Dangerous guest - everything you need to know about green flies

1. A brief excursion into biology
2. Stages of development
3. Features of green flies
4. Harm and benefits of green flies
5. Fighting blowflies Ways flies get into human housing
6. Preventative measures against green flies
7. Ways to combat carrions

Folk remedies for control and prevention

Green flies are associated with carrion, which is justified. These insects with shiny bodies fly away as soon as a food object appears nearby. Larvae hatching from eggs speed up decomposition. They love street markets for meat, fish, sweets or other food products.

Large green flies are found on damaged fruits and berries in orchards and vineyards. There are especially many of them where there is excrement or meat (cesspools, slaughterhouses).

Description of appearance

The body structure of the green carrion fly is similar to that of a regular fly, only the first one is slightly larger. The length of its body reaches 1.5 cm. The eyes look like large red spots that occupy a large area of ​​​​the head. The back and abdomen have an emerald shine with golden tints. In the photo of a green fly you can clearly see its bright color.

On a note!

The scavenger moves much slower than its relatives. It is easier to catch or kill it mechanically. Another difference between an insect and an ordinary fly is a significant hum during the flight, so you can immediately understand that a green carrion fly has flown into the house.

Project “Structure of a fruit fly using the example of a children’s craft”

Model of a fly from scrap materials.

The body consists of three sections: head, chest, abdomen.

• The head contains what we call the brain, although other parts of the insect's body are also responsible for storing information and controlling movement. The head also contains the mouthparts, usually oval-shaped eyes and short antennae responsible for the sense of smell.
• The chest is the middle part of the body, which can be compared to one large muscle. Three pairs of legs and wings are attached to it. The leg consists of several segments, with claws located at the end of each limb. They help to cling to surfaces.
• The abdomen contains the internal organs. Fruit flies, like any insect, do not have lungs, but they do have openings called spiracles located under the thorax and abdomen.

We invite you to complete a creative task that will allow you to create a model of a fly using available materials, as well as study its structure in detail.

What we need:

• 2 oval-shaped balloons and 1 oblong-shaped balloon;
• a piece of transparent plastic;
• old newspaper;
• 2 cups flour;
• water;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• Bowl;
• 8 bottle brushes or 8 pieces of wire with bristles (2 of them short);
• acrylic paints;
• permanent markers;
• insulating tape;
• Super glue.

Progress of the experiment:

1. To create a model of a fly, find a picture of it on the Internet and study it in detail.
2. Inflate one balloon for the head, a second larger balloon for the chest, and a third even larger balloon for the abdomen.
3. Using tape, attach the head to one side of the chest and the abdomen to the other.
4. Mix in a bowl 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp. l. salt, 2 cups of water until smooth and lump-free.
5. Tear the newspaper into strips about 1.5 cm wide and, dipping them into the flour mixture, carefully wrap the balloons completely.
6. Let dry for 1-2 days.
7. Glue 2 short wires to the head with superglue to create antennas. Glue 6 long wires in pairs to the place on the chest where the legs grow from the fly.
8. Cut out wings from plastic and draw patterns on them. Then glue them to the chest on top. Leave the balloons intact inside.

Conclusion:

1. Why did you make the front sight model? What did you learn from the process of designing the fly? What would you change during the experiment and in the design itself to improve it?
2. This project allows you to create a model of a fruit fly in a playful way and study its structure. Children are interested in creating something new with their own hands, and a fly created by you and your child will be a worthy decoration for your home or a good gift for close relatives.

A brief excursion into biology

Carrion flies are insects with a green body (with a metallic or golden tint). The size of carrions is up to 1 cm. The antennae are strewn with bristles. They are found everywhere, both on the street and in houses. Green flies carry microbes and parasite eggs.

There are more than 1,500 species comprising various carrion or blowflies. All of them have a brightly colored body, with a metallic tint, green or blue. Green blowflies belong to the genus Lucilia.

For nutrition, they use liquefied material of rotting organic matter (pus, decomposing proteins), which are liquefied under the influence of enzymes secreted by the maggots themselves.

About the housefly: who is it?

In general, the term “housefly” can be viewed in two ways, approaching it both from the position of an ordinary person who is faced with hordes of nasty insects every summer, and from the position of a biological researcher. The views will be radically different:

• From a biological point of view. The housefly is a separate species with its own description. Lives in close proximity to humans and is a constant neighbor throughout the summer. The house fly is large, but not the largest, and dark gray in color. It has a soft proboscis with which it cannot bite. Its feeding apparatus is a sucking type, designed to absorb liquid food. They are often called “sewer flies” for their special love for sewage.
• From a layman's point of view. Housefly (housefly) is any two-winged insect that lives in a human home. After all, no one will take a closer look at who exactly is in front of him: a melon fly, a cherry fly, a raspberry fly, or some other one. If it flies and lives at home, it means it is indoor. This approach is also correct, because an ordinary person will not delve into the various types of flies, of which there are about one and a half hundred species.

But today we will change our view and try to understand the diverse and interesting world of these insects.

Biology

Adults of calliphorid flies are, as a rule, brightly colored green or blue with a metallic tint; less often dark gray with brown.

Typically carrion flies that develop on corpses are representatives of the main genera of the family - green carrion flies (Lucilia) and blue carrion flies (Cynomya, Calliphora). Their females require a significant amount of protein (up to 800 mcg) to develop eggs. Having found carrion (sometimes the fly has to fly up to 20 km to do this), females lay white eggs measuring 1.5x0.4 mm - 150-200 eggs at a time. In total, a female can lay up to 2000 eggs in her life. For the larvae to hatch, it takes from 12 hours to 1-2 days (depending on the ambient temperature). Digestion in larvae is extraintestinal - they absorb food liquefied by their proteolytic enzymes.

There are two types of carrion fly larvae: smooth and “hairy”. The first are exclusively scavengers; the latter are predominantly active predators, feeding on smooth larvae, and appear on carrion later than the former.

The larvae go through three moults and then pupate. At room temperature (approx. 30 °C), the black carrion fly Phormia regina transforms from egg to pupa in 6-11 days. The larva burrows into the ground and, if the weather is favorable, emerges from the puparium after 14 days as an adult insect. Because the life cycle of carrion flies is well understood, they are used in forensic science to determine the time of death.

In addition to carrion, many species of carrion flies develop on the excrement of humans and animals. It is not uncommon for the same species to develop both on carrion and in feces. Feeding on decaying meat has created the preconditions for a number of species of carrion flies to transition to parasitism on living beings: pollen flies (Pollenia), for example, retain the ability to develop in meat, but their larvae are often found in the body of earthworms, which they gradually eat. There are species that parasitize snails and live in termite mounds and anthills. Parasitic carrion flies can develop in necrotic tissues and cause myiases in animals and humans. Thus, the damage caused to the Australian sheep industry by the fly Lucilia cuprina, which parasitizes sheep, is estimated at 170 million US dollars annually.

Adult carrion flies sometimes become pollinators of flowers, to which they are attracted by a strong smell, similar to the smell of rotting meat (like pawpaw).

Life cycle of a fly, reproduction, its eggs

Flies are insects whose development is characterized by complete transformation, that is, in their life cycle they go through several stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult insect.

Warm summer days are the most optimal time for flies to develop, and the entire life cycle can be completed in a period of 7 to 10 days.

The female lays white eggs, approximately 1.2 mm in length, in small batches in manure or other nutritious moist medium. In total, an adult female fly can lay 100 to 150 eggs at a time. The eggs develop for 1-2 days, after which they enter the larval stage.

Fly larvae: where they live and what they eat

In the initial stage, the fly larva is a white, translucent worm, 3-8 mm long, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the front. Has no head. The body of the larva is divided into several parts, so-called segments. On the anterior segment there is a mouth opening with special retractable hooks. Legless larvae hatch from eggs in warm weather over a period of 8 to 20 hours and immediately begin to feed and develop in the environment where the eggs were laid. Adult larvae are creamy, shiny, 9 to 12 mm long.

The larvae go through three stages of development, or instars. At this time, spiracles gradually form - openings that lead to the respiratory organs (trachea). The larvae molt three times. At the end of the third stage, the larva turns into a prepupa, which prefers dry places. The body of the larva decreases, becomes thicker, and looks like a barrel. With the last molt, the larva pupates, and does not shed the shell, but uses it to construct the pupal cover.

An adult fly and its pupa, characteristics of the female and male

The pupae of the fly are dark brown, up to 8 mm long. This stage is the resting stage. Under the strong cover of the pupa, a mysterious transformation of a sluggish worm into an adult insect - an imago - takes place in a few days. The wings of a newborn fly are light and soft. In a few hours they will straighten out, become stronger, the chitinous cover will darken, and the fly will be ready for its first flight.

An adult housefly is 6-8 mm long, females are usually larger than males. The fly's body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax and abdomen and is covered with numerous hairs that serve as organs of touch or hearing. The color is gray, there are four narrow black longitudinal stripes on the chest. The abdomen is gray or yellowish. Large compound eyes of a reddish color are located on the anterior segment of the head. These crystal-like eyes are made up of multiple hexagonal lenses and allow the fly to see in all directions. Flies distinguish colors, as well as ultraviolet radiation, invisible to the human eye. But in the dark, flies become helpless, so they are active only during daylight hours.

The fly also has three simple small eyes that can look straight up. In females the distance between the eyes is greater than in males. The fly has black antennae on its head, which serve as olfactory organs. Flies use only the front pair of wings; the hind ones are not developed and are used to maintain stability in flight. It is these rear halteres that produce such a familiar and many unpleasant buzzing sound. At the same time, flies are able to perform complex acrobatic stunts, as well as take off and land without accelerating.

