Q: What is a fly’s lifecycle and are there ways in which we can control it?
A: Flies thrive in stable yards, as horse manure is the perfect environment for them to feed and breed. A fly’s lifecycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. It takes approximately two to four weeks for a fly to go from an egg to an adult, and thereafter it lives for between three and four weeks. Adult flies like to lay their eggs on fresh manure and any other organic material. Eggs hatch within three days and the new larvae feed on the manure to help them grow.
As horse manure provides fly paradise, it is important to remove it from the stable as soon as possible in the day. Once the manure has been removed, it’s important that it is stored as far away as possible from the stables and paddocks until it can be disposed of properly. It is also essential that manure bags are not left open, but are tied and closed tightly.
Manure in your arenas and paddocks should also be removed on a daily basis. If you want to use manure as a fertiliser, spread it out thinly so that it dries out more quickly. The reason for this is because flies prefer to lay their eggs in the top few centimetres of moist manure. Flies cannot develop in dry environments, so spreading it out thinly helps break the initial lifecycle. It’s easier to prevent breeding than it is to control adult flies