Are House Flies Big?
WouterIf you’re wondering if house flies are big, you’re not alone. They are common indoor pests, infesting garbage cans and compost bins. These critters can also be a nuisance because they can spread germs. If you see maggots or thin worms in your garbage, you’ve probably seen house flies breeding.
Most house flies are gray in color, with four black stripes on their thorax. These insects are about an eighth of an inch (four to seven millimeters) long and have one pair of wings. Their compound red eyes contain thousands of individual lenses to enable them to see far and wide. They feed on human and animal waste, and they are especially attracted to pet waste due to its potent odor.
These flies are attracted to warm areas and will often congregate near lamps and windows at night. They can also be quite noisy. The best way to identify a cluster fly is to look for it near a light source, such as a stove or a window. Cluster flies are similar to house flies, but they tend to be larger and louder.
The female of the house fly mates once and deposits her eggs in a nearby organic material. The eggs are white and 1.2 millimetres long, and are laid singly or in groups. An adult female can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, but the number varies depending on her size and the nutritional needs of the larvae. Female flies lay their eggs in a warm, moist place, and their eggs must remain moist for them to hatch.
