Phorid flies are another small fly which can find it’s way into the home, although it is more of a problem in commercial kitchens and restaurants.

PHORID FLY BIOLOGY

Phorid flies are small; they are about 1/8″ long. They are most commonly mistaken for fruit flies. Although their body is similar in color, phorid flies have a distinctive hump in their thorax which starts behind their head. They also lack the red eyes which fruit flies have. The other key to identifying phorid flies is how they move when you swat at them. Unlike other flies which will fly away, the first move a phorid fly will make is to run along surfaces away from you. This unique characteristic alone can be enough to identify them.

Phorid flies take a longer time to develop than fruit flies. Although they can complete all stages in two weeks, it usually takes more than a month for them to go from egg to adult. Phorid flies need moisture to develop. They like to nest in drains, around leaky pipes and in the moisture which is formed around condensers of refrigeration units. I have seen several times where they have established themselves under a slab because a pipe had broken and was leaking water.

PHORID FLY NESTS

Phorid flies need anything organic to survive, and meat or garbage foodstuff is more than enough to allow them to prosper. Like most small flies, Phorid flies are easy to control and you have several products to choose from.

PHORID FLY CONTROL

There are two product types you can use for phorid fly control. The first is a space spray known as PT-565. This will kill the adults that are active.

PHORID FLY CONTROL FOR THE DRAIN

The second is a material that will remove the food where phorid flies like to lay eggs. SURVIVORS is a product that is used in drain pipes and may be necessary if the flies are reproducing there.

PHORID FLY CONTROL TRAPS

Lastly, the FLY WEB FLY TRAP can be set up in any room phorid flies seen and it will collect them day and night. This trap is easy to deploy and because it’s small, you can locate it in discreet locations or only keep it on at night.

Print PDF