How Quickly Can Flies Reproduce?

During warmer months, flies can reproduce quickly. Their life cycle is approximately 10 days, and a pair of flies can produce up to 150 white eggs at once. Once laid, female flies care little for the eggs and leave them unprotected. However, the eggs should have a source of food and be protected from predators. Female flies produce eggs that are similar to grains of rice and about 1/25th of an inch long. The eggs hatch within 7 1/2 hours when the temperature is over 99 degrees Fahrenheit, and they can take two days when it’s cooler.

When flies reproduce, they lay their eggs in decaying organic matter. The eggs hatch in just eight to twenty hours, and the larvae (also known as maggots) develop rapidly. They can grow to be as large as 20 millimetres in length in four days, and they can even consume up to 60 per cent of a human’s body within a week. Maggots also molt several times during their development.

Unlike butterflies, flies also have a pupa stage. The pupa stage lasts for about three to six days and is similar to a cocoon. During this stage, the flies develop their wings, legs, and antennae. Upon full emergence, female flies begin reproducing within a day or two.