Maggots are small, wriggly creatures that you may find in rotting food or organic waste.A maggot may look very unappealing, because it is! A swarm of maggots only forms in unhygienic conditions, and if you find one in your surroundings it means that you have a health hazard present in the vicinity.Almost all species of flies go through four stages during their life cycles, out of which the maggot phase is the second one. These fly larvae transform into the pupa stage after feeding on the waste material they were born in, which is a cocoon-like stage. After growing into adult flies, they emerge from their cocoons, ready to spread disease and continue breeding to produce more pests.If you found this article interesting, do check out our other pages on fly facts and are salamanders poisonous.What are maggots and how do they form?Flies go through four different stages during their lifetimes. Flies during their larval stage are called maggots. Maggots resemble small, tubular worms which have ringed bodies. They are what emerge from the eggs which a female fly lays. They are wriggly and have soft white bodies.Female flies are attracted to unhygienic conditions such as open trash, garbage cans, food waste, the carcasses of dead animals, and feces where they lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, mostly after 8-20 hours within which they are laid, the larvae burrow into the waste material and eat among it until they are ready to develop into the next stage of their life cycle. If you notice maggots anywhere near your living conditions, it means that your surroundings are unhygienic. This must be dealt with immediately to ensure no fly infestations that can transmit diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera.How long does it take until maggots turn to flies?Maggots are in the second stage of their life cycle, after hatching from eggs. Fly eggs are white in color and look like small grains of rice. Flies lay eggs in unhygienic conditions such as waste piles, open rotting food, or animal carcasses and they feed on the organic material in their surroundings in order to grow. Fly larvae do this in order to grow and during a period of five to six days, they molt several times. After which, they develop into pupae with the final molt, retreating to a dark place.Fly pupae have a hard, brown covering similar to the cocoons of butterflies which they take refuge in while they transform into adult flies. The larvae slowly turn into flies inside the pupa over the course of three to four weeks, after which they emerge as fully developed adult flies. A maggot infestation must be dealt with immediately to prevent flies from hatching and breeding further, as they are very unhygienic and are considered pests.If you see any maggots, refrain from touching them as they carry disease just as flies do. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands if you come into contact with them.How far can maggots travel?Due to their small size and limited mobility, fly larvae do not venture far from their breeding grounds. The maggot stage of house flies generally takes place over only five to six days, during which they cannot travel that far. They mostly stay in the vicinity of their food source during this time, and only venture away right before they pupate in search of a dark place to transform in.In this time, they have been observed to stray up to 50 ft (15.2 m) away from their place of origin. They can even crawl up walls in order to achieve this! Surprisingly, maggots can survive extreme climatic conditions as well, which is why they are found in almost every corner of the world. They have even been known to survive freezing temperatures by going into a dormant stage in extremely cold conditions!Do maggots come out when you kill a fly?Though the common house fly lays eggs that hatch outside its body, there are certain species of fly such as the flesh fly which are ovoviviparous in nature, meaning their eggs hatch inside their body and are born live. If you kill a female flesh fly, it is likely that you will see small larvae wriggling out and abandoning the corpse of their dead mother. If you kill any other fly and find white organisms wriggling out, it most likely points to some sort of parasite which has infected the animal. These are quite tiny, so there would have to be a lot in order to actually acknowledge their presence.Common house flies lay eggs in unclean places such as in garbage bins, trash piles, and rotting food which is why it is important to keep your surroundings clean. Make sure that all your garbage bins have lids, and do not keep food outside any longer than it is supposed to be. Dispose of all organic waste properly, and make sure they are emptied regularly to avoid pile-ups. If you notice maggots crawling about in a garbage bin, you can control an infestation by disposing of the trash inside immediately and sterilizing it with boiling water. Any maggots found outside can be killed with lime or lemon juice. Fly or pest spray is also quite effective in getting rid of unwanted flies and maggots and has a wider reach. Take all measures to make sure you do not end up with an infestation, as it can cause a number of health problems and diseases for you and your family.Electronic fly traps can be installed in case of extreme fly infestations. These emit a UV light which attracts flying insects and zaps them with electricity once they get too near. Use these with care and only install them inside as they may attract helpful insects as well. If you are unable to resolve an infestation, call pest control to rid your house of any swarms as soon as possible.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are maggots flies? fascinating fly life cycle facts for kids then why not take a look at are frogs cold blooded? explore fascinating truth about amphibians, or are orange ladybugs poisonous? spot-ting dangerous bugs?
Maggots are small, wriggly creatures that you may find in rotting food or organic waste.
