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House Fly (Musca domestica)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
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What Is a House Fly?
The house fly is the familiar gray fly that circles the kitchen and lands on everything. It is a filth fly: the maggots grow in moist, rotting material such as garbage, animal manure, grass clippings and spilled pet food. In our warm climate the whole life cycle can run in about 7 to 10 days when it's hot, so a small problem near the trash area can turn into a big one fast.
How to Identify Them
Look for a medium-size gray fly with four dark stripes running down the area behind the head. The mouthparts are a soft sponge, so house flies don't bite. If a similar fly is biting your ankles, especially around horses, it's more likely a stable fly. Bigger, shiny green or blue flies are blow flies, which often mean something has died in a wall or attic.
Life Cycle
A female house fly lays small batches of white eggs on moist, rotting material. The eggs hatch into cream-colored maggots that feed and grow for several days, then crawl to a drier spot to pupate inside a hard brown case. Adults come out ready to mate and start the cycle again. Warm weather speeds every stage, which is why fly numbers climb so fast in our summers.
Look-alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Stable fly: looks almost the same but has a stiff, pointed mouthpart that sticks out in front and it bites, mostly around ankles and near horses.
- Blow flies (bottle flies): larger, shiny metallic green or blue; a sudden group indoors often means a dead animal in a wall, attic or crawl space.
- Fruit flies: far smaller and tan with red eyes.
Where They Hide in South Florida Homes
Outside, house flies rest on warm walls, fences, garage doors and pool cage frames near trash areas. Inside, they gather on ceilings, light fixtures and window frames, especially in kitchens and near sliding doors that open onto the patio.
When to Call a Pro
Call us if flies keep coming back after you've cleaned up bins and pet areas, if you see shiny green or blue flies inside (a sign of a hidden dead animal), or if flies are building up in a barn, kennel or commercial kitchen.
Signs of House Flies
- Several flies resting on walls, ceilings and light fixtures, or on screens near doors
- Small dark specks ("fly spots") on windows and light covers
- Maggots in garbage cans, under bins or in pet waste
- More flies after garbage pickup is missed or after a rainy stretch
Is it dangerous?
- Disease risk
- Contamination
They land on garbage and manure, then on food and counters, and can carry germs that cause stomach illness.
Prevention Tips
- Keep trash in bins with tight lids and rinse the bins out every week or two.
- Pick up dog waste in the yard daily.
- Repair torn window and door screens, and keep sliding doors closed.
- Rinse recyclables before they go out to the bin.
- For barns and livestock properties, clean out manure and wet bedding often.
How Pro-Spray Helps With House Flies
Flies are a breeding-site problem first. During the inspection we look for what's feeding the maggots: bins, drains, pet areas, compost or a hidden dead animal. We then treat fly resting areas around doors, eaves, garage and patio walls with products labeled for flies, and use fly baits or traps where they fit. On livestock properties and barns we treat resting surfaces while staying out of feed rooms and never spraying the animals. Our Bug Free Guarantee: If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost.
New customer offer
$50 OFF your first service
+ FREE inspection
Then stay protected with our $125 quarterly pest control plan, about $42/month.
New customers only. No code needed and no expiration. Mention this offer when you call or text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I have so many flies in my house all of a sudden?
Do house flies bite?
Can house flies make you sick?
What's the difference between house flies and fruit flies?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
Get $50 OFF your first pest service and a FREE inspection & estimate. Ongoing protection is $125 quarterly (about $42/month), with no contracts and no cancellation fees.
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