External body structure

The general body plan of the fly is the same as that of other winged pests. The head contains the mouthparts, organs of vision and antennae. On the chest are transparent wings and three pairs of legs. The abdomen hides the digestive and reproductive systems.

Important: insects have pronounced sexual dimorphism, that is, females are visually different from males.

Head

The main feature of the fly is its compound eyes. They allow you to view the space 360 ​​degrees. There are more than 3,000 small facets in each eye. Each eye transmits a separate image to the brain, where the overall picture is formed.

The fly obtains food for itself with the help of its proboscis. It can be of two types:

1. Sucking.
2. Licking.

In an insect that feeds on blood, the mouthparts are additionally equipped with sharp plates that help pierce the skin of the prey.

With the help of antennae placed on the head, the pest orients itself in space. The front sight determines the direction of movement and also picks up odors.

Important: males have large eyes, thanks to which they react faster.

Chest and wings

The fly's chest is divided into three segments. The most developed is average. This is due to the fact that the insect flies a lot. There are 6 paws on the chest, with the help of which the pest can crawl not only on a horizontal surface, but also on a vertical one. Each paw is equipped with suction claws.

Important: with the help of the fly's legs it determines the taste of food.

Few people know, but the pest has 2 pairs of wings. Some are large, others are small - halteres. They are the ones that make the annoying sound.

Abdomen

The third part of the body is the abdomen. It has a cylindrical shape and consists of 10 segments. The abdomen contains organs responsible for respiratory function, nutrition and reproduction.

Flies that live in apartments weigh about 13 mg. The abdomen can accommodate 3 mg of food, that is, body weight after “breakfast” increases to 16 mg.

general characteristics

Diptera insects belong to the family of bloodsuckers (Hippoboscidae), which parasitize warm-blooded animals. Males and females feed only on the blood of their victims. The main “hosts” of this type of bloodsucker are elk, deer, roe deer and other cattle. Flies are often found on wild boars, foxes, bears, as well as dogs, sheep, and goats. Forest birds can also be affected by parasites. When the number of insects is large, they are capable of attacking humans. However, feeding on his blood, the deer fly is not able to complete the reproductive cycle and give birth to offspring, since there is no full range of conditions favorable for this.

The number of individuals in a population directly depends on the presence of deer and elk in a certain area. A representative of the family Hippoboscidae has several names:

• deer bloodsucker is a scientifically used term;
• moose fly;
• moose tick;
• moose louse.

This variety of names is due to the fact that the moose fly is often confused with a tick or louse, although it has nothing to do with these parasites. The external similarity is due to the fact that, when it gets on the body of a warm-blooded animal, the bloodsucker fly sheds its wings. She burrows into the fur and, having bitten through the skin, begins to feed on the blood of her victim.

moose fly

Forest parasites, unlike their other blood-sucking counterparts, are small in size. The body length of the fly ranges from 3 to 3.5 mm. The light brown, flattened, shiny, dense leathery cover reliably protects the bloodsucker from damage. It is able to withstand high pressure and as a result, the fly is difficult to crush. The flattened head with thick antennae located in the deep frontal depressions is directed forward. The moose fly has fairly large eyes, made up of almost 3 thousand facets. They are located on the lateral surfaces of the head. In addition, the parasite has 3 simple eyes.

The piercing-sucking mouthparts are similar to the proboscis of the autumn burner fly. Well-developed and strong legs with thickened hips extend from the flattened chest. The limbs are equipped with asymmetrical prehensile claws. The flat fly has flat transparent wings, the length of which is in the range of 5.5-6 mm. Despite the impressive size of the organs for movement, the flat fly flies poorly and over short distances. Basically, it waits for its prey sitting on the branches of trees, bushes or in the grass. Finding itself on the body of an elk or other animal, the fly breaks off its wings, burrows deep into the fur and begins to bite its “owner” to begin feeding.

Reproduction of moose fly

The ability to reproduce occurs 2-3 weeks after the start of intensive food absorption. Insects that parasitize animals live in pairs. Approximately 19 days after mating, the female “gives birth” to a large prepupa, the size of which reaches 3-4 mm. It develops from an egg and pupa in the elastic abdomen of an elk fly, which can almost double in size during gestation and feeding. After a few hours, the “newborn” is covered with a dense protective shell and falls to the ground. This process occurs during October-March. With the onset of spring, the puppet-bearing forest fly dies, freeing the animals from its presence. At the end of summer (in August), young individuals of winged parasites emerge from the developed pupae.

Under favorable conditions, a female moose fly can produce from 20 to 30 puparia during its entire life cycle, which lasts on average about 6 months. Once on the ground or in the snow, they are quite often eaten by tits, which live in the winter near the deer roost. Animals suffer greatly from the presence of blood-sucking parasites on their bodies. They lead to emaciation, loss of appetite, sleep deprivation and stunted growth in juveniles and adults.

People also get it from bloodsuckers. In the photo, enlarged many times, the moose fly appears “in all its glory.” The insect can be carefully examined to accurately determine its presence on the body of an animal or person.

The distribution range of the moose fly is quite wide. They can be found almost everywhere, but the largest number of pests are found in the following areas:

• European part of Russia;
• Siberia;
• Primorsky Krai;
• northern China;
• countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula;
• North America.

moose fly

The moose fly is mainly attracted to large objects - cloven-hoofed forest animals and large livestock. With a significant increase in the number of insects themselves, they begin to mercilessly attack humans.

Appearance Features

Externally, the green carrion fly differs from the house fly in its larger body size, bright green color with iridescence, and a metallic tint. The external and internal structure of the body is ideally suited to her lifestyle.

• Size from 8 mm to 2 cm.
• The entire body is densely covered with short villi.
• There are small antennae on the head.
• The head is well defined with large red and brown eyes.
• A pair of transparent wings with well-marked membranes. Located along the body, slightly splayed to the sides.
• The second pair of wings are underdeveloped and are called halteres. They perform an important function - they maintain balance in the air, allow you to hover in one place, and also create sound during flight.
• 6 pairs of paws. A special fatty substance collects at the tips, which allows flies to easily stay on any surface in a vertical or horizontal position. This explains how the insect sits calmly, crawls on the ceiling and on the glass of the windows.

A photo of a green fly is shown below. The insect lives in the wild and enters the house by accident or under certain circumstances.

Interesting!

To search for food, a fly can fly up to 20 km, and can fly almost 3 km without stopping. Orients with a sensitive sense of smell and excellent vision.

Content

These dipterous insects can be confused with a common housefly, but blowflies are larger - 10-25 mm long (although there are species only 5-10 mm long).
The body is most often colored ash-gray with black spots, stripes or a checkerboard pattern, the eyes are usually bright red. Female blow flies are viviparous - they give birth to small larvae of the first stage. This gives them an advantage over carrion flies, whose larvae take up to 24 hours to hatch from laid eggs. Larvae of various species of blowflies are found not only on decaying meat and carrion, but also on rotting fruit, feces, manure and other decaying organic matter. Among them are parasites of insects and mollusks. There are known species whose larvae live in the wounds of mammals (mainly sheep), causing ulcerations - myiases.

Blowfly larvae are characterized by extraintestinal digestion. They occasionally eat the larvae of other flies, as well as the larvae of grasshoppers, beetles, snails and caterpillars (including the ringed moth Malacosoma disstria

).

The larvae spend 5-10 days on the meat, after which they move to the soil, where they pupate and turn into adult flies. Blowfly pupae are capable of hibernating for a long time, as are the larvae of some Sarcophaga

They hibernate in the fall and only turn into adult flies in late spring. Adult blow flies can be found on flowers. Their body is dotted with numerous long bristles, to which pollen easily sticks - thus the flies act as pollinators. Adult flies live 5-7 days.

Blow flies are carriers of pathogens of some infectious diseases (including leprosy). On the other hand, by destroying carrion, they play an important role as nature’s orderlies.

The life cycle of blowflies has been well studied, so the presence of their larvae on corpses makes it possible to determine the time of death, which is successfully used in forensic science.

The family is divided into three subfamilies with 173 genera, 3094 species:

Habitat

Emerald lucilia is common in many countries of the world with warm summer climates. Its peak activity occurs during the hottest time of the year. It is in the heat that decay processes most strongly emit an odor, which is a bait for insects. In addition to carrion, green-bellied flies are also attracted to other sources of unpleasant stench:

• feces;
• rotting fruits and berries;
• plants with a rotting smell;
• food waste landfills;
• fresh and salted fish;
• meat.

Large concentrations of carrion insects can be seen near slaughterhouses, meat shops, and livestock farms. They are also found in large numbers near fish processing plants, where fish are cleaned and cut.

On a note!

An apartment or house can attract meat midges if there is rotting waste or a dead animal somewhere nearby. Otherwise, the fly can only fly in by accident and will try to fly out at the first opportunity.

Nutrition

For food, flies and larvae use the meat of decomposing corpses, rotting fruits and vegetables, meat products, as well as other organic substances that are in the process of decomposition.

Among other things, the blowfly larva can eat the eggs of beetles, other flies, grasshoppers and caterpillars. They are characterized by extraintestinal digestion of food.

Habitat

When the fly is not looking for food or a place to lay larvae, it can be found on various flowers, near cesspools and latrines.

As for the larvae, they can be found not only on rotting fruits and decomposing corpses, but also on feces, manure, in a polluted body of water, and even in an open wound of an animal.

