Observations on flies found on livestock farms in Malta I : behaviour of adult flies, breeding sites and farm hygiene in relation to fly control

Abstract

The common flies, Musca domestica and Stomoxys calcitrans, were studied in relation to local animal husbandry methods. Manure heaps, especially the waste from piggeries, were a prime source of housefly breeding but yielded insignificant numbers of stablefly larvae. Other sites in the vicinity of animal farms also proved negative for Stomoxys and it is thought that breeding might be widely scattered and limited to the wetter, warming-up period in spring and early summer. In a study of resting sites, houseflies showed a greater tendency than stableflies to enter buildings and favoured pendant objects and roof beams. Stomoxys flies stayed close to the cattle and rested on nearby walls and vegetation. Control by insecticides and the improvement of hygiene measures are briefly discussed.