If you’re noticing flies around your house, it is obvious that these pests have found a place to reproduce and populate the area. But this means that flies are laying eggs in your house. So the pertinent question is, where do flies lay their eggs?
As you keep reading, you will not only find the answer to that question but also understand how to get rid of flies and their eggs and keep your house free and safe from pests of this kind!
Table of Contents
What exactly is a housefly or a fly?
House flies are a common type of pest fly that can be found all over the world. They are often considered pests because they can spread disease and contaminate food.
In the United States, these flies are often seen near decaying organic matter where they lay their eggs. House flies can be a nuisance when they enter homes, and it can be difficult to get rid of them entirely.
This is because even though houseflies have short lifespans, they can quickly reproduce in large numbers. If not identified and effectively controlled, this can lead to large house fly populations and fly eggs in places you can’t even imagine!
What does a house fly look like?
Houseflies are small, gray insects with black stripes on their thorax. They are about 1/8-1/4″ (4 to 7.5 mm) long and have slightly hairy bodies. Adult houseflies feed on nectar and other sweet liquids, but the larvae eat decaying organic matter.
The most common type of housefly is the female, which is usually larger than the male. Houseflies can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, and they will hatch within 12 hours.
Maggots are the stage after the eggs hatch. They are also known as the larval form of flies and go through a four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
During the pupal stage, maggots develop hard outer shells and turn a dark color. They will eventually emerge as full-grown adult flies.
What do fly eggs look like?
The eggs of a fly are about the size of a grain of rice. They hatch into larvae that range in size from about ¼-3/8″ (7-10 mm) long. These larvae live in rotting organic matter and feed on bacteria, fungi, and other debris.
What do fly eggs develop into, and why should you deal with their presence immediately?
Fly eggs develop into small white worms called “maggots.” Maggots are the worms that pop out of the eggs, and they feed on decaying matter.
They can be a nuisance, but they also play an important role in the environment by breaking down organic material. But that does not mean you want them inside your house!
Fly eggs are generally white or yellow in color and are difficult to spot. They are often laid on the decomposing organic matter in your house. So, they can be found near trash cans, compost piles, and pet food bowls.
If you come into contact with fly eggs, it is important to wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.
Fly eggs are a nuisance to deal with because they can hatch into maggots quickly, and the maggots can turn into flies. They also pose a health risk as they can carry bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
What is the life cycle of a fly?
The life cycle of a fly consists of four main stages of development. First, a pregnant fly lays eggs. These eggs hatch into larvae that will feed on a variety of decaying matter as they gradually develop for the third stage of becoming pupae.
After a while, these larvae are ready to pupate. Once these bugs have transformed and developed, they emerge as fully grown adult flies, which is the last stage of their life cycle.
How did flies get into your house in the first place?
House flies are attracted to a variety of things, but the two main reasons they enter into buildings are either because they are looking for food or shelter. They are especially drawn to warm air coming from buildings on cooler days and vice versa on warmer days.
Insects like houseflies can get into your house in a variety of ways. One way these pests could have gotten into your house is by crawling their way into the cracks or open spaces in the structure of a building, eventually finding themselves inside your house!
Where do flies lay their eggs indoors?
The first step to getting rid of any fly infestation in your house is identifying where the pests are breeding and laying their eggs. The same holds true even in the case of flies. Keep reading to understand where flies of different species could be laying eggs inside your house!
House Flies
House flies generally lay their eggs in the trash or in any place that has an abundance of rotting organic matter. The way to identify these eggs is to watch for groups or clusters of oblong and pale-colored spots that resemble rice grains in your trash!
Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats generally lay their eggs in your dying or decaying houseplants and in the soil that they are rooted in. This is mainly because the environment of your potted plants is ideal for the growth of fungus gnats!
Drain Flies
True to their name, drain flies not only spend most of their lives in drains but also lay their eggs and reproduce in drains. Unless you routinely clean out any stagnant water in your bathrooms, you might have to deal with the presence of these disgusting pests!
Fruit Flies
It is worth noting that fruit flies have the ability to lay over five hundred eggs in one go. Therefore, I don’t need to explain to you why it is essential to take action against the presence of these eggs in your house.
Much like house flies, even fruit flies lay their eggs in rotting organic matter, more specifically, fruits and the food present in drainage pipes of your kitchen sink.
Blow Flies
If you spot blow flies in your house, you can be almost sure of the fact that there is a dead animal in your vicinity and that these blowflies have laid their eggs on or in it. Typically, you should make sure to check your walls, attics, or basements for any dead animals in them.
Where do flies lay their eggs outdoors?
Even if flies are not laying their eggs inside your house, you should still be wary of finding them in your garden or backyard. Here are some of the most common spots that these flies lay their eggs in outside your home!
Stable Flies
As the name suggests, stable flies are flies that are typically found in stables around livestock. Therefore, you can find their eggs in heaps of dung, decaying plants, and other similar organic matter that you will typically find in and around a stable!
Cluster Flies
Cluster flies typically lay their eggs in the soil outdoors since this soil has earthworms. Once the eggs hatch and larvae emerge, they depend on earthworms for sustenance and nutrition. Therefore, the soil available in your garden works as the ideal spot to lay their eggs!
How can you get rid of fly eggs from your house?
Flush the fly eggs out
One of the ways to get rid of fly eggs is to flush them out. This can be done by spraying water in all the areas where they are suspected to be and then wiping them down with a cloth or paper towel.
It is important to make sure that all the eggs are eliminated, as even one can hatch and start a new infestation.
Furthermore, these eggs can be submerged in water. While that by itself won’t be the cause of the death of these eggs, the lack of nutrition for a sustained period of time will kill them. You can also use water to flush out maggots.
Make no mistake. If you are dealing with eggs, then the chances are that you are also dealing with maggots.
Use boiling water to kill the eggs.
In fact, boiling water is one of the most effective ways to get rid of fly eggs. If there are any fly eggs in your house, pour boiling water on them, and they will be eliminated.
Only make sure it’s truly boiling before using it, and clean up the area afterward because it might just cause the maggots to hide or go deeper into the region where you can’t see them.
However, this is not the best method to deal with a large-scale infestation because you cannot go pour boiling water all over your house every time you see a fly!
Use effective maggot repellants or killers.
Maggots can be effectively repelled with maggot repellents. You can buy these maggot repellant sprays on the market, and typically, they work well against eggs too! Simply spray the area where you can spot many maggots or eggs.
Once you’ve done that, you should be sure to dispose of any dead maggots and eggs properly and safely. In addition, salt can be sprinkled on maggots to kill them.
Use brute force to kill these pests and their eggs
You can also use brute force to kill the eggs or the maggots simply, or even the flies themselves to get rid of them. To use force, one can swat the fly eggs or vacuum them up. But, once again, this method only works for small infestations.
Get a pet that will kill flies and eggs for you.
I don’t mean that you should get a cat and train it to kill insects for you. Rather, I’m referring to buying a reptile pet like a lizard, chameleon, frog, or similar creature.
In the alternative, you can also buy a carnivorous plant like the venus flytrap to kill any adult flies lingering around your house! The bonus for this method is that you get either a cool reptile to show off as your new pet or a killer plant to protect your house from flies!
Conclusion
The undeniable conclusion from this article is that the most likely place flies are laying their eggs is in any place that has the availability of rotting and decaying organic matter.
Depending on the type and species of the fly, the location could be anything from your kitchen sink and your trash can to your garden or your potted plant!
