Phorid-Humpbacked Fly Facts
Drains should be the initial inspection site when encountering an infestation. The adults are often seen flying in areas located away from the source of infestation.
Family Phoridae
Decaying plants and animals attract phorid humpbacked flies. However, unlike the common fruit fly, these insects are more apt to spread throughout a home rather than staying near their food source.
These insects feed on rotting food, so they also spread bacteria and disease. In addition, a phorid humpbacked fly infestation may indicate the presence of a dead animal inside a wall or crawl space or a plumbing leak located under the home’s slab.
Costly RepairsPhorid humpbacked flies breed and develop deep within plumbing, which makes them hard to remove from a home without help. Not only will they potentially infect food and food surfaces with disease microorganisms, but resolving a phorid fly problem may require expensive repairs if they are developing from a plumbing leak.
The most apparent sign of phorid flies is the adult flies. They often are observed buzzing around rooms and scurrying across counters or other surfaces.
These flies are difficult for homeowners to completely control with any pesticides and often rarely works as the only solution. The situation has to be assessed and the source of the infestation determined (is the source a clogged drain, broken pipe or sewer line?). In many cases the floor must be removed and the pipe repaired. The soil around the break must also be removed.
Another solution to this problem is to first physically clean the drains — remove as much of the organic material as possible and then use a biological drain cleaner on a regular basis (every two weeks).
These pests display characteristically short and erratic flight. Adults have a peculiar habit of rapidly running across windows, TV screens, tables, walls, and plant foliage. They are frequently mistaken for "gnats."
What Do They Eat?Some foods that phorid flies eat includes:
Larvae develop in moist areas where organic material and standing water are present. Phorid larvae also develop in animal matter. The entire life cycle lasts 25 days or more, depending on the environmental conditions and the availability of food.
Like most flies, the phorid fly undergoes a complete four-phase life cycle including egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. Depending on species, temperatures, and the hospitality of the environment, these pests spend 11 to 22 or more days to become adults.
Phorid flies are also known as sewer flies and regionally as the scuttle and coffin fly because they favor decaying, moist organic material as both a source of food and for laying eggs.
Forensic & Pest Control InterestsThey are fond of decaying flesh and are known to favor dead animals over rotting vegetable matter. Phorid flies are capable of creating sustainable communities in coffins and are therefore of interest to the forensic community. Certain species of phorid flies are also used as biological control agents of fire ants.