Do Flies Release Maggots When They Die?
WouterIf you ever see a fly die, you may wonder, “Do flies release maggots when they decay?” In order to answer this question, you must first understand what makes maggots decay. The process starts with a fertile adult female laying eggs. The eggs hatch, and the larvae need a few days of food to grow and develop into adult flies.
Once the maggots hatch, they feed off the fluids of the dead fly. They then move into the corpse and incubate for about two weeks. They eventually hatch into a fly and reproduce, repopulating the surrounding area. However, you should always check the soil around the corpse before disposing of it. Maggots are immature stages of Diptera, the two-winged flies. They are produced on the corpse by blowflies of the Order Calliphoridae.
Flies also lay their eggs on dead animals. A common source is a mouse’s body in an abandoned mouse trap, but you should also look for dead birds, squirrels, and racoons, which can all serve as food for flies. The bigger the animal, the more flies it will produce, but even small animals can produce a large amount of flies.
Unlike adult flies, maggots do not have cannibalistic tendencies. In fact, most flies do not show any cannibalism at all. The larvae can feed on rotting food for up to a day before they develop into an adult fly.
