Bluebottle Fly

Bluebottle flies are usually larger than houseflies, around 1/2 inch long. They are easily distinguished by their metallic blue or greenish-blue shiny bodies. They also have large reddish colored eyes and large wings, measuring about an inch wingspan.

 

The bluebottle flies make a louder buzzing sound than a common housefly and their flight patterns can be erratic or circular; they are attracted to both light and rotting material.

 

Bluebottle flies have a quick lifecycle, making it from egg to adult in as little as two weeks in favorable circumstances. Eggs are laid in clusters on rotting organic matter or feces. Because bluebottle flies are attracted to decay and waste, they are strong spreaders of disease. Flies will feed on rotting meat, carcasses, garbage, sewage, or excrement. Disease gets spread in two ways. First, landing on these dirty surfaces to eat allows for the spread of germs and disease onto their bodies, which is then deposited wherever they land next. Second, the way bluebottle flies eat involves a process of liquefying the food by vomiting digestive fluids onto it and then slurping it back up.

 

Bluebottle flies will also feed on sugary substances, such as overripe fruit, sugary liquids, and many other organic matters. These flies can cause food poisoning, E.coli, salmonella, cholera, dysentery, parasites, and even typhoid fever.

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To learn even more about bluebottle flies, check out our blog post