Author - manpreetp

Happy Flyday From PestWest! (Stable fly)

manpreetp2021-07-30T13:40:53+00:00 This week’s critter communique is the Stable fly. Learn more from this blood feeder blurb. Name: Stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (meaning “obstinate open stomach”) ID: Adults are 0.25 to 0.40” long. Mouthparts cannot be drawn back and project forward or bayonet-like to pierce tissue and blood-feed. Dull gray with four black stripes on the thorax. The abdomen possesses seven dark, roundish spots. Female is larger than the male. The male’s compound eyes appear to be touching, while the female’s compound eyes appear to be spaced. Notable: Also known as “Biting House fly” since Stable fly resembles House fly. Flight: ~5.0 mph Life: Complete metamorphosis. Life cycle is 12 to 28 days. Female requires a blood feeding prior to each egg production. Distribution: Throughout the US. Where: Reproductive sites include moist decaying organic materials, which are loose and porous. Sites include animal bedding, hay contaminated with urine and feces or dung, grass piles, rotting vegetables and fruit, and crop residues. Health: Females and males are obligate blood feeders. Feeding is mostly in the early morning and late afternoon. May take more than three times their weight in a blood...

Curious about Cluster fly? Here’s the Q&A!

manpreetp2020-09-22T09:30:30+00:00Q: What is the scientific name for Cluster fly? A: Pollenia rudis (meaning “stick of pollen”). Q: What does the Cluster fly look like? A: Adults are about 0.35 in. The thorax is dark greyish-olive color and covered with golden hairs. The abdomen has a checkered pattern. At rest, wings are folded tightly on top of the abdomen. Q: How do Cluster flies live? A: Cluster fly larvae parasitize earthworms and pollinate plants. There are three generations per year. Within structural spaces, especially residential homes, Cluster fly is slow and readily over-winters or undergoes torpor in large numbers. Q: How is the Cluster fly a pest? A: Cluster flies offend our sensibilities, but do not contaminate human food. As temperatures drop, Cluster flies invade structures to over-winter. On sunny days, Cluster flies are observed on western and southern windows, and within structural spaces. During brief activity, Cluster flies exhaust their energy and spin upon surfaces. Q: How is the Cluster fly controlled? A: Control Cluster flies with PestWest’s exclusive Window Wonder Trap combined with the powerful synomone Cluster Fly Lure. Q: How is the Window Wonder Trap and Cluster Fly...

Focus on the Fly Series – Fungus Gnats

manpreetp2020-09-09T14:19:25+00:00FLY CONTROL: Protect your facility from pesky Fungus gnats through intuitive control Fungus gnats both frequent unsanitary sites, increasing the potential of contaminating sensitive operations, and offend of our sensibilities. What’s the attraction? Quickly developing large infestations, Fungus gnats are persistently pestiferous, with a strong attraction to over-watered plants and plant-scape features. Other attractions include decaying vegetation, feces, fungus, and rotting cellulose. Fungus gnat ID: • Length: 0.23” • Wingspan: 0.59” • Head color: black • Thorax: humped appearing • Wings with few veins (Y-shaped cell within the central area). Use the PestWest Insect Identification chart to help: Where’s the infestation? Fungus gnats place eggs in soil, rotting vegetation, and other sources. Larvae emerge to feed upon fungi. Within greenhouses and commercial mushroom houses, Fungus gnat species are agricultural pests. Along structural exteriors, Fungus gnats exploit repetitively layered and irrigated mulch areas as well as bird droppings. Within interior spaces, Fungus gnats exploit plants and moisture intrusion from flat-roof delayed maintenance. Moisture intrusion evidences as staining, bubbling or peeling paint, and displaced wall-coverings. Additionally, since attracted to light, such as computer screens and facial secretions, Fungus gnats are a significant nuisance to...

