PEST CONTROL PROTECTION FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND

HOUSE FLY

Scientific Name : Musca domestica

HABITS

House flies are major carriers of disease and can infest all types of premises. They are attracted to all types of food, including human food, pet food, animal feed, food waste and even faeces. Seeing adult flies is usually the most common sign of activity and a potential problem. Larvae may also be seen as they crawl out of breeding material to pupate.

LIFECYCLE

House flies are able to quickly mature from an egg to an adult. They breed in moist decaying vegetable matter eg. in uncovered dustbin or pet food.

• Eggs are laid in batches of 120 to 150 and can hatch in 8 – 72 hours.

• The larvae of House Flies can take 3 – 60 days to mature.

• Pupae matures in 3 – 28 days.

Once indoors, house flies can be found resting on walls, floors or ceilings. Outdoors they can be seen on plants, the ground, fences, compost heaps and rubbish bins. At night them they prefer to rest near food sources approx. 5 to 15 feet off the ground.

BLUE BOTTLE FLY

Scientific Name : Calliphora vomitoria

HABITS

Bluebottle flies (also known as Blow fly) can often be seen hovering around dustbins. These scavengers are attracted to pet faeces and dead animals and as such are known carriers of disease. Their name originates from their iridescent colours that are similar to coloured bottles.

LIFECYCLE

• Eggs hatch 0 – 18 hrs (partial development may occur within the female).

• Breeds in mostly meat derived substances, sometimes cheese.

• Common pest of dead rodents/birds etc.

KEY FACTS

• Adult is 1/4" - 1/2" in length.

• Metallic blue colour.

• Larva — Similar to the house fly larva in all respects except size. 3/4" when mature. They take 7 – 12 days to mature.

FRUIT FLY

Scientific Name : Drosophila species

HABITS

Fruit flies are commonly found infesting fruit or hovering around fermenting residues found in pubs, fruit orchards & vegetables plots and breweries.

LIFECYCLE

• They can breed in rotten fruit, unclean drains and even cleaning utensils.

• Develops to adult in 7–30 days.

• Adult lives 2–9 weeks.

• In ideal temperature conditions, fruit flies can complete their development in as little as 1 week.

KEY FACTS

• 3mm in length.

• Yellow–brown or mottled in colour.

• Bright red eyes.

• Abdomen hangs down in flight, which is slow.

• Tend to hover.

DRAIN FLY

Scientific Name : Psychodidae

HABITS

Drain flies are often associated with sewage beds, where larvae feed on sludge–like organic matter. They are also known by a variety of names; drain fly, sewage fly and moth fly are a few examples.

LIFECYCLE

• Eggs hatch 1–6 days.

• Larvae 10–50 days to mature.

• Pupae 1–3 days to mature.

KEY FACTS

• 2mm in length.

• Tan coloured body appears as grey.

• Wings densely covered in hair and held tent–like over the body when at rest.

FRESH FLY

Scientific Name : Sarcophagidae

HABITS

They are attracted to decaying wastes, excrement and human foods – making a threat to human health.

LIFECYCLE

• Lifecycle lasts for 2-4 weeks.

• The female deposits live larvae on a suitable feeding medium (this can range from spoilt meat or fish, or animal excrement, or in decaying food waste found in garbage bins).

• Larvae feed for a few days, then move away from the feeding medium to pupate in adjacent drier parts.

KEY FACTS

• 6-14mm long.

• Thorax is light grey and has 3 dark longitudinal stripes.

• Abdomen is also light grey, spotted with dark patches to give a checker board appearance.

LITTLE BLACK ANT

Scientific Name : Monomorium minimum

HABITS

• Nests are normally located outdoors, in the soil and in relatively open areas, or under objects.

• These ants will also nest in rotten wood, woodwork and the masonry of buildings.

• Most of their feeding is on plant secretions or honeydew of aphids and scale insects, but occasionally invade houses in search of food.

• Once inside, they feed on sweets, meats, breads, grease, vegetables and fruit.

LIFECYCLE

• Little black ant colonies have multiple queens and may become very large.

KEY FACTS

• This is very small (1/15 in. long)

• Shiny black body color.

• The workers about 1 to 2 mm long.

• Queens 4 to 5 mm long.

• A monomorphic species, with only one caste of worker, and polygyne

FIRE ANT

Scientific Name : Solenopsis spp

HABITS

• Foraging workers diet consists of dead animals, including insects, earthworms, and vertebrates. Workers also collect honeydew and forage for sweet food, proteins, and fats.

• Nest locations can be a mound of up to 40 cm or next to objects found on the ground, e.g. logs.

• If aggravated, these react aggressively and can inflict a painful sting, resulting in a pustule some 48 hours later.

• These ants are a major agricultural and urban pest, destroying crops and invading residential areas both outdoors and indoors.

LIFECYCLE

• After swarming from the nest and mating, the queen searches for a suitable spot to lay her eggs. Once found, she can lay up to 125 eggs in late Spring.

• Larvae hatch within 8 to 10 days, and the pupal stage lasts for 9 to 16 days.

• Larvae feed on secretions from the queen’s salivary glands and broken down wing muscles until the first worker ants emerge. After this first batch of larvae moult into workers the queen’s role returns to egg laying – she can lay up to 1500 per day. Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging.

• Fertile males are produced later in the season.

KEY FACTS

• Queens 5/8" long.

• Workers 1/8"-1/4" long.

• Coppery–brown on the head and body, with a darker abdomen.

• Solenopsis has a very distinctive two–segment antennal club, which is most visible in the front view of the female reproductive ant.