House Fly Larvae

The house fly can be an aggravating pest found within human homes. In fact, the house fly has a strong relationship with man and will travel with human populations to even the coldest of regions. House fly populations can be harmful to human health: they carry multiple pathogens and have been linked to the spread of a number of diseases.

House fly eggs look like small grains of rice. Eggs hatch within 24 hours, and house fly larvae emerge. House fly larvae, or maggots, appear similar to pale worms. Their sole purpose is to eat and store energy for their upcoming pupation. Larvae feed for approximately five days, after which they find dry, dark locations for pupal development.

House fly larvae can be commonly found on rotting plant or animal material. If an animal dies, maggots will most likely feed on the corpse. These larvae also fall prey to many other species, including reptiles, birds and other insects. Certain wasps are known to lay their eggs inside maggots. When these eggs hatch, young wasps devour the maggot from the inside out.

When entering the pupal stage, white larvae develop hard, dark outer shells. Within a few hours of emerging from the pupa case, females are capable of breeding. She is capable of depositing almost a thousand eggs in her lifetime.