Flies.

Abstract

Abstract This book chapter discusses flies. Filth-breeding flies are usually broken down by the pest management industry into large flies and small flies. The most common fly is the house fly, and its larvae develop in farm animal manure and decaying plant material. It is important to understand the conditions where filth-breeding fly larvae develop in order to control them in urban settings. Some of the large flies of importance are the house fly, blow fly and flesh fly. Small flies are sometimes called gnats and develop in places like drains, residues of organic matter and food waste. Other fly larvae, like blow flies and flesh flies, develop in decaying meat, dead animals, and high protein decaying waste. Apart from houseflies, the most important flies to the urban pest management industry are the filth-breeding flies. With livestock and poultry production being concentrated into small areas near urban centers, house flies can develop in manure piles and migrate into residences and commercial establishments. The filth-breeding flies are considered very important disease transmitting flies throughout most parts of the world. The food source for filth-breeding fly larvae is usually decaying plant and animal matter. They pick up disease organisms on their bodies or orally, and then move them to human food by contact with their contaminated bodies or by regurgitation of pathogens. The ability of adult flies to move rapidly from decaying plant and animal materials make them important mechanical disease vectors. The important pathogens mechanically transmitted by flies are food poisoning bacteria (Shigella, Salmonella, E. coli) and cholera.