Do Flies Come From Maggots?

Maggots are a disgusting sight for most people and so are flies. It’s time we learn about them and that’s what we’re going to do today.

So, do flies come from maggots? Yes, flies starts out as maggots when they are young. Flies lay eggs that turn into maggots which will eventually grow into adult flies.

Before turning into flies, they start out as maggots. So in a sense, flies come from maggots and maggots come from flies.

Maggots are legless insects that are born from flies. They can usually be found wriggling on the ground and feeding off of leftover food and such.

They’re really not one of the popular animals or insects but seeing them might make us curious on what their purpose and life cycle are all about.

The life cycle of a fly is actually pretty simple.

When the adult fly lays their egg, the larvae or the maggot hatches right after 24 hours. The moment they hatch from the egg, the maggot immediately starts feeding off the area where they were born.

After that, they will enter the pupation stage to become full-fledged adult flies later on.

Once they become adult flies, they can now repeat the cycle all over again.

What is the life cycle of flies and maggots

There are only “three” stages from the life cycle of flies or maggots.

Larvae stage
- Staying as a larvae
- Preparing for pupation
Pupation stage
- Slow transformation
Adult fly stage
- Repeat the cycle

Larvae stage

Before entering the pupation stage, maggots actually undergo through multiple molting periods which is necessary to attain new forms before taking on a “new level” which is becoming a pupa.

How long maggots stay as larvae

Maggots stay in their larvae stage for as long as five to ten days.

When the maggot is born, their first priority is eating in order to store as much energy as possible to get ready for pupation, the stage where they transform into adult flies from pupa.

Normally, maggots need to eat for three to five days but it can be longer than that if they are having difficulty finding food. It happens when they are born in a place where the food is not enough for hundreds of maggots.

Where maggots go to enter pupation

Once the maggot has already stored enough energy to enter the pupation stage, they will now look for a dark, secluded place that can secure their safety. Usually, a maggot pupa can be found underneath garbage bins or dark unattended corners.

Pupation stage

After finding a safe place away from predators, the maggot will enter and begin the pupation stage after four days. They will then begin their transformation slowly and the process usually takes up to ten days.

Adult fly

When the pupation stage ends, the once maggot is now an adult fly that is also ready to lay its own eggs within two days. This will allow their kind to repeat the same process over and over again, keeping their kind going as the world continues to revolve.

Gestation period

Now that the maggots have become adult flies, they are not able to lay their own eggs. A fly stays pregnant for only 24 hours and the egg also hatches after another 24 hours which makes it easy for flies to keep their numbers up.

Repeating the same process, the adult fly will lay its egg on places where the maggots can easily feed off. Usually, they prefer to lay the eggs on decaying corpses because it provides enough food for hundreds of maggots and lasts for days.

Laying eggs

Most fly eggs are laid in almost any warm, moist material that will provide food for the larvae (maggots).

The average female fly can lay up to fix or six batches of 75 to 100 eggs and it normally hatches after 12 to 24 hours. The egg is usually colored gray and the size is around 4 to 7.5 millimeters long.

If the temperature is colder, there may be fewer eggs and lower chance of survivability when the egg hatches. Food is scarcer during cold weather, which is why adult flies find decaying corpses as a place to lay their eggs on.

Life Expectancy

The life expectancy of the average flies is just about 28 days; some can reach around 30 days for some cases. Without food and water, a fly can last up to two to three days.

As for maggots, without food, they can also last up to two to three days but they will die without reaching even reaching the pupation stage.

Most of the time, once a maggot enters the pupation stage, they are expected to live out the rest of their adult fly’s life expectancy.

Still, it could depend on the environment of the maggots. If there are many predators and the temperature is too harsh to ensure survivability, a maggot may not survive.

What do flies and maggots eat?

Since we’re already on the topic about flies and maggots, let’s mention the things they do, what they are attracted to and what they eat. Again, flies lay their eggs on decaying corpses or rotting food so there’s enough food for the maggots to consume once they hatch from the eggs.

Animals like flies and maggots prioritize their survivability most of the time. There must be a reason why flies keep coming to your yard.

They must find ways to live and to keep their race going. In other words, they are attracted to those factors for the sake of surviving the world. It was all about food, water, shelter and breeding.

Here’s a list of things that attracts flies and maggots.

Garbage
- Flies usually find food inside garbage bins. They consume food such as fermented fruits, spoiled meat, overripe fruits and vegetables. This is why we must keep the garbage lid closed and shut off properly in order to avoid making flies swarm over the bin.
Feces
- Flies, almost all kinds of them, consume feces from nearly any kind of animal. This is also the reason why they carry so many bacteria and develop various transmittable diseases.
Plants
- Certain plants such as mint, sunflowers and daises attract flies for consumption purposes. Flies may also drink from plants and lay their eggs on plants. Sometimes, they just simply land on plants to rest for a while.
Carcasses
- Consuming carcasses is another way for these flies to fill their stomachs and they also lay their eggs on carcasses so that once the egg hatches, the larvae will have something to feed on the moment they are born.
Liquid substances
- Spilled soda and juices from fruits can be very inviting for these flies. Not only are they able to hydrate themselves through these consumable liquids, they are also satisfied by the sweet flavor it contains.
Unattended food
- It is true that they still come near unattended food but without human intervention, they can feast on the food without worry of getting caught by human traps and other animals too. They are opportunistic and therefore, they will take what they can.
Warm temperatures
- Like other animals and insects, flies are also quite weak against the cold. They thrive better under warm temperatures and thus will seek places that are warm to keep their bodies functioning under normal circumstances.
  
  In the winter, they suspend the activities in their bodies in a way that allows them to survive but some of them usually lay their eggs on winter so the larvae can hatch by spring.
Light sources
- Flies have a natural attraction towards light because of positive phototaxis, the locomotive movement that occurs when a living being moves closer or further away from a light source. This is because most whole organisms benefit from receiving light through photosynthesis.
Other flies or insects
- The presence of your own kind is a good sign to take that you are welcome at that place. When one fly sees another or even a similar insect, it will make it seem as if they are safe around that area.
  
  Some will also intentionally seek companionship from other flies in order to breed.
Unkempt rooms
- An unkempt room near your yard is more likely to have unattended food, unnoticed carcasses or feces of small animals that could have been lurking around the room unknowingly and can be a safe resting place for the flies including their eggs if they are about to lay their eggs.