Flies

Fly life cycle is normally divided into 4 stages. It consist of first, the egg. Second is larva, third is pupal stage and finally, an adult. The life span varies by the different type of flies.

Egg stage

A fly egg resembles a grain of rice. It is long and hard in appearance. Typically, you can find it in corners, food, compost as well as drains. The reason being that these are ideal places for the eggs to hatch and enter the larvae stage.

Larva stage

A fly’s larva is called a maggot. Their size can vary from 4 to 12 milimeter, depending on what stage their growth is. Maggots can be off-white or light brown. Meanwhile, some can be even be yellow or reddish in colour. Although they can look disgusting, maggots are actually essential to a dead animal’s and other waste’s decomposition.

Pupal stage

This stage is the resting period before a larvae turns into an adult fly. A fly’s pupae has the same function as a butterfly’s cocoon. A hard shell will form to protect a fly that is developing.

Adult stage

Flies have a short lifespan, depending on their kind. Some only live for 24 hours. Yet, other larger kinds can survive for days and even months!  In Singapore, flies tend to grow faster and live longer in Singapore. This is due to the warm conditions with moderate food that aids with the growth of their population. For example, a female housefly is capable of laying hundreds of eggs in batches.

Flies use one pair of wings in order to fly. Meanwhile, they use their second pair of wings, also known as “halteres”, for balance. A fly has five eyes that cover most of their eyes. The two that are visible are its compound eyes. On the other hand, the three much smaller eyes on top of its head are called “ocelli”. However, despite having many eyes, their vision is not sharp. Their entire body is also covered by a hard outer surface. Its purpose is to protect a fly’s internal organs. In terms of size, an adult fly can measure up to ¼ to ½ inch in length.

Most flies like house and blow fly, are attracted to decaying organic matters like faeces, rotten meat and dead animals. This is because decayed matters are ideal fly breeding sites. In other words, this is where they lay their eggs. Moreover, dead animals are essential for larvae feeding and growth

They live underground, in dead wood or sometimes in plant cavities. In Singapore however, common ants can easily be found in an apartment. It will start by infesting your kitchen and bathroom. They invade the kitchen for obvious reasons, since this is where the main food source can be found. They will look for crack and crevices and wall voids to start a sub nest. It’s not surprising if there are many sub nests in your kitchen!

Nevertheless, the parent colony can sometimes be found outside the house. You can call their nest “ant hill” because it looks like a pile of soil. It is normally on the ground. Hence, it is clear indication that the queen is nearby.

They have a wide variety of food such as human food, animal food and carcasses, garbage and excrement. Flies also suck nectars from flowers. 

House flies only feed on liquids so they must turn their food into it. They are mostly attracted to animal feces and substances that contain sugar. Fruit flies, as their name suggests, like fruits like bananas, pineapples and grapes. Nevertheless, they like vegetables such as potatoes and onions too! 

On the other hand, blow and bottle flies are found in animals that recently died. This is because they prefer meat that are fresh or decaying. Flies also collect pathogens on their legs and mouths. Then, these pathogens are transferred to food on tables or counters when a fly lands again.