House Flies (Musca domestica)
Color: Dark gray.
Legs: Six
Shape: Small Oval
Size: 1/4″
Antennae: Yes
Flight: Yes
House flies can be found in all 50 states.
The house fly is one of the most common household pests and accounts for 90% of flies found in the home.
Habits
House flies prefer to stay near a food source and often live near garbage, animal manure, or compost heaps.
Habitat
House flies tend to stay within 1-2 miles of where they were born; however, they have been known to migrate up to 20 miles to find food.
Threats
House flies have fine particles on their legs that pick up small matter from everything they walk on, including corpses, feces, and garbage. This enables them to carry and spread many serious diseases.
Prevention
Eliminate potential food sources by sealing trash cans and picking up pet waste. Keep entry points in homes sealed. One house fly can lay as many as 500 eggs, making it very difficult to control an established population. A pest control expert can help get rid of an infestation.