There are various green-colored insects that get lost in the apartment. But not all species are annoying or can be considered pests. Behind the green fly there is often a species of bluebottles.

The goldfly can transmit diseases, but it is also useful

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. species
  3. Pests or useful?
  4. Happen
  5. fight blowflies
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • Also known as the gold fly (Lucilia sericata), the green fly is a member of the bluebottle family.
    • Goldflies are storage pests and can transmit diseases such as enteric diseases, blood poisoning and wound myiasis.
    • Small green flies on plants are usually a type of green aphid.
    • Green flies with green shimmering compound eyes are probably gold-eyed flies.

    Who is the green fly?

    The green fly is an insect of the bluebottle family and is known as the gold fly. It looks very similar to other species in this family and is difficult to distinguish from them. A row of bristles on the side of the body distinguishes the goldfly from similar-looking relatives. In addition, this fly has no pronotum. The gold fly feeds on rotting meat, plant parts and excrement. Other green blowflies are less focused on the human environment.

    German English particularities distribution
    Lucilia sericata gold bow tie prefers human settlement areas Eurasia, America, Africa
    Lucilia cuprina Australian sheep blowfly lay eggs in sheep's wounds Africa, North America, Australia
    Lucilia caesar Common green bottle Adult flies feed on nectar and pollen Europe
    Lucilia richardsi Richard's green bottle rare species Europe

    Little Green Fly?

    Occasionally it happens that tiny green insects buzz around the indoor plants. These are often winged generations of aphids. These are usually wingless. If a host plant becomes too crowded and the plant pests can no longer find enough food, the females produce winged generations. As a result, the aphids increase their range of movement enormously.

    Skinny Green Fly?

    Delicate, green flies are useful lacewings

    If you observe green shimmering insects with an elongated body in your apartment, it may be the green lacewing. It hibernates in sheltered places and retires to attics or window cracks. These flies are beneficial because they feed on the honeydew of the aphids. In nature, pollen and nectar are also on the menu. The insects are mostly active at dusk and hide under the leaves during the day.

    Peculiarities of the lacewing:

    • coloring: green in summer, brown in winter
    • wingspan: 15 to 30 millimeters
    • eyes: prominent, iridescent in rainbow colors
    • wing: with green veining

    Fly with green eyes?

    At first glance, the gold-eyed fly is reminiscent of a fly, but it belongs to the horse fly family. Not only the green shimmering compound eyes are striking, but also the drawings on the wings. The insect has mosaic patterned wings with brown and white spots.

    Gold-eyed flies need open water or wet areas in forests, meadows and meadows to lay their eggs. Females use mammalian blood to produce their eggs. On warm and sunny days they can often be seen in paddocks. They don't stop at people either.

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    The gold eye fly and their names

    In Swedish, gold-eye brakes are also called "blindbroms" (German: blind brake). The insects owe this name to a very specific characteristic. Once settled on their prey's skin, they rasp a wound into the skin's surface with their powerful mouthparts. Such a bite is painful. But once they are busy with their prey, the insects seem to be blind. They don't respond even if a hand approaches and is slapped at.

    Green bow tie with red backside?

    Also known as the fire wasp, the golden wasp has a bright green-blue body with a golden sheen. The rear part is colored copper-red and also has a metallic shine. The underside shimmers green-blue like the rest of the body.

    The insects belong to the family of cuckoo wasps. It has a wide diet, which is why its body size varies greatly. The fire gold wasp can be between four and 13 millimeters long. It is parasitic and lays its eggs in the bodies of wasps, digger wasps, mason bees and fur bees.

    Pests or useful?

    Goldflies pollinate umbel flowers

    Goldflies serve as important pollinators of umbelliferae in Central Europe. However, in the human environment, insects are regarded as stored product pests and pose a health risk. They transmit pathogens and germs, which can cause various diseases in humans and animals.

    Storage pests and disease vectors

    When the goldfly gets into the apartment, it prefers to lay its eggs in meat. They burrow into the tissue and make it inedible. The maggots are often not germ-free, which can lead to diseases when eating contaminated food. Larval development cannot be interrupted by storage in the refrigerator. Strong heating or freezing kills the larvae. Goldflies can also lay their eggs in open wounds. They specialize in sheep because the smell of feces and urine in their fur attracts bluebottles.

