Behaviors of Flies And How To Keep Them Away

Interesting Behaviors of Flies

It’s hard to lump all flies into one category, as more than 120,000 species exist. In The Garden State, 26 types have been identified. However, this blog will discuss the most likely ones to invade your home: house, blow, cluster, crane, deer, and stable flies.

1. They Taste with Their Feet

While it seems rather disgusting to think of tasting something with your feet, it’s how the flies decide whether to eat something. A fly lands on a surface, and they use the special receptors on their feet to help them determine if something is eatable.

2. They Have 360-Degree Vision

One of the most annoying behaviors of flies is how well they seem to escape the flyswatter. How many times have you gone after a fly and missed it? This quick action is because they have 360-degree vision, so they really have eyes in the back of their head.

Their eyes are compounded, which means they have many tiny lenses that allow them to see the world from all angles. Forget sneaking up on them; they can see you coming.

3. They’re One of the Fastest Insects

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no… it’s a fly. When you think of things that are super-fast fliers, you probably don’t consider a fly. However, flies have excellent flying skills.

Did you know that the wings on the fly go so incredibly fast that they can move up to 200 times per second? Wow, that’s one fast insect. In fact, these winged wonders have been dubbed the best fliers in the insect world.

4. They Regurgitate Their Food

Not every fly behavior is cool, as some habits are rather gross. Since a fly has no teeth, it cannot chew its food. So, it uses the digestive juices in its stomach to break down foods into a liquid form.

The fly vomits up stomach acid, and once the food is broken down into liquid form, they suck it back up into their digestive system. It makes you want to reconsider eating anything a fly has landed on.

5. Short Lifespan and Rapid Reproduction

Flies only live for a short time. The average housefly’s lifespan is around 15-30 days. However, they make the most of the time they have to live. The female uses her days to lay as many eggs as possible. Did you know that she can lay up to 500 in one day? If she’s alive for 15 days, she could create 7,500 offspring.

6. Bees Aren’t the Only Pollinators of Plants

Most people consider butterflies and bees the only pollinators in the insect world but flies also help in this process. Flies love to drink fresh nectar from a flower. When they land in a plant, they get the pollen on their legs and transfer it from one flower to another. This process helps the plants to reproduce.

7. Males Have Elaborate Mating Rituals

It’s strange to think of a male fly as the equivalent of a Casanova. However, these insects have elaborate dance moves they use to attract females. Some of their infamous moves include flying in unique patterns, buzzing loudly, and even showing off the colors on their body. When they attract the attention of a female, and she’s interested, she will join the male in the dance and mate.

8. They Mimic Bees and Wasps for Protection

Some flies, like hoverflies, feel protection when they mimic the appearance of bees and wasps. It’s called Batesian mimicry, allowing them to trick other insects to avoid them. Any predators will avoid these flies because they fear they will be stung. Ironically, the truth is that these flies can’t sting anything as it’s all an act.

9. They’re Obsessed with Cleaning Their Legs

If you’ve been around cats, you know how they’re always cleaning themselves. Would you think that the behaviors of flies would be the same? It’s true; flies are constantly cleaning their legs.

Watch their legs the next time you see a fly on the surface. They will rub them together quickly to eliminate anything on them. They want to ensure their sensory organs don’t get clogged.

Whatever a fly lands in, from fecal matter to pollen, sticks to their legs. So, to ensure that their organs can still allow them to taste, they must continuously clean them. Additionally, they will do the same thing with their antennae.

All their sensory tools working correctly will allow them to avoid danger and find food. While they’re not clean to your standards, so you should still throw out any food they land on.

10. They’re a Magnet for Decaying Matter

Why is the fly so enthused with decaying roadkill, rotting food, and garbage bins? You would think that a beautiful flower would be a more pleasant meal than any of those nasty things. However, it’s more the environment they are drawn to.

For instance, a garbage dumpster is always buzzing with flies of all species. However, it may not be a meal they’re after, as it may be the females looking for a place to lay their eggs. It’s not that they won’t eat whatever is in the dumpster, but it’s a way for the mothers to ensure their young larvae have enough nourishment to help them through the metamorphosis process once they hatch.

The larvae play an essential part in the ecosystem, as they help the decaying matter to break down further and recycle those nutrients. Sure, it’s gross, but it’s science.

