Despite being a big nuisance with their constant buzzing and being a huge health concern to humans, there is a lot to learn about flies. For instance: What is the lifespan of a fly?
Summary;
Average Lifespan of a fly;
- House Fly – 30 days
- Fruit Fly – 40 to 50 days
- Crane Fly – 10 to 15 days
- White Flies – 9 to 17 days
- Horse Fly – 30 to 60 days
Some Interesting Facts about Flies
Before we talk about the lifespan of a fly, here are some interesting facts about them;
- Flies live on a liquid diet because their mouth parts do not support chewing. They release digestive juices on solid foods turning them into easy to swallow liquids [1]
- Living on a liquid diet means that flies defecate a lot!
- They have taste receptors on their feet hence they can taste with their feet
- Their feet contains two foot pads that produce a glue-like substance that gives them grip, thus are able to walk on any surface
- Flies can walk upside down as their anatomy enables them to walk on any surface whether horizontal, vertical, or even upside down.
How Long Do Flies Live?
Here are the lifespans of different flies:
1. House fly
An average house fly lives about a month. During this period, females can lay five to six batches of eggs.
2. Fruit fly
Fruit flies have a longer lifespan than the house flies. Their lifespan is about 40 to 50 days and they can yield several generations during this period. A female fruit fly can produce up to 500 offspring during the lifetime.
3. Horse flies
Adult horse flies live for about 30-60 days
4. Crane flies
The Crane flies only live for 10 to 15 days. They are in desperation to mate before their time is up and are constantly looking for a partner., Though they like to venture indoors for warmth, they actually lay their eggs outside.
5. White flies
A male white fly is about 9 to 17 days, whereas a female may live for 60 days. The White flies adults can be transported for a long distance by the wind once airborne. These flies are mainly found in groups on the underside of young leaves.
6. Sand flies
The adult sand fly can live up to 6 weeks while fully developed. They prefer to lay their eggs in areas where adequate resting places are available and where their larvae will thrive. They are commonly found in animal burrows since their larvae require warm moist environments to grow.
7. Black solder flies
Within two weeks, they pass through the pupae stage before becoming flies. These flies live for 10 to 16 days and survive on a diet of water only and lay the eggs during that time.
8. Drain flies
Adult drain flies usually live about two weeks, but newly emerged adults rapidly replace them. They are small with large with ovoid wings and have prominent antennae.
9. Lake flies
Lake flies can live between 7 and 21 days. Their lifespan is dependent on moisture and temperature. These flies do not have mouths.
10. Black flies
Black flies adults emerge from the pupal stage in about 7 days and can live for a few weeks to a few month
11. Yellow flies
Yellow flies, like horse flies and deer flies, live for a little over a year. Their entire life cycle from eggs to larvae to pupa to an adult takes about one year. However, once the body of the pupa matures into an adult, this pest only lives for 30 to 60 days.
Life Cycle of a Fly
The development of flies is a process which undergoes a four-phase life cycle.
Phase 1
Females lay eggs. The ideal egg site is a food source and a material that the larva will eat when they hatch from the egg. Egg laying sites might include a pile of trash, feces or decomposing material.
Phase 2
The eggs hatch and the larvae start feeding. The larvae eats for several days while storing sufficient protein and nutrients to last through the pupa stage. When fully grown, they leave their food source and seek dark, dry regions within which to pupate
Phase 3
The pupae stage. This stage involves the flies’ development and maturity. From a legless larva into an adult with six legs, compound eyes and a pair of wings.
Phase 4
The adult stage. Development time from egg to adult varies for various species. This is dependent on the environmental conditions and abundance of food. Some species complete their development in a couple of weeks when the conditions are right.
How Long Do Flies Live Without Food
Flies can only survive for about 2-3 days without food.
I found this interesting video of a fly feeding on a burger 🙂 But why are they so dodgy!
What Attracts Flies?
Flies are mostly attracted by matter in which they can lay their eggs. This includes:
- rotting material such as food waste and other garbage
- animal feces
- manure
- Bright lights at night
How to Get Rid of Flies Naturally
Humans are known to get rid of flies by using herbs, poisons or insecticides. Here are other ways you can get rid of flies naturally and safely:
- By mixing apple cider vinegar with dish soap. With two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and three drops of dish soap, this solution will attract the flies to the vinegar in the glass and cause them to fly in, hence trapping them
- Cayenne pepper and water mixture. This sprayed solution repels houseflies
- Venus flytraps. These are carnivorous plants that eat flies. They can be planted around the house to keep flies from manifesting in the home
- Light traps: These are boxes with a light in the back that attracts flies. Flies trying to get to the light are either killed or trapped
- Sticky traps. These are strips of sticky paper that are hung or laid in the house. Once the flies stick on them, they are trapped and cannot fly anymore
Next Read:
- How long do house cats live?
- How long do Cicadas live?
- How long do butterflies live for?
- How long do sharks live?