Types of midges and reasons for their appearance

Many housewives wonder where midges come from in their apartments. Most often, insects appear in summer or autumn, but they can also appear in winter, even in a room with tightly closed windows and doors. Therefore, before you start fighting them, you need to find the source of their occurrence:

1. Contaminated and slightly rotten fruits brought into the house from a store or garden are the most common cause of midges appearing in the kitchen. They create ideal conditions for insects to feed and reproduce. Midges are especially common on the balcony in the fall, where a lot of vegetables are stored for canning. To get rid of it, you need to destroy the missing products.
2. Poor trash bin hygiene and irregular waste disposal may also be a precursor to the appearance of fruit flies in the kitchen. Despite the fact that the lifespan of insects is only a day, they manage to lay eggs in rotting food waste. As a result, you have to look for ways to get rid of midges in your apartment.
3. Failure to clean your pet's cage in a timely manner can also cause midges to appear in your apartment. An unkempt dog or cat bowl, a dirty aquarium and rotting algae in it are excellent sources for the spread of insects. Regular cleaning of your pet's dishes will help get rid of pests in your home.
4. Midges in the house can start in the soil of indoor plants. Excessively abundant watering and fertilization with used tea leaves create favorable conditions for the proliferation of flower midges on windows.
5. The cause of midges in the kitchen may be a clogged drain. Food particles stuck in the siphon continue to decompose there, which provokes the emergence of new individuals. In such a situation, cleaning the siphon with a special product will help get rid of insects.
6. Faulty plumbing can also contribute to the presence of midges in the kitchen. A constant leaking faucet creates dampness in the apartment, which insects love so much.
7. Insects can enter the kitchen through the vents or simply fly into the house from the street through a window or door.

Midges are two-winged insects that are similar to flies, only smaller in size. There are three types of pests most commonly found in kitchens. Here it’s worth mentioning right away where they come from in the apartment, because they penetrate your life in completely different ways.

1. Drosophila - they are also called fruit and wine midges. They are easily recognized by their dark yellow, orange, brown or black color. They love rotten remains of fruits and vegetables, waste from the trash can and sweets. They are able to take a liking to wet rags that have been lying around for a long time. You bring them from the market or from the grocery store.
2. Sewer flies are black in color, their bodies are densely covered with hairs. They live in sewers and other damp and warm places. They appear if food waste has accumulated in the drain.
3. Sciarides are fungus gnats. In appearance, they really look like small mosquitoes from light gray to black. They attack indoor plants and love waterlogged soil. They end up in a home with poorly cultivated soil, or they can fly through an open window and find refuge in an indoor flower.

If we talk about sewer flies, they are carriers of dangerous microorganisms, and fruit flies accelerate the process of spoilage of good vegetables and fruits by spreading rot particles from spoiled ones onto them. Sciarid larvae feed on root sap and impair oxygen exchange in the soil, so don’t be surprised that plants wither.

In general, it’s not very pleasant. Add to this the even more disgusting sight of hordes of small insects circling around your home, and the danger of them getting into your nose, eyes and ears. It becomes absolutely clear that unpleasant guests need to be dealt with quickly.

Types of blow flies

The most common types of blowflies include the following:

• green;
• gray;
• blue.

Green fly

The green blowfly has a body size of 5...10 mm in length, which has a greenish color that shimmers with a metallic tint. The insect's abdomen has a somewhat lightish tint.

Green fly

The fly's legs are black, the tentacles are slightly yellowish, and the wings are transparent. This type of fly is very thermophilic and is mainly found in hot summers.

gray fly

Gray blowflies have a fairly large body, the length of which can range from 10 to 15 mm. Attached to the body is a white and yellow head, divided by a black stripe and having red eyes.

gray fly

The insect's chest is covered with light stripes, which are located longitudinally. The legs of the fly are distinguished by thick, short hair.

blue fly

The blue blowfly is one of the largest - its body length can be 10...16 mm, and its color is blue with a lightish tint. Attached to the body is a head, colored yellowish-red with a golden sheen, and having short antennae on the sides.

gray fly

The insect's chest is painted black with an iridescent bluish tint, and black stripes are visible on the back.

Treatment

Many diseases carried by blowflies have specific treatments. Special vaccines have been developed for many. And yet, the main disease transmitted by blowflies is myiasis, the treatment of which we will describe in detail.

Location of the larvae

Since myiasis can be both internal and external, their treatment is different. If the skin is damaged, it is necessary to wait for the larva to mature, after which it moves outward and can be easily removed from the wound using tweezers. To speed up the progress of the larva, you can use various oils: vegetable, camphor, vaseline or those that you have at home. The oils prevent the access of oxygen, thereby causing the larva to move outward. After the larva has been removed, the wound must be treated with an antiseptic and a sterile compress with a disinfectant applied; in case of significant damage, external or systemic antibiotics can be prescribed. And in no case should you try to remove the larva before it approaches the exit, this can lead to its rupture and suppuration of the wound. If internal organs or intestines are damaged, antiparasitic drugs are used; if it gets into the stomach, it is washed out.

Reproduction

The green fly lays about 150 eggs at a time, but in a day their number can reach five hundred. To protect the offspring from bright sunlight, to which they are very sensitive, the female looks for deep folds or holes in the flesh of the carrion, and, if possible, climbs under the corpse to lay eggs.

The insect is not at all concerned about other scavengers, such as ants, which carry freshly laid fly eggs. Her offspring are so numerous that such petty theft will not affect the general population.

Are dung flies harmful?

Dung flies do not cause much harm to humans. Despite the fact that they carry pathogenic bacteria, they practically do not fly into human housing, so there is no need to be afraid of infection. For most animals, these insects also pose no threat, since they are not parasites and do not bite.

However, it happens that during active reproduction the number of flies increases very quickly and they begin to bother livestock, flying into the eyes and getting into the ears. In this case, you should think about ways to reduce the number of annoying insects.

If leaf miner larvae are found in gardens, which harm plants by making tunnels for movement in them, gardeners must immediately take the necessary measures to destroy them.

Larvae

The larvae of green flies hatch from eggs a day after laying. They are small in size, whitish with a small black head, which has a mouth opening and two sharp hook-shaped protrusions, which the larva controls: it pulls forward, sticks into rotting flesh, and hides. Some sources suggest that these are modified jaws of the larva, with the help of which it captures microscopic pieces of flesh. Actually this is not true. The larva uses its hooks exclusively as a propulsion system. By thrusting them into the flesh, it tightens the body, so it is able to move.

Fruit flies

Drosophila have red eyes and a yellow-brown coloration with transverse black rings across the abdomen. Sexual dimorphism is clearly expressed: the body length of females is about 2.5 mm, while males are noticeably smaller, the back of their body is darker.

Fig. 16 Male and female Drosophila

The duration of Drosophila ontogenesis (the development time from egg laying to the emergence of the imago from the pupa) at 25°C is about 10 days, at 18°C ​​it is approximately twice as long. During her life, the female lays about 400 eggs in rotting fruit or other organic material, each of which is about 0.5 mm in length. The larvae hatch after 24 hours. The hatched larvae grow for 5 days, molting twice during this time: 24 and 48 hours after hatching.

rice. 17 Fruit fly

During this time, they feed on microorganisms that decompose the fruit, as well as substances from the fruit itself. Finally, the larva is surrounded by puparia and turns into a pupa. The pupal stage lasts about five days. Under the covers of the pupa, a catastrophic metamorphosis occurs, as a result of which the organs of an adult individual develop.

How do larvae eat?

The larva cannot yet bite off pieces of solid food. How does she eat? During the research, an experiment was carried out: pieces of slightly dried meat were placed in two flasks, and green fly larvae were planted on one of them. After a few days, the piece of meat on which the larvae lived became so soft that it resembled more of a liquid pulp. At the same time, the piece of meat in the second flask did not change at all. That is, the larvae, secreting a special secretion from their mouths, liquefy solid food, turning it into a kind of broth, and then feed on this broth.

It turns out that they digest food before eating it. In addition, the hook-shaped projections on the head of the larva are also involved in the process of such digestion. As the larva digs its hooks into the flesh, it secretes digestive juices. It is absorbed into the meat in the places where the hooks were attached.

Having reached a certain age, the larva burrows into the ground, where it pupates. After a while, the cocoon lid bursts, and a young green fly appears from under the ground. After drying the wings a little in the sun, she rushes off in search of rotting flesh.

Sarcophagids

These dipterans belong to the Sarcophagidae family. The name sarcophagi comes from two Greek words and literally means “flesh eater.” In total there are more than 3 thousand species. Of these, 300 live in Russia. But most members of the family feed on the corpses of invertebrates, other insects or larvae. People usually don't even suspect their existence.

All sarcophagids are viviparous flies. This adaptation gives them an advantage over their competitors - oviparous carrion flies.

For a person, 3 types are important:

The last two species parasitize living organisms, causing myiases.

general description

The size of insects ranges from 4 to 30 mm. The main color is black with gray longitudinal stripes on the upper side of the chest and a checkered pattern on the abdomen. Other distinguishing features of this group include a bristly abdomen and red eyes.

Some blowflies grow stubble over their eyes. But in most cases, the organs of vision are smooth.

Gray blowfly

Based on the biological classification, the entire family bears this name. But in the Palearctic region, a two-winged insect that bears little resemblance to a housefly is very common. This gray blowfly is very interested in meat and is often found in the market.

The insect is 2 times larger than the Wohlfarth fly (body length 10-25 mm) and is painted a relatively even gray color. It is impossible to confuse this individual with an indoor one.

The photo of the blowfly shows that it differs from the Wohlfarth fly in its lighter general background, clearly defined stripes on the chest and a checkered pattern on the abdomen instead of black spots. But the main thing is size.

Gray and Wohlfarth blowfly

She lays larvae for meat with lightning speed. Prefers mammal carcasses:

The larvae very quickly penetrate the flesh, where they develop within a week. When developing on corpses, maggots emerge after 7 days and pupate in the soil.

An interesting feature of the larvae of some sarcophagids is the ability to hibernate for a long time in the fall. Adults from such pupae appear only in spring. The lifespan of adult blow flies is only 5-7 days.

