How do I get rid of Bottle Flies or Bangaw?
Scientific Name: Calliphora
How to Identify Flies?
Several species of blowflies may infrequently infest structures. You can easily identify them as a group by the metallic blue, green, or yellow-brown sheen on their stout bodies. They range in size from 1/4 inch for the black blowfly to over 1/2 inch for the blue bottle fly. These flies stay very active and usually buzz around windows. The black blowfly has a black body with a bluish-green luster, the green bottle fly displays a metallic blue-green color, and the blue bottle fly shines with a metallic blue hue. These flies have sponging mouthparts and a single pair of wings. Mature larvae (maggots) measure 3/8 to 7/8 inch in length, lack legs and eyes, and taper from a larger, rounded rear segment to a pointed head equipped with a pair of mouth hooks. They appear cream-colored and have large spiracles on their posterior plate.
Pest Biology
Depending on the species, females lay 540 to 2,373 eggs during their lifetime. They lay eggs in batches of 100 to 180 on meat, fish or carrion, but they also target animal manure, garbage and rotting vegetable matter. The eggs hatch in less than a day. The larvae molt three times in three to four days as they develop rapidly in this environment. The larvae usually leave their food source to pupate in the soil for six to seven days. The larva and pupa serve as the overwintering stages. The entire development process, from egg to adult, can take as little as 10 days but typically lasts 15 to 20 days.
What are their Habits?
Blow flies rarely cause significant problems in structures, but their persistent buzzing can be quite annoying. An infestation often becomes noticeable when the larvae leave the breeding medium to pupate. These flies often develop in the decaying bodies of rodents and other animals that die or get killed inside attics, wall voids or chimneys. Some species fly strongly and all are attracted to bright light. These flies pose major health concerns because they can transmit diseases and cause myiasis in humans and animals, which is an infestation of living or dead tissue by fly larvae.
How to remove and prevent them?
