House Fly Control Guide

The adult house fly is dull gray, 1/4 inch long, with four distinct stripes behind the head. The abdomen is pale, the underside of the male is yellowish. The larvae are typical whitish fly maggots. The pupae are dark brown and 1/3 inch long.

The house fly breeds in a variety of organic materials such as manure, garbage, sewage, food wastes, lawn clippings, septic tanks and silage. In warmer climates the house fly breeds throughout the year. In Nebraska, it overwinters as larvae or pupae under manure piles or in other breeding areas.

In milk barns, hog houses or confined feeding units that are closed and warm it may continue to develop during the winter.

Sanitation is the mainstay of house fly control in and around the home or farm. Finding and eliminating breeding places is an important first step in control.