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Lesser House Fly

Lesser houseflies, Fannia canicularis, are common pests in poultry, barns, stables, and homes in spring and autumn.

They have an erratic flight pattern and are often seen flying in large numbers around indoor light fittings throughout the year in heated premises. Though similar to houseflies, lesser houseflies have more slender bodies and a more hovering and jerky pattern of flight.

Lesser House Fly
Biology
  • Lesser housefly adults are 6 mm long with 12mm wingspan; It has grey/black body.
  •  Egg laying commences when the female is 10 days old. The eggs are banana-shaped, 1 mm in length and bear a pair of longitudinal ridges which assist flotation in a liquid medium.
  • The flattened, legless, grey-brown maggots hatch within 24-48 hours. Larval development requires a minimum period of 8 days, during which time the larva passes through 3 stages, eventually attaining a length of 6mm.
  • Pupation requires a drier location and lasts for at least 10 days. Development from egg to adult emergence takes 3 weeks, although cooler conditions prolong this period.

Monitoring

Russell IPM offers a range of products to combat lesser house fly, Fannia canicularis at home and business. Our system includes Maxibait, Maxifly trap, Xlure Flyroll, and Xlure Flycatcher ribbons. The Maxibait is a natural fly attractant to be mixed with water and placed in Maxi fly trap. The Maxifly trap is an effective, high capacity and simple to use fly trap. The maxitrap uses the chimney effect to maximise attraction and successful trapping. This trap allows specially formulated attractant to be dispersed to almost 20 metre radius. The chimney effect also helps moderate the temperature within the trap so insects will continue to enter the trap on hot day.

The Xlure Fly roll designed with special colours and patterns for high level of attractant. It is easy to use anywhere the house fly presence is a problem. No pesticides used in the Xlure fly roll.
Xlure fly catcher ribbons are a highly effective and simple to use trap where flies and flying insects are a nuisance in and around the home. Simply pull the tap to extend the sticky fly roll exposing the high tack and attractive surface and simply hang in the problem area. The Xlure fly traps are packed in 3 and supplied with drawing pins for easy hanging. As with all our Xlure retail products they contain no pesticides and are Non-Toxic.
Nature of Damage
  • Lesser houseflies, Fannia canicularis are nuisance fly and serious pest of poultry. They have an erratic flight pattern and are often seen flying in large numbers around indoor light fittings.
  • Adult flies carry pathogens such as protozoa, bacteria, virusses, worms, rickettsia and serve as host for Staphylococcus aureaus, Salmonella entireties, E. coli, Strep agalaciae and Strep agalctiae.
  • The lesser housefly makes longer flights and spends less time resting than the common housefly. Females of the species tend to remain near the breeding sites and only the males migrate. For these reasons Fannia canicularis is less prone to transmit disease than Musca domestica, but large populations and similar feeding habits mean that this insect, too, has a considerable potential to act as a vector of disease.