Flesh fly Sarcophaga spp

manpreetp2020-08-13T07:42:42+00:00Fly Tips: Bird and rodent carrion are preferred larval food sources for Flesh flies. Dr. Stuart Mitchell continues the Focus on the Fly series - Flesh fly. Flesh fly, Sarcophaga spp. Flesh flies or flying infections are mechanical vectors of disease pathogens, and cause myiasis or maggot infections in human and animal tissues. After frequenting carrion or rotting animals, feces, decaying vegetable matter, and garbage, Flesh flies can move from filth to food. During reproductive source seeking, Flesh flies can mistake stored meat products as a suitable larviposition site. Flesh fly is 0.39” to 0.70” long, wingspan of 0.86”, bristly-grey, possesses three distinct black stripes on the thorax, a checkered pattern abdomen (changes per angle of view), and the tip of the abdomen is pinkish or reddish. Flesh flies are scavengers. Notably, after mating, adult females are larviparous (birth larvae rather than place eggs). Bird and rodent carrion are preferred larval food sources, and in the absence of such sources, dog feces and garbage. Additionally, larvae parasitize other insect larvae, mollusks, and turtles. Large Flesh fly flushes can emerge from small quantities of carrion (a...

Blow fly Calliphoridae

manpreetp2020-08-11T13:25:17+00:00Fly Tips: The Blow fly is one of the first in the order of succession of insects to infest a dead body. Dr. Stuart Mitchell continues the Focus on the Fly series - Blow fly. Blow fly, Calliphoridae Blow flies or flying infections are mechanical vectors of disease pathogens, and cause myiasis or maggot infections in human and animal tissues. Medically, Greenbottle fly, Lucilia illustris, sterile maggots are used to treat non-healing wounds in maggot debridement therapy (MDT). Dating back to the 16th century, “Blow” is a suggestion of egg placement. “Bottle” suggests “bot” or “maggot.” After frequenting carrion or rotting animals, Blow flies can freely move from filth to food. During reproductive source seeking, Blow flies can mistake stored meat products as a suitable “host.” Blow fly is 0.35” to 0.50” long, a of wingspan of 0.70 to 0.80” and possesses a stout thorax. Thorax and abdomen are dark and shiny. Thorax black with metallic-blue green sheen, and abdomen metallic yellow or blue-green to black. Strong fliers, research suggests flight ranges of 14-28 miles. Vigorous on warm-sunny days, Blow flies are generally at-rest on...

Fruit fly Drosophila spp

manpreetp2020-08-12T07:41:30+00:00Fruit fly Infestations often indicate inadequate hygiene and drainage problems. How do you get rid of fruit flies? Dr. Stuart Mitchell continues the Focus on the Fly series - Fruit fly. Fruit fly, Drosophila spp. Fruit flies or flying infections are mechanical vectors of pathogens. Fruit flies frequent unsanitary sites, increasing the potential of translocating contaminants from filth to food. Quickly developing large infestations, Fruit flies are persistently pestiferous within commercial kitchens and bars due to a strong attraction to fermentation sites or production of alcohol (ethanol), Lactic acid, Hydrogen gas (H2), and Carbon dioxide (CO2) from waste vegetation. Fruit fly is 0.15” long, and yellowish-brown with a darkly-striped abdomen. Prominent compound eyes are generally red in color with darker variants. Wings have two clear notches in the front border. Each female adult Fruit fly places 400 to 900 eggs over numerous sites (batches of 15 to 25). Fruit fly Infestations often indicate inadequate hygiene and drainage problems. A concurrent resource cleaning (RC) program to maintain consistent environmental hygiene is essential. Control Identify the species first! Source of infestation (fermentation sites) Remove sources of fly activity (a...

Phorid fly Megaselia spp

manpreetp2020-08-11T14:58:36+00:00 FLY TIPS: Phorid fly invasions are indicative of broken sewer systems. Dr. Stuart Mitchell continues the Focus on the Fly series with Phorid Fly. Phorid fly, Megaselia spp. Phorid flies is a common type of drain fly. Phorid flies or flying infections are mechanical vectors of many pathogens. Phorid flies frequent unsanitary sites, increasing the potential of translocating disease-causing bacteria from filth to food. Notably, within hospitals, Phorid flies may cause myiasis or parasitic larvae (maggots) infections of the body, which grow inside the host while feeding upon tissues. Phorid fly is 0.15” long, with a wingspan of 0.40”, and possesses a dark-brown-tan thorax with distinct humped appearance. Wings have no cross veins. Each female adult Phorid fly places approximately 40 eggs, one at a time, over a period of ~12 hours, upon decaying organic matter. En masse Phorid fly invasions are indicative of broken sewer systems. Adult Phorid flies exhibit a characteristic habit of immediately taking flight when disturbed as well as scuttling in a fast run (representative of the alias “Scuttle fly”). Control Identify the species first! Go to the source of the infestation, such...