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Flies or maggots – none of them are invited to households. However, as curiosity kicks in, you start wondering about their life cycle. Here, you can satisfy that curiosity.
So, do flies lay eggs or maggots? Flies lay eggs that hatch into maggots after 24 hours. The eggs can be in different shapes or sizes as it can depend on the species. Fly eggs (maggots) are commonly pale white in color.
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 four or six batches of 75 to 100 eggs and it normally hatches after 12 to 24 hours.
Fly eggs are usually colored gray and the size is around 4 to 7.5 millimeters long.
As soon as a fly egg hatches, the maggots can come out and most of them look like tiny, pale white worms. Depending on the species, maggots can also appear with different sizes but most of them are tiny.
Flies can become specific in their choices for finding the right spot for laying eggs which will also be discussed at the lower part of this topic.
After a fly lays eggs, they’ve completed the final part of their life cycle and now, the maggots will prepare to grow into adult flies to repeat the cycle all over again. A fly and a maggot’s life cycle is simple and short lived.
If you want to know more, I prepared a quick explanation for you to further understand how flies lay eggs that turn into maggots.
How flies lay eggs that turn into maggots
There are only “three” stages from the life cycle of flies or maggots. The beginning of maggots mark the beginning of their transformation into adult flies.
- Larvae stage
- Staying as a larvae
- Preparing for pupation
- Pupation stage
- Slow transformation
- Adult fly stage
- Repeat the cycle
1. 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.
2. 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.
As soon as the pupation stage ends, the maggots turned larvae turned pupa can now become adult flies.
3. 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.
Where flies lay their eggs
As explained in the life cycle of flies, flies want to lay their eggs in places where maggots can feed on instantly, the moment the maggots or larvae will emerge from the eggs.
However, let us be more specific and pin point those areas. This will also help you prevent flies and maggots.
What flies eat, maggots will also eat. What flies are attracted to, there is a chance that they might lay their eggs around it.
Here are the places where flies tend to lay their eggs and why they choose those places.
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- Garbage Bins
- 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, Animal Waste
- 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.
- The larvae are usually safe with consumable liquid substances, making it a safe spot for laying fly eggs.
- 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 and lay their eggs without you knowing.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. They may lay eggs inside well lit rooms.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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What is the life expectancy of flies and maggots
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.
Related Questions
Do flies lay eggs every time they land?
No, flies do not lay eggs every time they land. A fly can only lay eggs once in their lifetime. However, you must still discard food that has been touched by flies to prevent possible health risks. Eggs can be difficult to see, so it is better to be safe than sorry.
What happens if you accidentally ate a fly egg?
Eating a fly egg often leads to mild food poisoning cases that may result in vomiting, stomachache or diarrhea. However, they still carry a lot of health risks that could become dangerously alarming.
Can you eat food a fly has landed on?
No, you must not eat food that flies come into contact with. Flies are notorious carriers of numerous bacteria and transmittable diseases. Some can be minor and become cured on its own, but it could trigger dangerous health diseases.