Most airborne insects possess four wings, and they include dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, moths and reproductive alates from ant and termite colonies. True flies of the Diptera order, which include fruit flies, house flies, little house flies, and cluster flies, possess two wings, which differentiates them from all other insect orders. Few flies are able to breed and complete their entire life cycle indoors, but those that can are considered the most significant indoor fly pests. All flies go through complete metamorphosis, which involves four separate developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. This allows flies to take advantage of a variety of breeding sources and living conditions. Many small house infesting flies are able to live and breed entirely indoors, although they generally prefer outdoor habitats.

Fruit flies are common indoor pests that can live and breed entirely indoors, and they generally infest homes during the summer, but can be found within homes year round. This is especially true in Massachusetts where fruit flies are known for entering homes in large numbers during the fall season in order to overwinter. Fruit fly females lay eggs in just about any source of fermenting fruit or vegetables, including spilled beverages and beverage containers containing fruit drinks, beer and syrups. Within homes, fruit fly eggs and larvae are most commonly found developing within and feeding on rotting fruits and vegetables beneath kitchen appliances and within garbage bins. Phorid flies are also common indoors and they prefer to breed in just about any moist organic material including drains, dirty mop heads and rags, garbage bins, most potting soil, and rotting rodent carcasses in wall voids. House flies are the most common large indoor fly pests, and this is due to their ability to breed on a variety of decaying materials, most notably excrement and decaying food in garbage bins. Carrion flies or blow flies generally breed on decaying animal carcasses, and their presence within homes indicates that a high number of dead rodent carcasses, like mice and rats, are present in hidden, and often, inaccessible indoor areas.

Have you ever found maggots in your home?