Flies and Maggots

     Did you ever throw something in the garbage then have to search through it to find the discarded item? I did and in the process accidentally left a plastic grocery bag filled with who knows what on the floor behind the big city garbage can which is kept in the garage. In the heat whatever it was rotted very quickly, attracted flies which left it crawling with maggots which turned in to more flies.
     That’s what maggots are...fly larvae, usually of the common housefly and also the bluebottle. Flies are attracted to food and other rubbish and they lay their eggs on the rubbish which hatch into maggots. A fresh garbage bag, rubber gloves and household cleaner solved the maggot problem, but the next day there were flies galore in the garage. It took several trips to the garage with an insect spray, but in the evening they were gone...or so it appeared. The next morning they were back. More spraying off and on during the day solved the problem because by evening the flies were gone...only they weren’t. They were back in the morning! 
     That’s when I discovered that like most flying insects, flies, although they can be active at night, are most active during the day. They generally prefer warm weather and sun, so they aren't active at night and when the sun goes down they rest. They don't have a nest, a colony or anything. They just find a place to land and rest. This could be anywhere. 
     According to the Cornell University Department of Entomology, they get most of their activity when it's sunny and the temperature is between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature dips below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or when the sun goes down otherwise, they return to their resting state. 
     Where do flies go in winter? Adult house flies spend their days in cracks and crevices, away from humans. In the spring, they flies lay eggs on decaying materials. Although this behavior can be compared to hibernation; they spend winter in diapause, a hibernation-like state of reduced metabolic activity. Once temperatures climb in the spring months, the fly’s appetite and development return to normal. 

     Back to the flies in the garage...the easiest and quickest way to get rid of them cost $4. I went to Lowe’s and bought a RESCUE! TrapStick for Flies Disposable Fly Trap. The thing catches all major species flies, lasts for weeks in typical indoor location and, get this, it has a pattern printed on it that causes the captured flies blend in with pattern! Within one day the flies were gone...stuck on the trap. One bit of advice...be careful not to touch the sticky part of the trap...it is really sticky and the goo is hard to wash off. 
     Reading the customer reviews of this product was deceptive as about half of the reviewers gave it one star and claimed it was dangerous because it caught more small birds that flies. Apparently they did not read the instructions: Use TrapStik for Flies indoors, anywhere around the house or garage. It’s best to hang the TrapStik right where the fly problem is, such as around windows or in mud rooms and covered porches. So right there it says use indoors or on covered porches. 

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