15 Effective Ways to Keep Flies Away

Now that you’ve learned all the ironic and downright disgusting habits and behaviors of flies, you most certainly want to learn how to keep them away. It’s no secret that flies carry diseases on their legs, and anything they land on becomes contaminated. So, here are some ways that you can keep these filthy, flying insects at bay.

1. Install Screens

It’s one of the simplest things you can do to help keep flies away, yet so many ignore this obvious entry point. Even the smallest hole in a screen can allow flies and other insects to gain entry.

2. Fix Leaky Faucets

Flies thrive in a moist environment. Any leaky faucets or standing water around your home can be problematic. Make sure to regularly empty and clean birdbaths, pet water bowls, and other sources of standing water.

3. Store Food Properly

Always keep your food in airtight containers. Containers keep food fresh and prevent flies from getting to it. Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator rather than on the counter to keep fruit flies away.

4. Keep Drains Clean

Did you know that flies like to breed in dirty drains? The best way to combat this is to pour baking soda and vinegar down them to kill larvae and eat away debris. After this cleaning, pour boiling water down them to ensure the drains are flea-flowing and larvae-free.

5. Keep Pet Areas Clean

Pet feces and food attract flies. Therefore, it is important to clean your yard regularly and wash your pet’s food bowls.

6. Ensure Windows and Doors are Closed

Many people love to open doors and windows and let fresh air inside. However, if you don’t have screens, it’s an open invitation for flies to enter your home. This is especially true during peak season. If you need fresh air, make sure screens are in place. Additionally, you want to ensure your kids don’t run in and out often when playing outside in the warmer months.

7. Clean Up Spills Immediately

Spilling something sweet like soda, juice, or tea can attract flies, bees, and insects. A bleach cleaner is the best to clean up these spills as it removes all traces. Also, clean up after a meal and ensure nothing on the floor or table can attract them.

8. Seal Trash Cans

We’ve already established that flies love garbage, so covering containers can help you keep them away. Cover indoor and outdoor cans to ensure these insects don’t find your property alluring.

9. Cover Food

When you eat outside, you need lids, plastic wrap, and tin foil. Any of these items can sufficiently cover your food and keep flies away. Also, if you’re having a cookout and many people are coming in and out, cover food on the counters to protect it.

10. Keep Your Home Clean

Keeping your home clean sounds so simple that it shouldn’t be mentioned, but you would be surprised what letting your housekeeping go for a couple of weeks can do. A pile of dirty dishes in your sink is all a female needs to lay her eggs. So, keeping up with things is best to ensure you have no pests.

11. Use Fly Traps

Fly traps are one of the best ways to catch and kill flies. You can choose from sticky, baited, or electronic traps. Putting them in an area with a lot of activity will help keep them from multiplying in your home.

12. Use Ceiling and Box Fans

Flies may be super-fast, but they’re weak fliers. They can’t compete with strong air currents. Using fans, both indoors and out, can help keep them away. A fan in an outdoor seating area or your kitchen can keep them at bay. Any fast-moving air makes it hard for a fly to land and hang around.

13. Hang Fly Paper

Some methods of fly paper have been used for decades to keep flies away. Flypaper is best placed in the flight path near doors and windows. Thanks to the glue on the paper, flies will stick to the surface and won’t be able to wiggle loose.

14. Use Vinegar Traps

Vinegar traps are an easy DIY method for catching flies that doesn’t cost much to do. Fill a jar with any kind of vinegar and add a few drops of dishwashing liquid. The vinegar attracts flies, but the dish soap sticks to their legs and makes it impossible for them to escape, causing them to drown. Place these traps where there’s the most activity. Apple cider vinegar seems to work best as it’s sweet and tangy.

15. Keep Your Yard Clean

Do you have any piles of leaves, tall grass, or clippings hanging around your yard? These are all things that can attract flies because they love decaying and organic matter. Don’t give flies a place to lay their eggs by simply keeping your lawn maintenance in check.

The Final Buzz

Flies are small and annoying, but the behaviors of flies are complex and fascinating. From using their feet to taste their next meal to the mating dance performed by the males, these tiny insects have a lot that’s not common knowledge.

The next time you see a fly, remember there’s more to them than buzzing in your ear and landing on your food. A pest control professional should handle any severe issues with flies that can’t be controlled by the methods listed above.

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