The danger of gray blowflies lies in their ability to carry dangerous infectious diseases, including leprosy. But by destroying corpses, they also bring considerable benefit. Since the life cycle of blowflies is well studied, they are used in criminology. The time of death is determined by the size and age of the maggots.

Wohlfart fly

Wohlfahrtia magnifica also belongs to the blowfly family, but has little interest in corpses. Its maggots parasitize living organisms, feeding on soft tissues.

Very similar in size to brownies. Body length is 6-10 mm. It does not live in cities, since for reproduction it needs sheep, on which it lays larvae. For this reason, it is almost impossible to see it on meat. The adult feeds on nectar, and the larvae live in livestock.

A characteristic feature of this species is 3 rows of spots on the abdomen.

Stages of development

The green fly goes through the following stages in its development:

1. Egg – 8-25 hours.
2. Larva (maggot) – 10±3 days.
3. Pupa 3-4 days.
4. Adult – 45 days.

Carrion birds quickly find open wounds, dead birds, animals and lay eggs there on the very first day. But they can also be deposited in the damp soil of flowerpots, on rotten fruits and vegetables. The eggs look like white sticks 1 mm long. Development time depends on temperature and humidity.

After a day, small larvae (a little more than 1 mm) appear from them. They develop on a favorable basis - kitchen waste, feces, animal corpses. They have 1 mouth opening plus 2 respiratory openings. There is a black hook in the mouth with which they move.

The larvae constantly secrete juice through this hook, as if from a syringe, under pressure. Under the influence of fermented juice, the tissues quickly dissolve, forming a corpse broth on which the insect feeds. The larvae grow quickly, become thicker, larger, moving to pupation after 7-14 days, choosing warm, dry places.

The pupal stage (puparia) lasts 3 days. After hatching, the adults are ready to reproduce. Each female is capable of laying 100-150 pieces per day, repeating the process every 2 days. During its short life, 1 individual is capable of reproducing up to 700 eggs (6-8 clutches).

Some types of carrion flies can lay up to 2000 pieces in 1.5 months. During one warm period, several generations appear. In warm, indoor areas, insects can breed year-round. They overwinter in any phase except eggs.

What sundews look like

These are perennial plants with tuberous thickened roots. Sundews are found on almost all types of soil:

The flowers of these plants are inconspicuous, and the leaves have long, thin hairs. At the tips of the hairs, small droplets of sweet liquid are released, similar to fallen dew. Hence the common name “dewdew”.

The plant's sweet syrup attracts flies and male mosquitoes, which land on the leaves to feed. As soon as the fly touches the hairs, it will stick to the leaf. The syrup is not only sweet, but also viscous. The plant begins to slowly curl its leaf around the fly. After complete folding, the leaf remains in this position until the plant has completely digested the prey.

Several species of sundews are common in Russia, including the type species.

Sundew rotundifolia

A perennial flower that eats flies. The type species that gave its name to the entire genus of sundews. Distributed throughout the Eurasian continent. Prefers swamps, can grow on peat bogs and damp sands.

The round-leaved sundew can safely be called a long-liver - it lives for several decades. But due to poor nutrition, the sundew grows very slowly and does not grow large.

The leaves grow from a basal rosette and are located on the ground. On small round leaf plates there are glandular hairs 4-5 mm long. These hairs secrete droplets of liquid similar to dew.

The round-leaved sundew feeds not only on flies. When an insect touches a sensitive hair, the leaf folds and the hairs dig into the cover of the invertebrate.

Eating insects occurs with the help of those very droplets of liquid, which are actually a digestive enzyme.

English sundew

A perennial plant, common not only in Eurasia, but also in North America. In some regions of Russia it is included in the Red Book.

This is another fly-eating flower. Unlike the round-leaved sundew, the English sundew's diet is based on flying invertebrates, including dragonflies. The leaves of the English sundew are directed upward. The length of the leaf blade is 1.5-3 cm. The width is 5 cm. The leaves are covered with red glandular hairs. When catching a fly, the English sundew leaf wraps itself around the insect. You can see what a flower eating a fly in the middle of the process looks like in the photo below.

Venus flytrap

This native of the North American continent is often grown at home as an ornamental plant.

The Latin name of the flower, muscipula, translates as “mousetrap.” It is believed that this was a mistake by the botanist who described the plant. But there is no confirmation of this hypothesis. The name "Venus" is given in honor of the goddess of love.

It is a herbaceous plant with 4-7 leaves that grow from a rosette. The flower stem is bulbous. The length of the leaves is 4-7 cm and depends on the time of year. Longer leaves grow after flowering.

The leaves of the flycatcher resemble flowers. They are oval shaped and red in color. But this is only a device for attracting invertebrates.

English sundew and Venus flytrap

The name “flytrap” is also not true, just like “mousetrap”. The Venus flytrap is not a flower that catches flies. These dipterans are occasional prey, occupying only 5% of the diet of the carnivorous plant. The bulk of the diet of this plant consists of invertebrates crawling on the ground. A third of them are ants.

Even the flytrap leaf looks like a trap. It is almost smooth inside and has sensitive hairs along the edges. If the hairs are disturbed at least 2 times with an interval of no more than 20 seconds, the sheet will begin to close the edges.

The digestion process takes on average 10 days. Then the leaf opens, “throws out” the empty chitinous shell and awaits the next prey. During the life of one trap leaf, an average of 3 insects fall into it.

The habitat of the Venus flytrap in its homeland is swamps. This flower can easily live on a windowsill or in the garden if it has a sufficiently moist earthen ball. Drying out is harmful for the flycatcher.

Harm and benefits of green flies

The main danger of blowflies is that they spread many diseases on their bodies, including cholera, dysentery, intestinal myiasis and typhoid fever. And given their fantastic reproduction speed, flight speed and penetration into all cracks, such a danger is very likely.

Flies also spoil a huge amount of food products, causing huge losses to food industry enterprises and livestock farming (they lay eggs in the nose, eyes, genitals, wounds, and transfer various pathogens and parasites from sick animals to healthy ones).

There are also benefits from carrion. By knowing the timing of blowfly development at all stages, forensic scientists can determine the time of death to the day, even if the body has been adversely affected. Insects were first used in search of killers back in the 13th century.

During the war, 100 years ago, maggots were used for field cleaning of wounds from dead flesh. Having learned that the juice of the larvae dissolves only areas that die and does not touch the living ones, they began to use them to remove necrotic layers.

First, they filled the wounds with maggots, and after a certain time they removed the cleaners, carefully cleaned the surface of the wound and obtained clean, living and sterile flesh. For medical purposes, special larvae were used, the cleanliness and sterility of which were monitored so as not to further infect the wounded.

Even now, options for using carcasses to treat tissue necrosis are periodically being developed, since dead tissue cannot be removed surgically so thinly, nanometers in size.

Pest flies that live nearby

Among the insects there are garden pests: melon fly, raspberry fly, cherry fly, onion fly and cabbage fly. They should not be confused with Drosophila fruit flies, which, although they are close relatives, do not cause direct harm, as they feed on rotten fruits and berries.

But let's return to garden pests. As you might guess, the cherry fly parasitizes cherries, the melon fly can destroy the harvest of honey-sweet fruits, and the raspberry fly attacks one of the healthiest berries. Onion larvae will eat the entire root crop. The cabbage fly is not particularly discerning and eats all cruciferous vegetables. The arrival of such pests in the garden is a real disaster. Adult insects feed on liquid food, but the larvae feed on the fruits in which the females deposit them. If you notice insects circling over the beds and garden trees, slightly smaller than ordinary flies, but very similar to them, immediately destroy them, otherwise the crop will be destroyed!

The cabbage fly eats cruciferous vegetables, including wild ones. Its invasion is especially dangerous for the garden due to its widespread distribution. The cabbage fly is one of the most voracious parasites on vegetable crops.

Another pest that is dangerous on a larger scale is called the Hessian fly. Its larvae feed on cereals, preferring wheat and rye. The Hessian fly is more like a mosquito; it is not without reason that it is called the “bread mosquito.” According to legend, it came to our country with fodder brought by Hessian mercenaries back in 1776. It has taken root, become familiar, and causes enormous damage to domestic agriculture. The Hessian fly is dangerous because if the attack is not stopped in time, it can easily ruin the entire cereal harvest.

The forest pest is the fungus fly. Her children are the worms we all know, hopelessly spoiling boletus, boletus, russula, etc.

These insects are harmful and dangerous, but there are even worse ones. Let's get to know the bloodthirsty flies that bite.

Breeding

For those who are not against breeding blow flies, and in particular their maggot larvae, this section of our story is intended. We will tell you how to make the simplest maggot from our favorite material for all kinds of crafts - an indispensable plastic bottle.

This is done as follows:

1. Cut the plastic bottle into two parts so that the upper part with the neck, being turned over and inserted into the lower half, does not reach the bottom by 4-5 centimeters.
2. Pour sawdust into the lower part of the “one and a half” or “kopeck piece” in a layer of two to three centimeters.
3. Place a piece of fresh or spoiled meat or a piece of fish in the upper part. By the way, you can also add a few small fish that you discarded after fishing.
4. Place the maggot in a shaded area.

When the meat begins to spoil, the flies will smell it and lay eggs there. The hatched larvae will feed on the substrate offered to them. Soon, a week after their eggs hatch, they will stop feeding in preparation for pupation, and will leak through the neck of the bottle straight into the sawdust.

Thanks to crawling in sawdust, maggots will be cleared of the smell of carrion, and you can take them with you fishing without hesitation. If you put an egg in a maggot, the larvae will be the largest.

How to get rid of hoverflies?

Such striped flies have many varieties: in the world - up to 60 thousand, in Russia their number is 800. All types of hoverflies are distinguished by the different arrangement of yellowish and black stripes, as well as the diet of their larvae: some of them are herbivores, others are predators, still others eat tree bark.

