Where do houseflies go in the winter?

Factual Questions
1

Do they “flybernate”? Seriously, I read that flies live about a year, so I’m curious. What happens to flies when they are inactive? Any chance they could be located in their little dens and eliminated before summer when they drive me crazy?

2

France.
They go to France.

3

…I have no idea, but I wish they’d go there in the summer, too!

::rimshot::
Seriously, a few answers from around the net:

Some hibernate, but most pass the winter in the pupal stage.

They burrow into anything warm… decaying wood, animal burrows, the tiniest openings around windows, barns, etc. Their metabolism slows to almost nothing, but they won’t die unless frozen solid. That’s why you’ll see flies buzzing at your windows (and between windows and screens) when you get a couple of warm days in winter.

A previous thread.

Maybe Cecil knows for sure…

[sub]hint hint[/sub]

4

:smiley: Mon Dieu! I weesh zey would stay zere!

And thanks, Scruloose, for the more serious answer. I appreciate them both.

5

DG, here’s more. Click here and your “fly” is open.

http://www.hydeparkmedia.com/housefly.html

6

Cecil knows all:

7

Thanks for the link, Ignatz. It’s mor than I ever knew (or thought I wanted to) about the pesky critters. The last comment rings true, too. As much as I hate the damned things, there is a certain pleasure in truncating their already short existence.

SWAT!

8

LOL!!! :smiley:

Jake

9

Are We sure he isn’t there right now?? :eek:

10

Sacre Bleu! No, seriously, thousands of places are warm 24-7 through the winter, and they have a population of houseflies all the time. (Wal*Mart, for example) In civilization, (and civilisation, too) there is no winter for flies. We have changed nature. Robins and flies winter over now.