How Common Are House Flies?
House flies are common pests that can contaminate a home, yard, or workplace. They are not picky eaters, but they prefer decaying organic materials. That includes animal or human feces, manure, and oozing wounds. Because of this, it is important to keep your premises clean and uncluttered to prevent flies from infesting your property.
Most flies live outdoors, but some can live inside the home. They will enter a home through many openings and will find the dirtiest places to lay their eggs. Two prime locations to look for flies are kitchen garbage bins and dirty drains. These areas are the perfect breeding grounds for house flies, as they are full of rotting food waste.
The average lifespan of adult flies is 15 to 25 days, though some species live up to two months. They can survive for up to two days without food, but their lifespan increases if they are provided with suitable food. They also live longer in cooler temperatures. Adult flies need food for copulation, which takes about two minutes or 15 minutes. While adults are not very long-lived, they can reproduce rapidly in large numbers. And if left unchecked, they can become a serious problem.
If you live in a cooler climate, you’re more likely to encounter these flies. They are especially common in high elevations, and they can cause an awful nuisance in tall buildings. They are medium-sized and gray in color, with golden hairs along their thorax.