The most common of them:

• The common hoverfly or flower fly with yellow stripes, reaches 12 mm in length, is a good pollinator, the larvae of which destroy garden pests;
• Onion hoverfly (Delia antique) – its size is about 1 cm, the larvae feed on the juice and pulp of bulbous plants;
• Wasp fly (Temnostoma vespiform) - a fly similar to a wasp in coloring and body shape, size up to 18 mm, its larvae consume rotten wood;
• The tenacious bee fly (Eristalis tenax) is a fly similar to a bee, 15 mm long, darker in color;
• Aquatic hoverfly or eristalis fly (Eristalis) - lives near standing ponds, swamps or puddles with musty water, has a special proboscis for breathing in order to consume air from the surface;
• Tufted hoverfly wasp (fasciolatum).

To preserve the harvest, you should get rid of the pest in a timely manner. Gardeners recommend using:

• chemicals;
• folk ways.

If larvae are noticed in the garden bed, they must be promptly disposed of. You can find a huge amount of products in stores. The most popular are:

• "Tiofos";
• "Heptahtor";
• "Fly-eater";
• "Inta-Vir";
• "Tabazol".

Important: when choosing this or that product, you need to study the instructions, otherwise you can destroy not only the larvae, but also the crop

Folk remedies

If there are not yet many larvae in the garden or flowers, you can use traditional methods:

1. Water the garden bed with ammonia solution. 5 tablespoons of the substance are added to 10 liters of water.
2. Sprinkle the beds with wood ash. You can also use tobacco powder.
3. After harvesting, treat the soil with copper sulfate.
4. Remove damaged plants and then burn them.
5. The hoverfly does not like the smell of carrots, so it needs to be sown next to the onion bed.
6. Treat the soil with urea. Add 1 tablespoon of the substance to a ten-liter bucket. One liter of solution is enough per square meter of land.

Important: folk methods have proven themselves over several decades

Medicine

During the First World War, the unexpected property of carrion fly larvae settling in festering wounds was discovered. It turned out that the larvae of green carrion flies (Lucilia), blue carrion flies (Calliphora), etc., feeding on decaying tissues of wounds, not only remove these tissues and small fragments of bones, but also prevent the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria with their secretions. In addition, they secrete allantoin, a substance that promotes wound healing. However, flies taken from natural environments can introduce anaerobic microflora into wounds. Therefore, for the clinical treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds, laboratory-reared (sterile, that is, free from pathogens) larvae are used.

Features of an adult fly

This two-winged insect is a member of the Lionfly family. It is large in size, its body length reaches 15-20 mm. The black soldier fly has features of sexual dimorphism.

Females are slightly larger than males. But the size of an adult insect directly depends on the amount of food eaten by the larva, and in some cases, females and males may be identical in biometric characteristics. Females can be distinguished by thick whitish hairs on the forehead and at the bottom of the head. Males have much fewer of them.

Appearance

The color of the Black Lion fly resembles a wasp

Its wide, rounded abdomen with alternating black and yellow stripes especially attracts attention. The insect's chest and head are dark, and its limbs are light in color.

Unlike the wasp, Hermetia illucens has only one pair of wings, which are smoky black. They have a dense structure and are covered with membranes.

The head of adults is short and wide. The eyes are set in different directions. The Black Soldier fly has elongated, segmented antennae on its forehead. They are 2 times longer than the head. Moreover, the last segment of the mustache differs significantly from the others in size. And at the end it has bristles sticking up. The legs of the Black Lionfly are short, the abdomen is yellow on the underside.

Appearance

The oral apparatus is weakly expressed, of the licking type. It is intended purely for drinking. Therefore, an adult insect does not bite or sting.

Reproduction and life cycle

In the Black Soldier fly, like other dipterans, the development process occurs with complete transformation. The life cycle of an insect consists of stages: egg, larva, prepupa, pupa and adult. Its duration is about 50 days.

After mating, the female lays eggs on the leaves and stems of plants near bodies of water. Their size is about 0.8-1 mm, and their color is white-yellow. At one time, the fly lays 500-800 eggs. On days 5-7, larvae emerge from them, which subsequently pupate and turn into adults.

Spreading

The black soldier fly was originally distributed in subtropical and tropical latitudes. South America is considered its homeland. Subsequently, the insect was transported by man to all continents.

Functions in nature and harm to humans

For humans, all types of blow flies pose a great danger, namely epidemiological. After all, each of these insects is a potential carrier of various infectious diseases, including parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases. One of the most terrible diseases that a blowfly can carry is leprosy (leprosy), and the most common are various intestinal infections.

The fly gets infected due to the fact that it is constantly in contact with dirty places that are rich in feces, decaying biological tissues, rotting organic matter, etc. After this, the fly may end up on food, through which the infection can reach humans.

Blowfly eggs (larvae) can cause parasitic diseases in both humans and animals.

Blowfly eggs (larvae)

In addition to humans, blowflies are also very dangerous for animals. For example, in countries with warm and humid climates, there are many green blowflies, which cause the death of newly born lambs. Female flies can deposit their larvae in sheep's wool, as well as in open wounds, which will cause them to burrow under the skin of the animal, corroding its tissue.

Blowflies can also cause harm to fisheries or fish products. The female quite often deposits her larvae in fresh or lightly salted fish, which is why it loses its presentation and quickly deteriorates.

In addition to the negative aspects, the blowfly also has a positive property - it is nature’s orderly. Since flies feed on carrion, as a result of their vital activity they destroy rotting flesh and decomposing organic waste, preventing them from polluting the environment.

How are they dangerous to humans?

Blow flies make many foods and water unfit for consumption. Accidental consumption of water or food infected with blowfly larvae is fraught with the development of an intestinal infection or intestinal myiasis.

Also, these insects are often carriers of other diseases (including parasitic ones). At the same time, you can become infected with borne diseases not only by drinking contaminated water or food, but also by contact with contaminated linen and household items.

Moreover, the larvae of these insects, when parasitizing inside the human body, can lead to the development of toxic-allergic reactions, which in some cases can be extremely severe (anaphylactic shock, laryngeal edema, bronchospasm).

In rare cases, insect aspiration (accidental inhalation of an insect) may occur, which can result in suffocation and death. Often such situations arise during sleep, when a fly lands on the face of a sleeping person.

Myiases caused by these parasites can lead to disability of the patient (especially if the eyes are damaged) and death (as a rule, only in the absence of adequate treatment of the disease).

List of diseases caused

Blowflies can cause a relatively small number of diseases in humans and animals, which, however, are extremely dangerous and can even be fatal.

List of diseases caused by blowflies in humans:

• myiases (a group of diseases that can occur in various human organs);
• leprosy (also known as “leprosy”) is now extremely rare in developed countries;
• various intestinal infections.

To prevent diseases caused by these parasites, you should follow the rules of personal hygiene, protect water and food from contact with any insects in the spring and summer, and promptly get rid of any waste that accumulates in the house.

It is also extremely important to install special mosquito nets on the windows in the spring and summer. Containers with garbage should be located away from the house and only on concrete or asphalt areas

City residents are not recommended to leave garbage bags in the vestibule or hallway for a long time.

How to kill green flies

Don't wait for green flies to fill the entire area. You need to get rid of them as soon as you notice at least one adult. But before you get rid of green flies, you need to eliminate the cause of their appearance, that is, find rotting flesh that could attract these insects, and throw them as far as possible from your home.

As a rule, these measures are enough to get rid of unpleasant insects in the house. But it is worth remembering that flies live near livestock pens, and this risks the fact that insects can annoy animals, lay eggs in their ears, nose, accidental wounds, etc. In this case, regular treatment of livestock premises is necessary.

To properly combat the green fly, it is better to contact specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological station, who will quickly and competently eliminate the insects.

Pest control methods:

• fumigation – elimination through toxic aerosols, gels, smoke bombs, etc.;
• disinsection - treatment with chemicals of the main places where insects accumulate.

What to do if you are bitten

At the site of a fly bite, severe irritation often occurs with swelling of the soft tissues. If you are bitten by a fly, immediately wash the bite site with cold water to reduce skin irritation. If you have antihistamines in the house, they can be used to relieve an allergic reaction. If there is pain and itching at the site of the bite, you can apply ice, a lotion with soda and other means that can reduce the discomfort. Insect bite repellents are also suitable.

The wound must be disinfected. If the allergic reaction at the site of the bite does not go away, you should consult a doctor.

Fighting blowflies

To prevent the appearance of this pest in the house, you should know its habits, methods of entry, and carry out preventive measures along with control measures.

Ways of flies getting into human habitation

Green flies penetrate houses and apartments:

• through all sorts of cracks - green carrion birds fly very quickly, penetrate into the tiniest cracks;
• with vegetables, fruits, or wildflowers on which eggs are laid - when a suitable object for feeding appears, blowflies multiply at a fantastic rate.

These insects actively develop only when the weather is warm, but if the apartment is warm, then they feel great in winter. Even a single individual is dangerous, since it can lay eggs, and after that the attack on the house will begin in geometric progression.

Preventative measures against green flies

Eliminate or seal all kinds of nurseries: trash bins, manure pits, compost heaps or toilets.

Immediately destroy the carcasses of dead animals and birds.

Do not leave fresh meat or fish in a warm, open place; store food in airtight containers.

Treat insect locations.

Maintain cleanliness, quickly remove dirt, carry out wet cleaning, wipe off excess moisture, regularly ventilate the room, especially in the cool time of the day/year.

Cover windows and doors with mosquito nets.

Ways to combat carrions

Used against green flies:

• adhesive tapes - effective, safe for humans or animals, but do not guarantee complete destruction, last a long time, have a small radius of influence;
• insect repellent aerosols - effective, instant but short-term effect, cannot be used near food or where there are animals or people;
• powdered insecticides - act slowly, have a long-lasting effect, cannot be used where there are people, animals, or food;
• poisons for treating manure and garbage heaps - treatment weekly.

