensures once they capture a fly, it’s not going to escape after all that hard work.

5. Praying Mantises

Praying mantises are among the most interesting insects around, especially since they are fast-moving and very powerful. They are also patient and can watch their prey long before they attack. Another fascinating fact about them is that, like chameleons, they can camouflage their bodies to hide while they hunt flies and other prey.

The praying mantis has claws that they use to capture flies, and though these claws are tiny, they’re very efficient in hunting. Once the fly is within reach, it takes 50 milliseconds for the insect to respond. Their speed makes them efficient fly predators because the poor fly won’t know what hit them.

Did you know that you can easily purchase praying mantises online? Whether you’re looking to add a unique pet to your home or seeking a natural solution to your garden’s pest problems, these intriguing insects are just a few clicks away.

6. Bats

While bats love to eat mosquitoes, they are also common fly predators. Some bats are herbivores who prefer the sweet taste of juicy fruits. However, insectivores are bats that eat insects. Some can eat both types of nourishment.

The exciting thing about bats is that they usually travel with their family members. Together, they love to find a massive group of flies or mosquitoes hovering near a light or another area, as they can swoop in and catch their dinner in mid-air.

Ironically, they can eat up to their body weight each day in insects and bugs, which means those ‘bats in the belfry’ might not be such a bad thing after all.

7. Birds

Birds eat flies, worms, and all sorts of things for their nutrition, but they prefer the taste of flies best. In fact, birds love flies so much that they have no problem digging through rotting food and picking out maggots for themselves or their young ones. Since flies love to lay their eggs in decaying matter, birds know that going through a pile of fecal matter is sure to provide food.

Larger birds like chickens also love to snack on flies. They’re not picky and will eat just about any insect—and flies are always readily available.

8. Opossums

Opossums are lovers of ticks, and they help keep the disease brought by ticks at bay. However, they love to dig through the trash when they live in a more suburban environment. If there’s one place fly predators can count on flies to be, it’s near the trash can.

Flies often lay their eggs in trash piles because the offspring will have food when they hatch as larvae. If there’s one thing you’ll find in your local dumpster, it’s maggots. The opossum is not picky. While they prefer ticks, they will take whatever they can get their hands on.

Fun Fact: Opossums and possums are two different animals! Many people in the US just use the term possum, but it’s incorrect. Possums are native to places like China and Australia, and they don’t live here. However, the opossum is the technically correct term and they live in North America.

While you probably don’t want to take an opossum as a pet, you might think twice about running them out of your yard or using live traps. They can be more beneficial than you realize.

9. Dragonflies

Dragonflies are beautiful fly hunters. Consequently, many people don’t realize these stunners have incredible speeds, reaching up to 35 miles per hour in flight. When it comes to hunting insects, they don’t mess around.

The average housefly can reach speeds up to 5 mph, but when you compare that with the 35 mph of the dragonfly, the humble fly doesn’t stand a chance. Now, the horsefly gets higher rates of speed than an average housefly, but they’re still no match for the speed-racing dragonfly.

Keeping the fly population down in your vicinity can be a big task, but dragonflies can consume up to 15% of their body weight in these insects each day. They have no issues capturing and devouring them. To attract more dragonflies to your yard, try planting flowers like milkweed, coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and blue salvia.

Telling Flies to Buzz Off!

Which of the nine natural fly predators listed above can you use in and around your home to help control flies? It might not be practical in your area to have a decorative pond with fish and frogs, but you can invest in some beautiful plants that draw dragonflies to your yard. You can do so many things to help keep the fly population down besides grabbing a bottle of insecticide.

While there are times when insecticides are the only option left, the goal is to use preventative measures to avert an infestation. If you’re having an issue with flies and need advice or treatment, contact us at Kapture Pest Control. We can easily treat those pesky flies and their enemies in a safe and effective way.

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