Blue flies are one of the annoying types of insects that can cause various pests that spread throughout the world.
Below, on the TekeTrek website, we discuss the characteristics and features of blue flies and the most important information and facts about them.
About blue flies
- The blue fly is characterized by its striking color and is sometimes called the bloated fly or blue bottles.
- These insects are attracted to garbage, rotting animal carcasses, and open animal wounds.
- The blue fly belongs to the Calliphoridae family, the Arthropoda phylum, from the class of mammals.
- It resembles the common housefly but is distinguished by its blue body color.
- The blue fly appears with a large head, bulging eyes, and has a metallic appearance.
- The blue fly has feeding and breeding habits similar to the housefly.
- The blue fly tends to be slightly larger than the regular housefly and emits a loud sound. Adults can sometimes be seen gathering on window and door barriers.
- Contact your local pest control specialist to discuss custom treatments and extermination methods for your home.
- The blue fly does not bite humans but feeds on decomposing materials, wet garbage, spoiled food, and decaying meat remnants. This species thrives best in warm and humid environments.
- To eliminate the bottle fly, it is important to implement strict sanitary measures, which include cleaning garbage containers and ensuring that lids are tightly fitted.
Blue fly habitats
The blue fly can be found in yards, restaurant waste areas, and garbage dumps.
It can also be found inside homes when there are small dead animals such as mice or birds.
This fly is more than just a nuisance as it has been proven to transmit diseases.
Blue fly diet
Among the many other types of decomposing organic matter, the following serve as a food source for the insects and breeding ground:
- Decomposing animal flesh.
- Feces.
- Garbage.
- Spoiled meats.
Blue fly breeding stages
- A female bottle fly can lay more than 2000 eggs throughout her life, and the eggs are pale yellow or gray in color.
- The resulting larvae range from 9 to 22 mm in length and may hatch within two to three days, depending on the temperature.
- Within two to ten days, the larvae search for pupation sites, from which they eventually emerge as adult flies.
- The blue fly reproduces in wet organic materials such as dead animals.
Blue fly life cycle
A female blue fly lays up to 150-200 eggs in each batch. From egg laying to hatching, the entire process takes about one day.
- Larva – Stage One:
The larvae feed on body fluids, and this stage takes about one day to complete.
- Larva – Stage Two:
In this stage, the larvae wander in worm form, and the transition from the first stage to this stage takes about one day.
- Larva – Stage Three:
The larvae still wander in large numbers, but their size increases significantly in this stage. It is the pre-pupa stage, and it takes about two days to reach it.
- Pre-pupation stage:
In this stage, they move away from the body they were feeding on to a suitable pupation site, generally the soil, and turn into a pupa.
It takes about four days to go from the pre-pupation stage to the pupa state.
Pupae:
The pupae continue to stay at the pupation site and turn into adult flies. This development from pupa to adult fly takes about ten days to complete. Until this stage, since they moved to the pupation site, they do not feed.
Adult fly
The adult fly mates upon emerging from the pupa, feeds on body fluid proteins, and lays its eggs on the corpse. It takes about two days for the adult fly to emerge to lay eggs.
Distinctive physical characteristics of the blue fly
- The main feeding stage of the fly is the larval stage.
- After hatching, the larva is about 2 mm long and grows to about 5 mm before shedding its skin to enter the second stage.
- The larva is about 10 mm long before shedding its skin to enter the third stage, where it grows to about 15 mm – 20 mm before reaching the pre-pupa stage.
- There is no significant difference in the general appearance of the fly larva in the different stages.
Information about blue fly larvae
- The fly larva is an eating machine, as the larva has mouth hooks at the front end, which it uses to feed on the torn decomposing flesh from the corpse.
- The anal opening and the posterior respiratory openings are located in the chamber at the rear end. These openings help the larva breathe.
- The larva has a muscular and segmented body that helps it easily flip over the corpse, in addition to having simple intestines and a pair of large salivary glands that help it secrete digestive enzymes and spread rotting bacteria, creating a soup-like environment.
- The larvae wander in large numbers, and also the intense nature of their digestive activities generates tremendous heat, so the body near the environment may be exposed to high temperatures that sometimes reach 53 degrees Celsius.
- Sometimes intense heat is generated inside the mass, prompting the larvae in the center to move to the edges to cool down. This heat increases the rate of digestion and decay.
Frequently asked questions about the blue fly
- Why do I have bluebottles in my house?
The blue fly is found all over the world and is present almost everywhere humans live. It is one of the most common flies found around dead animals and is often discovered near meat processing plants and garbage dumps.
The blue fly can enter homes through any gaps and openings, but it usually does not enter the home unless there is a food source.
Finding Blue flies in house is usually an indicator of another dead pest or nearby rodents.
- What does the blue fly eat?
The blue fly eats decomposing meat, as it is essential for the survival and growth of the larvae.
It is also attracted to plants that emit the smell of rotting meat because it can be a pollinator for those plants.
- How long does the bloated fly live?
The life cycle of the blowfly is short and lasts about 3-4 weeks.
The egg incubation period ranges from 4 to 5 days, and larval development is completed within 4 to 10 days.
- Are blue flies harmful?
Flies do not bite humans, however, they can pose serious health threats to humans and animals. The worms can infect living animals, leading to a parasitic condition known as myiasis.
- What are the harms of blue flies?
It was also found that blue flies, known as carrion flies, are wingless and house flies, are more exposed to unhealthy materials, because they depend on feces, carrion, and decaying organic materials to feed on them, and they can then pick up bacteria that can be a major cause of disease for humans. And plants and animals.
- Are fly worms dangerous?
Flies in some cases carry hundreds of different types of bacteria, many of which are harmful to humans.
What does it mean if a fly is blue?
What kills blue flies?
Why do I have bluebottles in my house?
In summary, studying the blue fly insect highlights the importance of understanding the environment and human impact on it. Its presence reflects the state and health of the environment. Its presence should be used as an environmental indicator to detect health or environmental issues. We need to maintain environmental balance and biological diversity by taking protective and enhancing actions for the environment for the benefit of all forms of life.
