House Fly and Little House Fly in Poultry
Although many different species of flies can be found in poultry systems, the house fly (Musca domestica) and little house fly (Fannia canicularis) are usually the most abundant and important, especially if bird droppings are wet.
House fly eggs are laid in moist bird droppings, where larvae then feed and develop, completing three instars in as little as 4–7 days. They pupate in drier droppings (eg, near the surface or edge of a pile) or crawl away to a drier but concealed location up to a few meters away. The whole cycle from egg to adult can be completed in 7–10 days.
Little house flies closely resemble house flies; however, little house fly adults are smaller, and the larvae (maggots) are brown and spiny in contrast to the white and smooth larvae of house flies. Little house flies develop more slowly, prefer cooler temperatures, and tend to be a nuisance early in spring, before house fly populations have had a chance to escalate.
Adult flies of both M domestica and F canicularis are a nuisance and can vector several poultry disease agents, including Newcastle disease virus.
These flies rest at night near roofs and eaves, leaving regurgitation and fecal spots that can be used to estimate relative fly populations. The best way to decrease fly populations is to eliminate larval development sites, either by drying out bird-dropping piles or by flooding them, make them too wet for maggots.
Insecticidal baits that are inaccessible to poultry are a typical control method for adult house flies.
Biting Midges in Poultry
Biting midges (Culicoides spp; Ceratopogonidae) feed on blood and transmit blood parasites to birds. They are vectors for the transmission of Haemoproteus to ducks and geese in Canada and to turkeys in North America, and of Leucocytozoon to chickens in Southeast Asia and Japan. Culicoides spp also transmit the skin mite Myialges anchora (Epidermoptidae).
Midge bites are reddish and itch for up to 3 days. Midges feed at twilight or night, and typical mesh screens do not keep them out. Insecticides can provide temporary control. For more information, see the list of pesticides for treating poultry arthropods registered by state jurisdiction.
Black Flies in Poultry
Black flies (Simulium spp; Simuliidae), also known as buffalo gnats and turkey gnats, are bloodsuckers and transmit leucocytozoonosis to ducks, turkeys, and other birds. They are the most abundant in northern temperate and subarctic zones; however, many species are found in tropical areas.
Black flies often attack in swarms and cause weight loss, decreased egg production, anemia, and death of birds either directly or through disease transmission.
Control of black flies is extremely difficult because immature stages are restricted to running water, which is often some distance from the poultry facility.
Screens with a mesh size of ≥ 24 openings per inch (2.54 cm) are required for adult control. However, black flies rarely enter shelters.
Pigeon Fly
The pigeon fly (Pseudolynchia canariensis; Hippoboscidae), is an important bloodsucking parasite of pigeons in warm or tropical areas. It can transmit the blood parasites Haemoproteus and Trypanosoma, the skin mite Myialges anchora (Epidermoptidae), and pigeon lice (Columbicola columbae). It can also cause heavy losses in squabs.
Pigeon lofts should be cleaned every 20 days, and squabs can be dusted with insecticides. For more information, see the list of pesticides for treating poultry arthropods registered by state jurisdiction.
Mosquitoes in Poultry
Mosquitoes that feed on poultry blood usually belong to the genera Culex, Aedes, or Psorophora. Large numbers can decrease egg production or cause death, and they can serve as vectors transmitting disease.
Mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium gallinaceum (chicken malaria), Plasmodium hermani (in turkeys), and other Plasmodium spp, causing avian malaria. Mosquitoes also transmit many viruses, including eastern and western equine encephalitis viruses, St. Louis encephalitis virus, fowlpox virus, and West Nile virus.
West Nile virus is transmitted from infected birds to other birds primarily by mosquitoes (in the US, particularly Culex spp), and it has been found in > 200 species of birds in North America, including chickens, turkeys, pigeons, budgerigars, cockatiels, ducks, finches, and birds of prey.
The best physical measures for controlling mosquitoes are to remove mosquito-breeding habitats by emptying water-filled containers, to clear pool and pond edges of emergent vegetation, to drain swampy areas, and to fill low areas that collect water. Insecticidal control should target larval development sites.
Insect growth regulators such as methoprene and diflubenzuron are also effective against mosquitoes. The bioinsecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis can be used for microbial control of mosquito larvae, and Bacillus sphaericus can be used against Culex spp.
Screens to prevent mosquito entry, residual wall sprays (those that remain active after drying), and fogging within poultry houses also aid in control. For more information, see the list of pesticides for treating poultry arthropods registered by state jurisdiction.
For More Information
Gerry AC. Flies. Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California. Updated May 2015. Accessed November 14, 2025.
Mosquito. Veterinary Entomology.
Moon RD. Muscid flies (Muscidae). In: Mullen GR, Durden LA, eds. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 3rd ed. Academic Press; 2019:345-368.
Foster WA, Walker ED. Mosquitoes (Culicidae). In: Mullen GR, Durden LA, eds. Medical and Veterinary Entomology