For larvae and pupae, larvicides are used:

• neoprene, baygon,
• creolin, naphthalizol,
• trolene, cyodrine,
• karbafos, metathion, others.

For adult insects - with external insecticides:

• dilox,
• permethrin,
• qigong and others.

Mechanical and electrical traps, as well as energized nets and gratings, are effective.

It is important to use an integrated approach, combining prevention and treatment not only indoors, but also the surrounding area (cleaning plus garbage removal, sealing cracks, and other activities).

Aerosol

This product is sold in spray cans - it is very toxic and lethal to flies. Insects die almost instantly as soon as they enter the area where this insecticide has been sprayed.

Karbofos

When using such products, it is imperative to use personal protective equipment, and after spraying, leave the room for a while. The most famous and popular drugs include: Chlorophos, Diclofos, Karbofos, etc.

Fumigators

They are devices that, using small currents, can evaporate substances dangerous to flies, from which they subsequently die.

Raptor, Raid, Mosquitol

Among the most popular are such as Raid, Raptor, Taiga, Flop, etc.

Insecticidal bait

It is available in the form of powder or granules, which need to be scattered in places where flies are most concentrated, or diluted with water and treated where insects reside.

Agita powder, against flies

This type of preparation is used in cases where it is not possible to use aerosols. Among the most effective powders is Dust, and among granules - Agita or Fly Byte.

Crayons

These are some of the most common and inexpensive blowfly repellents. They contain contact poison. Using crayons, window and door openings and room walls are treated, after which the fly in contact with the treated area will soon die.

Mashenka

To prevent human poisoning, processing should be carried out wearing protective gloves. Among the most popular crayons is Mashenka.

Protection measures

In order to protect your home from blowflies, you must follow preventive measures, which include the following:

• in the warm season, install mosquito nets on the windows;
• keep the kitchen clean (do wet cleaning regularly, wash dishes immediately after eating);
• Take out the trash every day, and it is better to throw away leftover meat or fish immediately;
• Store meat and fish in the freezer or refrigerator, remove immediately before cooking, and do not leave on the table;
• wash your hands thoroughly before preparing and eating food;
• Be sure to wash purchased vegetables and fruits.

Those who raise livestock and poultry should immediately bury dead animals and freeze or process slaughtered ones to avoid decomposition. Also, those living outside the city need to monitor the condition of cesspools by regularly disinfecting waste.

Prevention

Of course, it is always easier to prevent a problem than to fix it. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain basic sanitary and hygienic conditions:

• dispose of household waste in the house in a timely manner;
• do not leave uncovered food on the table;
• place a mosquito net on the windows;
• Clean pet pens regularly;
• examine animals for wounds to avoid infection with green fly larvae;
• treat manure heaps with biothermal agents;
• promptly dispose of the corpses of dead animals, as well as pests such as rats, moles and others;
• Disinfect latrines with insecticides.

Tansy essential oil repels flies, causing paralysis of their limbs. Bouquets of these flowers, hung in a livestock room or standing in a vase in an apartment, will help get rid of annoying flies for a long time.

Sources

• https://notklop.ru/muhi/3-vidy/45-zelyonaya-muha/
• https://izbavitsya-ot-vrediteley.ru/zelenyh-muhah.html
• https://klopkan.ru/muhi/muha-padalnaya-zelenaya/
• https://lorises.ru/nasekomye/padalnaya-muha-2.html
• https://dezbox.ru/dezinsekciya/kak-izbavitsya-ot-myasnyx-mux-aerozoli-i-fumigatory/
• https://FB.ru/article/261906/zelenaya-muha-opisanie-foto-kak-izbavitsya-ot-zelenyih-muh
• https://beetlestop.ru/myasnaya-muha/

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Folk remedies for control and prevention

Plantings of various repellent plants allow you to create an invisible fence around the site. Such biological “weapons” include elderberry, bird cherry, walnut and wormwood.

It is better to plant geraniums inside the house. And an inconspicuous, harmless spider deftly clears the house of annoying winged guests.

Using essential oils of mint, lavender, pine or basil can repel most types of flies.

With minimal knowledge and understanding of what the green fly prefers, how it develops, and where its weak points are, you can get rid of the meat carrion once and for all.

Varieties of hoverflies

On the territory of Russia you can find the following types of these insects:

1. Temnostoma vespiforme. This wasp fly has a characteristic striped color and a length reaching 18 mm. The larvae choose deciduous wood as food.
2. An aquatic species of hoverflies. The eristalia fly obtains food in muddy bottoms and puddles with an unpleasant musty odor. A distinctive feature is the presence of a “tail”, which is a special breathing tube that allows you to breathe under water.
3. In appearance, the insects are similar to a hornet. Characteristic features are a yellow striped convex abdomen; there are brown shading on the front of the wings. The body of adults is 13-18 mm.
4. Delia antique. The color is dirty gray, body size is 0.7 mm. The larvae are pests because they eat garlic and onions and eat up rhizomes, causing them to rot.
5. Eristalis tenax. The syrphid fly is very similar to a bee. The length of the body covered with down reaches 15 mm. Features: dark color, yellow narrow stripes on the abdomen. Can often be called a bee-eater.

A species of hoverfly

Classification of flies by nutrition

Lifestyle shapes nutritional habits. There are several types:

• Afagi. Adults do not feed and live no more than 14 days. The larvae develop and parasitize on humans and animals. A striking representative of aphages are gadflies.
• Nectarophages. Adults feed on plant juices, droppings, and excrement. The larvae develop in a liquid medium, which serves as food for them. Obligate parasites of animals, rarely found on humans. Wohlfart's fly.
• Coprophagous. Adults and larvae feed on excrement. Additional food is plant juices. This species includes pasture flies of the Muscidae family.
• Coprophagous facultative. Maggots develop in excrement, manure, rotten plants, and slops. Adults eat human food. The representative of the species is the house fly.
• Hematophages are obligate. Mature insects feed on blood. The larvae develop in manure, feces, decaying remains of plants, corpses, and feed on the same. This includes the Autumn Zhigalka, which, with the onset of cold weather, makes its way into the house, displacing its indoor relatives.
• Hematophagous facultative. For sexually mature individuals, food consists of secretions from mucous membranes, sweat, and blood protruding from wounds. They cannot bite themselves; their mouthparts are not suitable for this. Additional food is excrement. Maggots also develop there. This species includes the Market fly.
• Necrophages are facultative. Adults feed on decomposing corpse tissue, meat, food waste, juices, and excrement. In most cases, larvae develop in meat. Capable of parasitizing wounds of animals and humans. A striking representative of this species are blowflies - green, blue, gray.
• Polyphages. The diet is very diverse - excrement, body secretions, blood, food waste of animal and plant origin. The larvae adapt to any environment where there is the possibility of feeding. Houseflies are called polyphages.

Varieties

There are several varieties of blowflies, which differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in their feeding and behavior characteristics.

blowfly

The most common types of blowflies are:

• gray meat;
• Wohlfarth fly;
• green carrion;
• blue carrion.

Each of them, appearing in the house, causes a lot of trouble.

Gray blowfly

Some people confuse the gray blowfly with the housefly. Indeed, they have similar features, but the gray fly is much larger, can reach 2.5 cm. The color varies from ash-gray to dark gray. There are black stripes or spots on the body. The head is round with two large burgundy eyes.

Gray

Gray blowflies have an excellent sense of smell and can smell decaying meat from a great distance. Females are viviparous, most often laying larvae on carrion, as well as feces, rotting fruits, and decaying organic matter, which is what they feed on. Adults eat nectar.

Wohlfart fly

The body dimensions of this fly are 7 – 10 mm, the color is gray with dark spots on the abdomen. Unlike other species, the Wohlfarth fly is not interested in carrion. The female lays eggs on mucous membranes or on wounds on the body of animals (much less often than humans). The larvae parasitize animals, most often sheep, horses, and cattle. They penetrate the body and feed on soft and muscle tissues. Adults are nectarivores, feeding exclusively on nectar.

Wohlfartovaya

Green blowfly

Beautiful emerald green flies with a glossy abdomen reach sizes of 6 – 10 mm. Most often they can be found in slaughterhouses, near cesspools, in excrement and carrion.

These flies react very quickly to the appearance of dead bodies nearby. They lay eggs on corpses, and the emerging larvae feed on the tissues, promoting their rapid decomposition. Green blowflies can also lay eggs in open wounds. The ability of the larvae to eat only decaying tissue, without touching healthy tissue, has led to the beginning of research on the use of green carrion insects to treat tissue necrosis.

Blue carrion fly

The blue carrion fly is an insect measuring from 7 to 14 mm, dark blue in color, covered with lighter hairs. Females are attracted to the smell of blood and corpses and lay eggs on open wounds or fresh corpses.

Blue carrion fly

Because blue flies are often found on corpses, they are used to determine the time of death in forensic examinations. Sterile carrion fly larvae are used to treat purulent wounds.

Why does a fly rub its legs?

Flies are one of the most common insect species on Earth. They live everywhere, easily adapt to any climatic conditions, and can find food everywhere.

How many days does a fly live?

Like any other living creature, how long flies live is determined by the conditions of their existence. Flies feel best at a temperature of about 25°C with a humidity of no more than 80%.

How long does a fly live in such conditions if there is no external danger? Maximum up to 60 days, and on average – 25-30 days

It should be noted that we are talking specifically about active life - flying, “dining”, reproduction. If the temperature drops to 18-20°C, these insects can hibernate

How long does a fly live without food, in hibernation? Before the onset of heat - about six months

If the temperature drops to 18-20°C, these insects can hibernate. How long does a fly live without food, in hibernation? Before the onset of heat - about six months.

