| Appearance |
 Shiny,
metallic blue or
green; 1/4- to 3/8-inch. |
| Habitat |
|
Bottle flies are one of the first
insects to reach a
dead animal, and the sudden appearance of dozens of them within a
building signals
a dead rodent, bird or other animal in the wall, ceiling, attic or
crawl space.
They breed in garbage containers, dumpsters and decaying vegetative
matter.
They are attracted to buildings by food odors and also warm or cool air
currents coming through cracks around doors and windows. |
| Diet |
| Bottle flies feed on a variety of food materials but prefer
fermenting or decaying organic matter. |
| Control |
|
Fly control
is challenging because their larval sites
must be located and eliminated for success, and these sites may be some
distance from where the adults are a nuisance. Throw trash away in
trash cans
in plastic bags, and locate trash receptacles as far from the building
as
possible. Keep doors and windows closed unless they are equipped with a
tight-fitting screen. While a dead animal behind a wall or in a
crawlspace is
not always easily found, if you suspect a dead animal it must be
removed. |
