The saga of Fred the Fly

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Late October we had a bit of a warm spell. I am on the sunward side of my apartment complex, so hotter air tends to pool in the cubbyhole where my front door is (plus the other 5 nearby units). A small black fly got in a couple of days before Halloween. For close to 3 weeks I kept trying to catch him (in a large plastic jar), but every time he’d fly by my computer desk I’d lose track of him.

As I got ready for bed one night, I noticed he was on the wall right next to the thermostat, so I went and grabbed the jar & lid and managed to trap him. I made sure it had some water and some bread crumbs on the bottom tho, not wanting to set him loose into the cold November night. It was forecast to be mid 50’s and sunny the next day, so I planned to set him loose when the temp was at its peak.

So I went out at the appointed time and unscrewed the lid, giving it a couple of taps on the bottom. I clearly saw him fly out and go straight up. I have no idea if any conspecifics would still be flying (heh) around at that time of year, but I figured he deserved a chance to find a girlfriend and have her lay her eggs in (presumably) the crevice of a tree for the winter.

I also caught and released a mosquito around the same time.

3 days later I am sitting at my desk, and the little essobee goes flying past my screen!

He’s been in here for two more weeks now, and shows no signs of slowing down. I ain’t exactly any sort of neatnik, and noticed he likes my yogurt containers after I have finished with one, so will leave them out for a few hours before trashing them.

He just landed on a piece of paper on my desk and is apparently taking a nap. He’s 3 mm or so long, so anyone want to take a stab at his species?

2

Here is a bigger better illuminated shot:

3

Are you a Buddhist? I’m not asking sarcastically; I admire your no-kill policy-- to a point. I’ve caught and released ‘beneficial’ bugs like spiders that my wife tells me to get out of the house, but flies and mosquitos get the business end of a folded magazine.

4

How do you know it is the same fly? I don’t notice any distinguishable tattoos or birth mark in the photo. Wait a minute…I zoomed in a bit and that isn’t a he. I think Fred sent in his girlfriend for some snacks!

5

Welp, it’s the same species at least, and exhibits the same mannerisms. My WAG is that he was hanging out in the heat sink near my front door both times to escape the cold, and got in my place both times as a result. I dunno how long his breed lives, but it’s 5 weeks now.

Yes, quasi-Buddhist, friend to all living things and etc. I only kill interlopers if I have no choice-had to exterminate an ant colony that kept sending its members in here last year (bait traps that got the poisoned food to the queen), tried scrubbing down every surface and vacuuming, they kept coming in, and knew once the next brood of drones and queens got released colonies would keep populating the crawlspaces above and infest my neighbors’ units. Understand I was the kind of kid who would bug my parents for ant farms and such.