These numbers are relevant only if no one attacks the fly, and it exists quietly. However, other representatives of wildlife feed on these insects. For example, spiders and frogs. Therefore, it is unlikely that it will be possible to say with accuracy how long a common fly lives, approximately 10-20 days.

Another question is how long do flies live in an apartment? In human habitation there is much more food, more stable temperature conditions, in addition, there are many more secluded corners where you can hide and spend the winter. However, every moment a person strives to shorten the life of a fly, and with him pets, for example, cats. Yes, and there are spiders in apartments.

How do flies reproduce?

Another interesting question is how are flies born? On days 3-7 after the first flight, the fly finds a partner. After meeting him, the female fly can lay eggs from the 4th day until the end of her life. At one time, a fly can lay 120-150 eggs.

Those that survive hatch into white worm-like larvae, which then become pupae, and after 5-6 days - adult flies. What are the names of the father of the fly and the baby of the fly? Scientifically - a male fly and a larva or pupa, depending on the stage of maturation.

But among the people, the humorous “flies” and “mushata” are common.

Surely everyone has seen these insects at least once in their life. And the main thing that they notice when they first look at them is that the fly is rubbing its legs. Why is she doing this?

Everyone knows that flies carry large amounts of dirt, dust, germs and other particles on their legs. Are they really like cats, washing themselves to become cleaner? To some extent, yes.

The reason why flies rub their legs is actually very simple: at the tips of their legs there are special pads covered with fine bristles.

These bristles, in turn, secrete a special sticky liquid, which allows the insect to stay on a smooth, even, even vertical, surface. Here lies the answer to the question why the fly does not fall from the ceiling.

This mixture of carbohydrates and fats on its legs seems to stick to the wall or ceiling, holding the insect. But if its legs are dirty, the grip will be noticeably disrupted, and the fly will simply fall. That is why they monitor the “hygiene” of their feet so carefully.

Another explanation for why a fly rubs its legs is the fact that it is on this part of the insect’s body that all the taste buds and organs of touch are located. This means that flies sense food primarily with their “legs.”

And therefore it is important for them that their paws remain clean. Despite the fact that flies are unpleasant, annoying insects, the appearance of which is often associated with pollution, they are very interesting creatures, surprising with their adaptability to life

Despite the fact that flies are unpleasant, annoying insects, the appearance of which is often associated with pollution, they are very interesting creatures, surprising with their adaptability to life.

​

Starting to write this material, in order to reduce the time for its preparation, I turned to the ubiquitous Internet and was surprised to discover that the World Wide Web knows very little about this interesting creature, and the information that I was able to discover has very little to do with reality and sometimes they are outright lies, falsifications and simply nonsense.

Therefore, I decided to write my own material, which is based on many years of personal experience in the production of maggots (fly larvae), where, if possible, myths and misconceptions regarding these unique creatures will be dispelled.

So let's start with the name:

“MAGGY” The larvae of any flies are called maggots. And only people who speak Russian or a language close to it call them that way.

In English it sounds like maggot . Maggot is an impersonal larva of any insect. In Russian it is just a fly larva (the Russian language is rich and glorious!). A mosquito larva, for example, is called a bloodworm, a burdock moth larva is called a burdock, a caddisfly larva is called a scutellum, etc. And in English - everything is maggot .

Why, exactly, maggots?

The word “maggot” comes from the Slavic word “opara”. The 21st century generation does not quite understand its meaning.

Roughly speaking, this is dough into which yeast fungi have been introduced, which, when starting to develop, release a large amount of gases, which is why the dough begins to swell (grow). Its volume, at the same time, increases several times in a short time. Perhaps someone remembers how the dough for baking bread “ran away” from a grandmother in the village...

But let's get back to our maggots.

They can appear in two ways - hatching from eggs or being born alive, hatching in the mother's body. (See Lecture No. 1).

On the first day after hatching (or hatching) they are tiny. You look at a piece of meat where larvae live and think, well, there’s nothing to look at! What will come of this?

But on the second day, in the container, where there was nothing really yet, everything was teeming! There are already a lot of them and it’s very noticeable!

On the third day, these fat hulks are already very crowded and they scatter in different directions!!!

And so, we come to an analogy: as in the case of a small amount of dough populated with yeast fungi, which increased several times in the shortest possible time (dough), the fly larvae also increased their mass and also began to run away. The dough became cramped in its pan, and the maggot became cramped in its growing container.

What did my grandmother (may she rest in heaven!) do to catch her dough? She placed it in different pots 50/50. We do the same with the grown maggots.

It was precisely because of the comparison with the fast-growing and fast-running dough that the fly larvae were called “Maggot” .

We now call it more modernly - the biomass of fly larvae!

The next point that I want to consider is the way it feeds , moves , the range of temperatures and humidity critical for survival , and in general, what exactly is it...

So, let's start with NUTRITION:

The food for fly larvae is dead tissues of animals, birds, fish, as well as dead organic remains (plants, manure, etc.).

The larvae of some types of flies feed on living tissue of humans and animals and pose an extreme danger to both humans and animals.

Fortunately, in Russia such monsters are not very common and they pose a threat more to livestock (some types of gadflies and horse flies). Such diseases caused by various flies are called myiases (we will talk about them in the next lecture on safety precautions in our production).

Let us continue to consider the types of raw materials for the production of fly larvae and their relative effectiveness:

In this lecture we are interested in flies that destroy (recycle animal corpses) - carrion flies, and flies that raise offspring on plant debris (room, dung, etc.)

​ Carrion flies:

Here I want to characterize not only the type of raw material and its production efficiency, but also some types of flies that are familiar to me.

Let's start with my favorite Lucilia Caesar (Lucilia Caesar):

It is a metallic green fly. the size of individuals is from 50 to 100 mm. Females are usually larger than males. Gender ratio 50/50.

I will not go into morphological characteristics further, since there are several types of lucilius.

​ A very prolific fly. As a result of selection, within 5 years, one female became capable of laying 500-600 eggs per laying, which in industrial conditions makes it possible to provide a plant with a growing area of ​​2-3000 square meters. m. insectarium larvae with flies, the area of ​​which is only 15-20 sq.m.

The larva of this fly is capable of not pupating for two years under appropriate conditions. This makes it very popular in the fishing industry.

Among fishermen, Lucilius larvae are called “kicks” because of the pinkish color of the uncolored maggots. (from the English word Pink - pink).

Let's return to the food on which the larvae can be raised.

​ 1. Beef and offal:

In industrial production it did not perform very well.

During the growth process, a lot of moisture is released, which requires excessive consumption of material that retains it. Medium calorie food. There are no special problems with excessive odor. Due to high humidity, the larvae cannot reach their maximum size. It is not advisable to use minced meat.

To achieve good results, the substrate must be scalded with boiling water.

The use of antibiotics and other substances when raising animals has a great influence on the growth process of larvae.

​ 2. Fish:

The maggot is growing well. But, again, there is a lot of moisture and a very strong pungent smell (especially if the fish is from the sea).

The consumption of raw materials per unit of production is 1 to 5. If fish is bought for money, then production becomes ineffective (or less effective in comparison with other sources of raw materials, in particular pork)

It is not advisable to use minced meat.

Fertilizer - zoohumus, which is obtained after processing fish and sawdust by larvae, is characterized by high concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus.

To achieve good results, the substrate must also be scalded with boiling water.

​ 3. Pork and offal:

Often, the most accessible and cheapest are pig's heads.

It is undesirable to use them in their pure form due to their high fat content. Maggots melt it and become covered with a thin film of fatty substance, which makes breathing and development of the larva difficult. Some of the larvae simply drown in fat.

It is a good additive in crushed form to other low-calorie feeds (in particular, beef and fish).

Meat, meat by-products (kidneys, liver, lungs and other entrails) from pork are an excellent food. They release a little moisture (especially when feeding kibble). It can also be fed to larvae in the form of minced meat throughout the entire growing cycle.

The following feeding regimen turned out to be optimal: fry of fly larvae: first they are fed with minced meat until they reach one and a half days of age, then they are fed with lump raw materials, and on the fourth day (when the maggot is almost ready) they are again fed with minced meat.

Thus, the maximum marketable size of maggots is achieved, which is important for their subsequent sale in fishing nets.

I will try to explain what exactly this approach to feeding is connected with:

It is difficult for the first instar larvae to dig into fairly tough meat - not everyone succeeds, and because of this, some of the larvae lag behind in development. When using minced meat in the early stages of development, all larvae are evenly provided with food and develop well.

Larvae that have almost reached commercial maturity also have problems gnawing into meat due to their slowness and large size. And here again we find a way out in supplementing the larvae with minced meat at the final stage of growth.

​ 4. Chicken meat:

I have an ambiguous attitude towards this raw material.

On the one hand, in terms of its technical indicators, it can be classified as the best raw material, on the other hand, it can be considered the worst.

I will try to explain this paradox:

Chicken meat comes in different varieties. We can distinguish certain groups of this raw material - the death of chicks, the death of laying hens, the death of broilers of different ages.

The quality of raw materials from chicken meat greatly depends on the composition and amount of antibiotics, immunomodulators, and growth stimulants that were used in poultry feed.

Let's start with the mortality of chicks:

This is an ideal raw material for the production of carrion fly larvae. The meat of day-old and slightly older chickens is practically completely devoid of any chemical impurities that negatively affect the growth of maggots.

In addition, the bone tissue of the chicken has not yet had time to form and therefore the feed coefficient of such raw materials is very high due to the lack of bones. That is, maggots process almost everything, leaving only partially processed fluff, which, moreover, is an excellent sorbent for excess moisture, helping the bedding sawdust with this.

