Gold flies: fight the annoying flies

The small, green, iridescent flies can be quite annoying. We will show you how to recognize and fight the annoying gold fly.

We all know the annoying flies in dazzling colors. But very few know that these gold flies (Lucilia sericata) can also have health consequences for us and we should therefore not underestimate them.

The gold fly belongs to the blowfly family (Calliphoridae) and is also often called the golden-green blowfly. Gold flies are widespread in the world - they are mainly found in Asia, Europe and North America.

Gold flies: profile and characteristics

Adult gold flies are five to eleven millimeters in size and are hairy all over their bodies. Her body is greenish to golden in color and has a metallic sheen. They are diurnal and their flight time is from June to September.

A female golden fly can lay up to 3,000 eggs in the course of its life and thus provide for a huge number of offspring. On warm days, gold flies can fly several kilometers to find suitable breeding grounds and food. The gold flies find optimal breeding material, especially in kitchens and other areas where there is food. The ivory-colored larvae of the gold flies often hatch after a day and then dig into the brood substrate. The larvae are up to eleven millimeters long and complete their development after five days and pupate. When the temperature rises to 30 ° C, the gold flies hatch after about a week. Anglers like to use the fly larvae as bait, and they also serve as feed for lizards and other animals that are kept in terrariums and feed on insects.

The gold flies belong to the storage pests and prefer the proximity of human settlements, because there they find excrement, putrefactive substances and nectar in the many flowering plants. In Central Europe, gold flies can train up to eight generations over the summer and thus produce a considerable number of new flies.

That attracts the gold fly

Gold flies are often found on rotting fabrics and are particularly attracted by the smell of decaying meat. They can perceive this smell over a distance of several kilometers and are drawn to it as if by magic. They feed on rotting foods such as rotting meat, in which they also lay their eggs. The fly maggots then eat their way into the rotting food and make it inedible for humans.

The harmful effect of the gold fly: More than just annoying

Gold flies are not only annoying contemporaries that annoy us with afternoon coffee, but they can also cause serious damage to food and damage our health. As already mentioned, the gold flies belong to the storage pests and thus pose a threat to the Health, because they are able to remove pathogenic and food-corrosive germs transfer. If such germs are now transferred to our food, they can cause diarrhea. The blowflies also cause blood poisoning when they come into contact with open wounds. They can also transmit diseases such as summer diarrhea, typhoid or cholera.

The gold flies are also a real nuisance for animals, because if they put their eggs in the wounds or on the Skin, it can lead to a skin disease also known as wound myiasis or fly maggot disease will. This disease can even lead to the death of the animals. The gold flies like to lay their eggs behind the ears of the animals, sheep are particularly often attacked. This wound myasis can also be triggered in humans by gold flies.

In addition to the many harmful effects of gold flies, there is also a useful area of ​​application, because they can be used for pollination in seed crops.

Prevent gold flies

To prevent gold flies, you can easily attach insect screens to your windows and doors and thus prevent the little pests from entering your living space. Also, always keep your groceries tightly closed to keep the gold flies away. Also keep in mind that it is also possible for the flies to lay their eggs in the refrigerator - so it is also important to properly seal the food in the refrigerator.

To keep gold flies away from your four walls, you should also pay special attention to cleanliness. Avoid leaving leftover food open for a long time, as this is where gold flies find their food. Empty your organic waste regularly, especially in summer, and always bring your kitchen waste to yours immediately compost. Also, watch out for food scraps that accumulate on the floor around your organic waste, for example, and remove these breeding grounds for the gold flies.

Drive away and fight gold flies

Fighting gold flies can be done using different methods. There are UV traps that emit ultraviolet light to attract the gold flies, which then stick to an adhesive film. There are also models in which the flies are killed by an electrified grid. Such UV traps are often used in gastronomy and must not be used outdoors, because there would also be useful insects such as Hoverflies attracted and fought.

In the household, sticky fly strips or insect sprays are used to combat gold flies. The simplest method is of course still the tried and tested fly swatter, but you have to catch every single fly here. An improvement on the classic fly swatter are electric fly swatters, which generate a low voltage using batteries you no longer have to hit the flies with full force, because the electrical voltage kills the flies when you get close to them comes.

Another interesting way to combat gold flies is natural carnivorous plants. These special plants feed on insects such as flies and can thus support you in the fight against annoying gold flies. Here you can find out more about carnivorous plants, especially for Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), and how to properly care for these plants.

Summary of driving away and fighting gold flies:

• UV traps are an effective control method, but they also attract beneficial insects and kill them, which is why we recommend an alternative method of control
• As an alternative to the classic fly swatter, you can also use an electric fly swatter, which often leads to success more quickly
• Carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap feed on gold flies and can catch them on their own

In this article you will also find several Plants that naturally drive away flies.