kotikärpäset

Kotikärpäset, scientifically known as Musca domestica, are common houseflies found worldwide. They belong to the order Diptera and the family Muscidae. These flies are typically gray or black and have a pair of membranous wings. Their life cycle includes four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Females lay hundreds of eggs in decaying organic matter, such as garbage or feces, which serve as food for the hatching larvae, also known as maggots.

Houseflies are known for their ability to transmit diseases. They can pick up pathogens from unsanitary environments and transfer them to food or surfaces through their mouthparts and legs. This makes them a nuisance and a potential health hazard in homes and food establishments. Their feeding habits involve regurgitating digestive fluids onto solid food to liquefy it before consumption, a process that can further spread germs.

Controlling housefly populations often involves a combination of sanitation, exclusion, and sometimes insecticides. Maintaining cleanliness, sealing entry points to buildings, and using fly traps are common methods to reduce their presence. Despite their association with disease, houseflies also play a role in decomposition by consuming and breaking down organic waste.