Who is the green fly?
The green fly is an insect belonging to the blowfly family and is known as the gold fly. It looks very similar to other species from this family and is difficult to distinguish from them. A row of bristles on the side of the trunk distinguishes the gold fly from similar-looking relatives. In addition, this fly does not have a pronotum. The gold fly feeds on rotting meat residues, plant parts and excrement. Other green blowflies are less focused on the human environment.
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| German English | particularities | distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucilia sericata | Gold fly | prefers human settlement areas | Eurasia, America, Africa |
| Lucilia cuprina | Australian sheep blowfly | lay eggs in wounds of sheep | Africa, North America, Australia |
| Lucilia caesar | Common greenbottle | Adult flies feed on nectar and pollen | Europe |
| Lucilia richardsi | Richard's greenbottle | rare species | Europe |
Little Green Fly?
Occasionally there are tiny green insects buzzing around house plants. These are often winged generations of aphids. These are usually wingless. When a host plant becomes too crowded and the pests can no longer find enough food, the females produce winged generations. As a result, the aphids increase their range of motion enormously.
Thin green bow tie?
If you see shimmering green insects with elongated bodies in your home, it may be the green lacewing. It hibernates in sheltered places and retreats in attics or in window cracks. These two-winged birds are beneficial insects because they feed on the honeydew of the aphids. In nature, pollen and nectar are also on the menu. The insects are usually crepuscular and hide under the leaves during the day.
Special features of the lacewing:
- Coloring : green in summer, brown in winter
- Wingspan : 15 to 30 millimeters
- Eyes : clearly protruding, shimmering in rainbow colors
- Wings : with green veins
Fly with green eyes?
At first glance, the golden-eye brake is reminiscent of a fly, but it belongs to the horsefly family. Not only the green shimmering compound eyes are striking, but also the drawings on the wings. The insect has tessellated wings with brown and white spots.
Golden eyedfly need open water or wetlands in forests, meadows and meadows to lay their eggs. The females use mammalian blood to produce their eggs. On warm and sunny days, they can often be seen in paddocks. They do not stop at humans either.
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The golden eye brake and their names
In Swedish gold eye brakes are also called “blindbroms” (German: blind brakes). The insects owe their name to a very specific peculiarity. As soon as they settle on the skin of their prey, they rasps a wound into the surface of the skin with their powerful mouth parts. Such a bite is painful. But as soon as they are busy with their victim, the insects appear to be blind. They do not respond even when a hand approaches and is struck at them.Green bow tie with red rump?
The common gold wasp, also known as the fire gold wasp, has a bright green-blue body with a golden sheen. The rear part is colored copper red and has a metallic sheen. The underside, like the rest of the body, shimmers green-blue.
The insects belong to the golden wasp family. It has a wide range of food, which is why its body size varies greatly. The fire gold wasp can grow to be between four and 13 millimeters long. It lives parasitically and lays its eggs in the bodies of wasps and digger wasps as well as wall and fur bees.
Pests or useful?
Gold flies serve as important pollinators of umbellifers in Central Europe. In the human environment, however, the insects are considered to be stored-product pests and represent a health hazard. They transmit pathogens and germs, which can cause various diseases in humans and animals.
Stock pests and disease vectors
When the gold fly gets into the apartment, it prefers to lay its eggs in meat. They burrow into the tissue and make it inedible. The maggots are often not aseptic, which can lead to diseases when eating contaminated food. The larval development cannot be interrupted by storage in the refrigerator. Strong heating or freezing will kill the larvae. Gold flies can also lay their eggs in open wounds. They specialize in sheep because the smell of feces and urine in their fur attracts blowflies.
These diseases can cause gold flies:
- Bowel disease
- Blood poisoning
- Wound myiasis
Where do green flies appear?
If you see green flies in your home - no matter what kind - they usually come from outside. Not every species develops into a nuisance and is considered an undesirable troublemaker. Fly screens are the simplest option so that insects do not get into your own four walls.
In the flat
The different areas in the house are each characterized by their own microclimate. It is often humid and warm between the indoor plants, while window crevices or attics ensure cool but frost-free conditions. Many insects use these small habitats as a place of retreat, for wintering or as permanent quarters.
- Common lacewing overwinters in mild and sheltered crevices
- Aphids attack weakened indoor plants
- Golden wasps are not found in buildings
In the kitchen
Once in the house, you won't get rid of the annoying gold flies so quickly. They come through open windows or cracks under doors and lay their cone-shaped and brown-colored eggs in all the niches. When the insects hatch, the plague is easy to deal with.
Where gold flies feel good
- on umbellifers and yellow flowering perennials
- in compost and household waste
- in niches behind the stove with leftover food
- in the siphon of the sink
Tips
Geraniums and halved lemons with crumbled cloves act as a natural scent barrier and keep blowflies out.
What can I do about blowflies?
Blowflies are not particularly picky about where to lay their eggs in the home. They are attracted by intense smells and often lay their eggs in dark and well-tempered rooms. If you spot blowflies in the kitchen, their eggs may already be present throughout the house.
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Suitable egg-laying places:
- Cavities behind blinds
- Niches behind tall furniture
- in basement rooms and in attics
- on open food in the refrigerator
UV lamps
Electric insect killers attract the animals with UV light and kill them with an electric shock if they come into contact with the lamp. However, this only works with small insects. Large flies are not killed, but only burned. Usually the wings are badly damaged, so that the insects have to endure a painful and slow death.
The use of such lamps outdoors is prohibited in accordance with the Federal Species Protection Ordinance. They are still approved for indoor use, but here, too, both pests and beneficial insects can fall into the trap.
UV lamps are highly unsuitable because they attract beneficial insects.
Attractant traps
In stores you can buy various traps that attract not only gold flies but also fruit flies. Once the insects land on the sticky surface, they can no longer escape. They slowly die from lack of food. Such adhesive strips don't look particularly nice, however.
Tips
Dip a sheet of blotting paper in a mixture of ground pepper and syrup. After drying, you can lay out these natural attractant traps in the apartment.
frequently asked Questions
What to do if I was stung by a green fly?
The green shimmering species of flies are unable to sting with their mouthparts. Often other insects are responsible for the bite. Horseflies, calf stings or black flies bite their skin to soak up blood. The stitches vary in pain and can become infected. Such a stitch usually disappears on its own.
Where do all the blowflies come from in the apartment?
The gold fly is a widespread storage pest that is not very picky about where to lay eggs. They often place their eggs in well-tempered, dark crevices or cavities. Leftovers are preferred because their offspring are optimally looked after here. The siphon can also be used as a possible egg-laying area.
Are there any preventive measures against green flies?
So that the gold fly does not even spread in the apartment, you should not leave any food open and remove leftover food behind the stove or under the bench. Fly screens ensure that the insects do not get into the apartment. Do not plant umbellifers or intensely smelling perennials with yellow flowers. Gold flies are attracted to intense smells. If you are buzzing around the garden, you can easily find your way into the apartment through open windows.
Why do green flies reproduce so quickly?
The diurnal insects prefer to fly on sunny days and can travel several kilometers. Females lay up to 3,000 eggs, from which the first larvae hatch within 24 hours. Depending on the ambient temperature, the larvae will look for a dry hiding place over the next few days to pupate there. If the temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius, the flies hatch after four to seven days.
