We've all seen a house fly buzzing around our kitchen or bathroom and thought to ourselves 'jeez, get out of here!'
But have you ever stopped to wonder just how long these pesky critters live?
If you haven't, you're about to find out. And trust us, you're going to wish you never knew.
In this guide, we'll break down the lifespan of a house fly and tell you everything you need to know about these persistent insects.
When the egg from the House Fly hatches, the larva or maggot comes into existence.
Mature larva are about 3 inches or 4 inches long with no legs, cream-brown colour.
They go through multiple molting and then complete the pupal stage, which varies according to the condition of their body.
During puparation larva will move into dry conditions. Adults turn up at that age too. House flies are generally subjected to a metamorphosis in total.
The houseflies collect bacteria and disease organisms in their limbs and their hairs after landing on waste, feces, and animals.
See Also: How to Get Rid of Drain Flies
In their short lifetime house flyers rarely stray beyond home but remain confined to about one mile from their habitat.
At night they rest above 5 feet and at 5-foot height but they are always close to food sources. Don't fool them.
House flies are common pests in residences as well as commercial buildings. You must be vigilant about these when you run a restaurant, supermarket, or any other place.
House flies will gleefully gorge on anything they come across, including but not limited to: rotting food, straw, and excrement.
They only eat fluids, which means they must regurgitate food in order to liquefy it. They are drawn to a number of substances, including overripe fruit and vegetables.
The typical house fly lifespan is about 28 days. However, some have been known to live for up to two months in ideal conditions.
Factors that affect how long a house fly lives include:
Food helps a fly survive, and usually, they only last about a day with no food. With an abundant food supply, including sugar flies' lifespan is extended considerably.
Enough protein is vital to fly reproduction because flies use it to lay eggs. Water is vital for flying survival.
Even though there are abundant supplies of food available to birds, if the bird has not had adequate drinking water for at least 2 nights the fly cannot survive.
Read Also: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in a Bar
The fact that housefly larvae can last for more than a day may cause a prolonged period of infestations.
Flying can be found on both surfaces of food preparations. The simple task of controlling the flies may result in a greater risk of illness.
24h Pest Pros experts know where fly flies originate.
Flies can enter the house from the drain or through the walls. Sometimes the siding or roof of an apartment may contain gaps that allow insects inside.
A fly's lifespan varies by temperature and the environment in which they are living. Flies living in warm homes or labs can develop more easily and have longer life spans.
A brief life cycle of houseflies makes them multiply quickly when they remain uncontrollable.
House flies can cause stress. When a fly bounces across a window trying to escape from you, this may have caused the animal to die. The fly isn't designed for air conditioning which can cause death too.
Houseflies or some larger flies which normally invade a home can live a day, sometimes months. Mayflies generally have just 24 hour lifespan.
As we mentioned before, the lifespan of a fly depends on the temperature and environment in which they are living.
Flies that live in warm homes or labs can develop more easily and have longer life spans.
In reality, adult house flies generally live around 25 weeks.
As we have seen, the lifespan of a house fly can vary depending on the conditions. However, in general, most flies only live for around 28 days.
The next time you see a house fly buzzing around your home, don't just shoo it away—take action!
Open all the windows and doors to air the place out and make sure you don't have any rotting food lying around.
If the infestation is really bad, you might even have to call in an exterminator. Trust us, it's better to be safe than sorry.