<P> The female housefly usually mates only once and stores the sperm for later use . She lays batches of about 100 eggs on decaying organic matter such as food waste , carrion or faeces . These soon hatch into legless white larvae , maggots . After 2 to 5 days of development , these metamorphose into reddish - brown pupae , about 8 mm ( 0.3 in ) long . Adult flies normally live for 2 to 4 weeks , but can hibernate during the winter . The adults feed on a variety of liquid or semi-liquid substances , as well as solid materials which have been softened by their saliva . They can carry pathogens on their bodies and in their faeces , contaminate food and contribute to the transfer of food - borne illnesses . In numbers , they can be physically annoying and for these reasons they are considered pests . </P>
<P> The female housefly usually mates only once and stores the sperm for later use . She lays batches of about 100 eggs on decaying organic matter such as food waste , carrion or faeces . These soon hatch into legless white larvae , maggots . After 2 to 5 days of development , these metamorphose into reddish - brown pupae , about 8 mm ( 0.3 in ) long . Adult flies normally live for 2 to 4 weeks , but can hibernate during the winter . The adults feed on a variety of liquid or semi-liquid substances , as well as solid materials which have been softened by their saliva . They can carry pathogens on their bodies and in their faeces , contaminate food and contribute to the transfer of food - borne illnesses . In numbers , they can be physically annoying and for these reasons they are considered pests . </P>
where do flys lay eggs in a house
where do flys lay eggs in a house
on decaying organic matter such as food waste , carrion or faeces
on decaying organic matter such as food waste , carrion or faeces