Green flies are a common pest problem in Florida. They are drawn to food and garbage and will eat almost anything, no matter how repulsive, including dead animals. Although they can be found all over the United States, moist environments are an ideal green fly habitat, which means that they are active year-round in Florida thanks to the humidity and tropical climate. Green flies make a loud buzzing sound when they fly, which makes them even more of a nuisance for homeowners. Green flies also lay hundreds of eggs at a time and need to be dealt with right away to prevent an infestation.
What Is A Green Fly
Green flies are iridescent blue-green or copper-green with large red eyes. They are classified as filth feeders, which means that they grow in and feed on dead animals, waste matter, garbage, decomposing plant matter, vegetables, and meat. Green flies have a short life cycle and can lay up to 200 eggs at a time. These eggs hatch within three days, becoming pupae and burrowing into the soil or nearby matter for 6-14 days before they emerge as fully-fledged adults. There are different types of green flies that can easily be confused with a green bottle fly, including common house flies, which look similar but are slightly smaller.
Here are a few other names for the green fly that you may be familiar with:
- Green bottle fly
- Sheep blowfly
- Blowfly
- Blue bottle fly
Things That Attract Green Bottle Flies
Green flies are attracted to moist environments that have a food source such as wet garbage or a stack of unwashed dishes. If green flies enter your home through an open door, window, cracked frame, or damaged screen, they will be attracted to any food sources you have in your home, including rotting fruits or vegetables, freshly cooked food, and sweet substances such as honey, soft drinks, and grape juice. Outside the home, green flies will be attracted to manure and animal feces, garbage, and dead animals.
Green Flies And Their Bites
Green fly bites are dangerous because of their unclean eating habits. Green flies can transmit diseases and bacteria such as E.coli, anthrax, and dysentery, even if they simply rest on food that people will be eating, which makes getting rid of these pests a high priority. Green fly bites are reported to be about as painful as mosquito bites and should heal within a few days. If a green fly bite is infected or swollen you should seek medical attention, as it’s possible for the bite to transmit harmful bacteria. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment which should clear the bite up within another few days.
Controlling Green Bottle Flies Around Your Home
One of the most important things you can do to keep green bottle flies in check is to make sure that the garbage is taken out regularly and that the garbage cans are clean. The decaying matter will attract green flies without question, so the cleaner your home, the better. Having a dead animal in the attic or basement of your home can attract green flies, so it’s important to make sure that any trapped pests such as dead mice or birds are removed right away. If you have a pet dog or cat, make sure to clean up after them often so that their waste doesn’t attract flies.
To prevent a green bottle fly infestation in your home, make sure that you don’t have any damaged windows, screens, or frames in addition to keeping things clean.
How We Can Help You
At Florida Environmental, we are pest control professionals with years of experience serving West Palm Beach. Green flies are a common pest problem that can quickly infest areas as long as there are nearby food sources. Green flies are also a health hazard and should be dealt with right away to ensure optimal health and wellbeing. Proper pest management often requires the expert application of pesticides and specialized equipment, so we don’t recommend DIY methods if you want to save time and money. If there are lots of flies in your home or on your property, contact us today.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_green_bottle_fly