As broiler chickens grow older, the situation changes.

It is no secret that many enterprises producing poultry for slaughter use various preparations that allow them to obtain maximum weight gain and, accordingly, greater profits in the shortest possible time.

So, our larvae and flies are ideal indicators of the environmental cleanliness of the products of these enterprises.

If the meat of broiler chickens is too contaminated with such drugs, the larvae either die or develop with a noticeable lag in development and it will not be possible to obtain commercial products (for fishing).

The situation can be aggravated by the increased fat content in broiler meat.

​ I categorically do not recommend using various minced meat from (supposedly) chicken meat, which is sold for human consumption and which is produced by poultry producers, for growing fly larvae.

As a rule, surplus meats, fat layers and bones are used to prepare such minced meat. Finely ground, they have a quite decent appearance. But as soon as you start feeding it to maggots, you will get a large puddle of chicken fat melted by the larvae, small remains of bones and undeveloped maggots (and combined with chemicals, you will end up with a big ZERO)

Personally, I will never purchase minced chicken from any manufacturer for consumption. Never in my practice have I come across minced chicken that maggots could eat. But a person judges everything with his eyes. Yes, the meat looks like minced meat - yes, you get cutlets. But believe me, there is a very large minimum of meat there! Moreover, most likely, not the first freshness...

But not everything is so bad with broiler chickens.

Let's say we get raw materials from a manufacturer that uses more or less environmentally friendly production.

Coarsely ground broilers can become an excellent raw material and an excellent component of fertilizer - zoohumus, which is formed as a result of the cultivation of larvae.

If the amount of chemicals in meat does not go off scale, then such meat can also be considered a very good raw material.

Some sources on the Internet, citing English experience in the production of commercial maggots, recommend growing larvae on whole, unplucked chickens. My personal experience says the opposite (unless, of course, they produce some special chickens in the UK).

When raising whole chickens, you simply cannot control the production process.

Maggots are stuffed into the chicken in huge quantities and even if the food runs out they do not leave the carcass. Everything looks fine, the maggots are sitting on the food, but they are not growing! Adding fresh carcasses to nursery trays has little effect on the quality of the final product. The larvae come out to be of different sizes, but the labor costs remain the same. Hence the loss of finished product volumes and low commercial quality.

The situation with the mortality of laying hens is generally sad.

Not only are these not meat breeds, but there is not enough meat there anyway. But, as a rule, such “khokhlushkas” die from exhaustion.

The technologist decides that the productivity of this individual is already low and simply stops feeding it in order to reduce production costs. As a result, the chicken dies from exhaustion, and it is impossible to feed the maggots with feathers and bones - they love to eat.

This is the ambiguous situation with feed for growing maggots.

​ Flies that feed on plant debris:

There are a great many flies that feed on plant debris, but in the framework of our lecture I do not want to overload you with knowledge that will not be useful to you in the near future.

Unlike carrion flies, these flies feed on rotting plant debris.

The most familiar representative to you is the housefly, which feeds on manure and other excrement of animals and humans.

Having looked at some types of food for maggots, I want to talk about how they actually eat this food:

Fly larvae have no teeth.

But how does she eat meat without being able to bite off a piece of food?

The whole point is that maggots feed differently than we imagine in relation to animals and humans themselves.

Logically, he must take a bite of food, swallow it, and then in the stomach it must be digested and provide the body with nutrients.

But the fact of the matter is that the larva digests food not inside itself, but outside, and then only absorbs liquid processed products inside and finally assimilates them

Moving along a piece of meat, she regurgitates extremely aggressive chemical compounds onto the piece of meat, which decompose almost any organic substance into its components. You can compare these compounds to gastric juice in the human stomach, but they are much more aggressive. The larva is capable of delivering a huge amount of ammonia to the white light.

How do they even survive in a breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms that are also trying to feast on the corpse?

Everyone knows that fly larvae develop in extremely unfavorable sanitary and epidemiological conditions.

In living nature, in the environment of a decomposing corpse, which is stuffed with a wide variety of infections that can destroy any living creature, they not only do not get sick, survive, but also thrive (by the way, this is practically the only creature on the planet that is not susceptible to any diseases)!

Why is this happening?

And this happens because nature has provided the maggot with a unique mechanism of protection from the unfavorable microbiological environment surrounding it.

This mechanism works as follows: during development, the fly larva synthesizes and releases into the outside world a huge amount of aggressive substances, which not only decompose the food item into simple components accessible to it for nutrition, but also destroy all living things around it, except for safe anaerobic ones. bacteria.

The larvae also produce the only antibiotic on planet Earth, which people call seraticin. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that not a single bacterium or other microorganism can develop an antidote or addiction against it.

Remember how many dozens of vaccines humanity has developed against the common flu virus.

And what?

New ones are created every year! Because last year’s virus acquired immunity to a previously developed drug and it no longer works on it!

The modern race of antibiotics (which started with the release of penicillin) against bacteria and viruses is a road to nowhere! No matter how many new antidotes humanity invents against ubiquitous viruses and bacteria, nothing will work! We are only creating invisible monsters that will soon be able to handle any antibiotic formulas and, in the end, these monsters will devour all of humanity!

But the Lord God gave us maggots, which from the creation of Time have an antidote against all this evil.

English scientists have already been able to isolate this most wonderful antibiotic - seraticin - from the secretions of maggots. But this technology is difficult to master, and it is not profitable for transnational companies engaged in the continuous production of modern antibiotics.

The logic is simple: if people don’t get sick, there won’t be any profits. Therefore, we will not see such a miracle drug as seraticin for a long time.

(By the way, be proud of our Lucilia (!), it was from the secretions of its larva that seraticin was isolated).

Again, a paradox - flies in nature are carriers of all kinds of infection, and their larvae are an unsurpassed destroyer of the same infection!

This is such a little “nasty” creature!

How do fly larvae move and why do they need it:

You have all seen that our maggots in our care are very nimble guys!

Be a little lazy and try to collect it!

The larvae move with the help of hooks, which are located in a narrow part of the body (depending on the type of fly, there can be from one to several hooks).

They cling to the surface with hooks and then pull their body towards them. Then everything repeats itself. They move very quickly!

Fly larvae are constantly moving before pupation. With the help of constant movement, they digest their food, accumulate the necessary substances to transform into a fly, seek shelter for pupation and escape from enemies.

Can larvae see flies?

They don't have eyes.

But their skin (chitinous shell) is extremely photosensitive!

They pick up even the slightest light source. Some species crawl towards the light (lucilia), and some, on the contrary, away from the light source (this fact can be successfully used in production).

If in a room with scattered larvae of Lucilia flies, the light is turned on at one point at night (and the rest of the room is shrouded in darkness), then all the larvae of the fourth instar will gather in a spot from the downward light of the lamp.

But for pupation, larvae of any species of flies prefer dark, warm, protected places.

Collective intelligence in fly larvae:

I personally support the theory that they have a collective mind and, accordingly, a means of some kind of communication among themselves.

How else can we explain some of the features of their behavior?

In a container with fly larvae, in which there is a small (very small) hole, there will always be a maggot that will find it. And behind him, the whole “crowd” rushes into it without wasting time on additional searches for a way out.

By the way, these guys are very freedom-loving and do not want to exist in the conditions offered to them by man.

The following example (observed by me many times): in a rectangular container, with a fairly large accumulation of larvae, one of them finds the angle between the planes of the container and begins to make vertical movements, wetting the surface with its secretions (maggots move on dry surfaces with great difficulty).

After the path has been beaten (wetted) by one larva, all the others, as if on command, follow this path without wasting time and energy searching for new exits from the container and, within a short time, they all leave the container along the path laid by the first larva.

I have a lot more observations on this matter, but I don’t want to oversaturate this article with unnecessary information and therefore, let’s move on to the next important section, which will answer the question:

How do they grow?

They grow at an alarming rate. And in order to understand the mechanism of this process, let’s turn to a creature that has been more studied in this regard - the crayfish.

Cancers grow in cycles.

They have a first age, a second, a third and so on.

Each cycle of their development is characterized by the fact that the development of internal organs and muscle mass occurs (simplified) in the confined space of the chitinous shell.

When the internal organs and muscle mass, having increased, do not fit in the given volume, the old unsuitable shell is shed, and a new shell, which all this time has been developing under the old and hard one, but at the same time was still extensible and elastic, takes its place.

During the time until the old shell has ossified and is still extensible, internal organs and muscles are able to increase their mass and volume, increasing the volume of a living creature. Then the shell becomes keratinized (ossified) and everything follows a new cycle. And so many times.

The analogy with cancer is not accidental. The fly larva similarly repeats the molting cycles of crustaceans in its development.

The Lucilia larva sheds its skin four times before going fishing.

There is one point in growing maggots that I want to draw your attention to:

When molting occurs, when the larvae shed their skin, they begin to move very strongly, emerging on the surface of the substrate and greatly raising the surrounding temperature. Inexperienced technologists think that their number in the tray is excessive. But believe me, this only has negative consequences for the production process.

By separating the larvae at this time, we deprive them of the opportunity to shed their unnecessary chitinous shell in time. Why do they start moving faster at this time?

They rub against each other (faster than usual) trying to free themselves from the now unnecessary shell. And the more of them there are in the tray, the faster they will do this, and then they will calm down. At this time, there’s no need to feed them.

I will not now specifically focus on the influence of substrate humidity and the optimal temperature for growing fly larvae, since I want to cover these issues in detail in the lecture “Technology for growing carrion flies”

I will only say this:

* High humidity leads to the death of larvae due to impaired air exchange.

* Substrate temperature below +15C leads to inhibition of development;

* Temperatures above +40C lead to mass death of maggots due to overheating.

All these aspects will be discussed in detail in the next lecture.

Serebryansky D.N. (2015)