House & Horse Flies in Maryland

Last updated: 5/06/2021

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

There are two species of flies that we commonly see in Maryland: the common housefly and the stable fly, also known as the horse fly. Both types of flies carry numerous pathogens and can be extremely harmful to humans and pets.

The Stable Fly, or Horse Fly

Horseflies are larger than house flies and give a painful sting when they bite their prey. When the stable fly feeds, it sucks the blood from its prey and can live for about three weeks off of the prey’s blood. Horseflies can carry harmful diseases, including anthrax, leprosy, and swamp fever.

The House Fly

House flies can be a nuisance, and always manage to avoid your swatting attempts. Ever wonder how those pesky little flies always manage to get away? They can move their wings up to 200 times in a second and can fly as fast as 5 mph. Flies have tiny steering muscles that compromise only 3% of their body weight. The wings have virtually zero weight, so the steering is done with tiny muscles in the body of the fly

How Long Do House Flies Live?

Once they make their way inside your home, the house fly can live up to 60 days but live even longer, up to 5 months, in the warmer summer months. According to Insect-O-Cutor, in the summer reproduction months (April to September), the descendants of one pair of flies, if all lived and reproduced normally, would number 191 thousand trillion…enough to cover the entire land area of the world to a depth of 18 feet! (Thankfully, this isn’t the case, and nature keeps things balanced!)

How Does a House Fly Eat?

A housefly has poor eyesight, despite its numerous lenses, and relies on its sense of smell to find its food source. House flies get nourishment through an eating tube that releases a drop of fluid from their stomach and deposits it on their meal. The fluid is then sucked back up, and the nutrients it has dissolved.

Are House Flies Dangerous?

Although house flies seem pretty impeccable, they also carry many pathogenic bacteria. House flies have been known to carry the following diseases:

• Typhoid
• Tuberculosis
• Listeria
• And more

House flies do not sting, but they do feed on fecal matter, including those left behind by pets in the backyard. The same goes for farm animals that can be a feeding frenzy for flies. The house fly is dangerous because it can regurgitate upon various sources of fecal matter, resulting in a plethora of potential diseases.

How to Prevent House & Horse Flies in Maryland

The best way to prevent house flies and horse flies is to keep your house clean. Clean up all trash around the house, and make sure to take your trash outside regularly. If you like to keep windows open in your home, insert a screen, so flies don’t come venturing in.

Does Warm Weather Bring More Flies in Maryland?

With warmer weather on its way, it’s essential to make sure that you do not allow flies to reproduce in your home. It takes a short warm spell of temperatures of about 60 degrees, and flies will re-start their life cycle. If the weather stays warm, the female will begin laying eggs in the quantity of 75-100 eggs every 3-4 days. Eggs are deposited on warm moist food sources, including fecal matter, garbage, and food. Warm weather can certainly lead to more horse flies and house flies in your home.

If your fly problem becomes more significant than you can handle, let B.O.G. Pest Control solve it! Give us a call today at 703-666-3801!