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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410139

Research Project: Improved Surveillance and Control of Stable Flies, House Flies, and Other Filth Flies

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Survivorship of adult house flies (Musca domestica) consuming milk, manure, or other potential dairy farm food sources

Author
item GRIMENSTEIN, ANNA - Northern Illinois University
item KING, BETHIA - Northern Illinois University
item Geden, Christopher - Chris

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: House flies (Musca domestica) are worldwide pests and mechanical disease vectors. Adults oviposit in decaying organic matter, which is common on farms. Little is known about adult fly diets on farms. Lactose has been found in the crops of house flies collected at dairy farms, indicating the flies fed on milk or a milk-contaminated food source. Adult flies have been observed landing on flowers such as sunflower and coriander, but this does not guarantee feeding occurred. This study examined adult fly responses to a variety of foods available to them on dairy farms. Food types included manure, milk, corn silage, and flowers of buckwheat, white clover, dandelion, and smartweed. Sucrose and water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Fly survival was highest when given sucrose and milk and lowest when given water-only and manure. In feeding bioassays, flies spent the most time feeding on sucrose, dandelion, buckwheat, and corn silage. The anatomy of white clover flowers appeared to prevent flies from being able to feed on their nectar. The results suggest that minimizing access of adult house flies to milk, silage, and flowering plants such as buckwheat and dandelion could be helpful in limiting fly survival in the field.

Technical Abstract: House flies (Musca domestica) are worldwide pests and mechanical disease vectors. Adults oviposit in decaying organic matter, which is common on farms. Little is known about adult fly diets on farms. Lactose has been found in the crops of house flies collected at dairy farms, indicating the flies fed on milk or a milk-contaminated food source. Adult flies have been observed landing on flowers such as sunflower and coriander, but this does not guarantee feeding occurred. This study examined adult fly responses to a variety of foods available to them on dairy farms. Food types included manure, milk, corn silage, and flowers of buckwheat, white clover, dandelion, and smartweed. Sucrose and water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Fly survival was highest when given sucrose and milk and lowest when given water-only and manure. In feeding bioassays, flies spent the most time feeding on sucrose, dandelion, buckwheat, and corn silage. The anatomy of white clover flowers appeared to prevent flies from being able to feed on their nectar. The results suggest that minimizing access of adult house flies to milk, silage, and flowering plants such as buckwheat and dandelion could be helpful in limiting fly survival in the field.