Blow Fly – Bottle Fly

Scientific Name

Calliphoridae (commonly known as blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, or cluster flies.

The name blow-fly comes from an older English term for meat that had eggs laid on it, which was said to be “fly blown.”

Lifespan: 10 to 25 days

Description

The name blow-fly comes from an older English term for meat that had eggs laid on it, which was said to be “fly blown.”

Blow-flies are usually the first insects to come in contact with carrion because they have the ability to smell dead animal matter from up to ten miles away. Upon reaching the carrion, females deposit eggs onto the body. Since development is highly predictable if the ambient temperature is known, blow-flies are considered a valuable tool in forensic science. Traditional estimations of time since death are generally unreliable after 72 hours and often entomologists are the only officials capable of generating an accurate approximate time interval.

Food Sources

Adult blow-flies are occasional pollinators, being attracted to flowers with a strong odor resembling rotting meat, such as the American pawpaw or Dead Horse Arum. There is little doubt that these flies use nectar as a source of carbohydrates to fuel flight, but just how and when this happens is unknown.

Species Diversity

Blow flies typically live in temperate to tropical areas. There are 1,100 known species of blowflies. 228 species live in the tropics with the rest living in Africa and Southern Europe. The typical habitat for blow-flies are temperate to tropical areas that provide a layer of loose, damp soil and litter where larvae may thrive and pupate.

Getting Rid of Blow Flies

Blow flies, like most other flies, are attracted to rotting animal matter to lay their eggs in. Removing any sources of dead animal matter like roadkill or fish entrails that may be in the area goes a long way towards getting rid of blow flies and other species of fly as well. If you have disposed of any animal matter and still have a fly infestation, call Jarrod’s Pest Control for a free estimate today at 706-221-8000. See our service area to determine if we operate in your area.