Other common flies in homes

Dr. Chuck Silcox

While nearly everyone is all-too-familiar with the house fly, it’s not the only common and problematic fly species. For example:

• Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) look very similar to house flies, but they hold their heads slightly higher and their abdomens slightly lower when they are at rest. They’re known for their painful bites, often to the lower leg or ankle areas of their hosts.
• Slightly larger than house flies, bottle flies (Calliphora spp.), also known as blow flies, are easily recognized by their metallic blue- or green-colored bodies.
• As their name implies, cluster flies (Pollenia spp.) often are found in large clusters on the southern side of buildings during the late summer and fall.

No matter the species, however, cultural control is the key to success. Eliminate breeding
sites by locating and eliminating the manure, decaying vegetation, or garbage in which fly larvae develop. Treatment options include applying a residual application of a pyrethroid insecticide as directed on the product label, or hanging dichlorvos-impregnated resin strips in garbage receptacles or dumpsters.