    These diseases can cause goldflies:

    • intestinal diseases
    • blood poisoning
    • wound myiasis

    Where are green flies found?

    If you observe green flies in your apartment - no matter what kind - they usually come from outside. Not every species develops into a plague and is considered an unwanted troublemaker. Fly screens are the simplest way to prevent insects from getting into your own four walls.

    In the flat

    The different areas in the house are each characterized by their own microclimate. It is often damp and warm between houseplants, while window crevices or attics ensure cool but frost-free conditions. Many insects use these small habitats as a retreat, for hibernating or as permanent quarters.

    • Common lacewing overwinters in mild and sheltered crevices
    • Aphids attack weakened indoor plants
    • Gold wasps are not found in buildings

    In the kitchen

    Once in the house, you won't get rid of those pesky gold flies that easily. They come through open windows or crevices under doors and lay their cone-shaped and brown-colored eggs in all niches. When the insects hatch, you're quickly dealing with a plague.

    Where gold flies feel comfortable

    • on umbellifers and yellow flowering perennials
    • in compost and household waste
    • in niches behind the stove with leftovers
    • in the sink siphon

    tips

    Geraniums and halved lemons with crumbled cloves act as a natural scent barrier and keep bluebottles out.

    What can I do against bluebottles?

    Blowflies are not particularly picky about where to lay their eggs in the home. They are attracted by strong smells and often lay their eggs in dark and well-tempered rooms. If you spot bluebottles in the kitchen, their eggs may already be present throughout the house.

    Suitable egg laying places:

    • Voids behind blinds
    • Niches behind tall furniture
    • in basements and attics
    • on open food in the refrigerator

    UV lamps

    Electric insect killers attract the animals with UV light and kill them with an electric shock if they come into contact with the lamp. However, this only works for small insects. Large flies are not killed, only burned. The wings are usually severely damaged, so that the insects have to endure an agonizing and slow death.

    According to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance, the use of such lamps outdoors is prohibited. They are still permitted for indoor use, but here too, both pests and beneficial insects can fall into the trap.

    UV lamps are highly unsuitable because they attract beneficial insects.

    attractant traps

    You can buy various traps on the market that not only attract gold flies but also fruit flies. Once the bugs land on the sticky surface, they can't escape. They slowly die from lack of food. However, such adhesive strips do not look particularly nice.

    tips

    Dip a sheet of blotting paper in a mixture of ground pepper and syrup. After drying, you can lay out these natural attractant traps in the apartment.

    frequently asked Questions

    What to do if I've been bitten by a green fly?

    The green shimmering fly species are unable to sting with their mouthparts. Other insects are often responsible for the bite. Horseflies, horse flies or black flies bite their skin to suck blood. The stings vary in pain and can become infected. Such a sting usually goes away on its own.

    Where are all the bluebottles in the apartment coming from?

    The goldfly is a common storage pest that is not very choosy about where it lays its eggs. They often place their eggs in well-tempered and dark crevices or cavities. Food leftovers are preferably flown to, as their offspring are optimally cared for here. The siphon can also be a possible egg-laying place.

    Are there preventive measures against green flies?

    So that the gold fly does not spread in the first place, you should not leave any food uncovered and remove leftovers behind the stove or under the bench. Fly screens ensure that insects do not get into the apartment. Avoid planting umbellifers or strong-smelling perennials with yellow flowers. Goldflies are attracted to strong smells. When you're buzzing around in the garden, you'll easily find your way into the apartment through open windows.

    Why do green flies reproduce so quickly?

    The diurnal insects prefer to fly on sunny days and can cover several kilometers. Females lay up to 3,000 eggs, from which the first larvae hatch within 24 hours. Depending on the ambient temperature, the larvae look for a dry hiding place over the next few days in order to pupate there. If the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius, the flies hatch after four to seven days.

Category:

Animals in the garden