The cheese fly (piophila casei) is about 4 mm long and has reddish brown eyes and iridescent wings. The cheese skippers (also known as ham skippers) infest pheasant meat (to give it flavor), smoked fish, cheese and rotting animal carcasses. They manage to move with the help of peristaltic body movements and sudden movements. In fact, their larvae are known to jump up to 15 cm high.
 
Rarer in residential areas, cheese flies are sometimes observed in the food industry and in restaurants. They are found in places where there is a source of food, especially in markets, slaughterhouses, butchers, dairies, etc.
 
They tend to reproduce in hard-to-reach places where organic matter collects over time.

Development and Behaviours

Adult flies do not live very long, only the time it takes to mate and lay their eggs. They can lay around 140 eggs. They usually place the eggs on the surface or inside of moldy cheese (hence their name) or putrid meat.

The larvae avoid light and hide in the reproductive material until they are mature. They then search for a dark, dry place to pupate. The development of fly larvae takes about 5 days. Cheese flies only need 15 days to develop from egg to mature adult.

If breeding conditions are unfavorable, cheese flies can transmit diseases to humans. Indeed, if a person eats a food containing larvae this could cause abdominal pain or intestinal problems (enteric or intestinal myiasis) since the larvae can survive in our intestine.

Prevention

Here are some preventive tips to follow in order to reduce the risk of a cheese fly infestation:

• Clean kitchen surfaces and shelves to remove grease stains, leftover meat and cheese, and crumbs.?
• Install mosquito nets?
• Keep your food in sealed containers?
• Wash dishes immediately after use?
• Make sure your garbage bin lid closes completely?

Recommendations

An integrated pest management plan with minimal or no pesticide use can solve the problem. At Vextermination, we offer indoor and outdoor protection programs for your peace of mind.
 
Our eco-friendly pest management experts are committed to responding quickly to your needs in order to identify the extent of the problem and determine the most effective way to get rid of these pests. Contact us!