Tampa Bay Rays Sports Complex

Blue Bottle Flies

After doing a lecture at a gated community, concerning the care of some “sick” Live Oak Trees (Quercus Virginiana), in the community of Port Charlotte Florida, I was invited to lunch by a county employee. We decided on a well known restaurant in Punta Gorda Florida. About half way thru an excellent lunch I discovered the fly swimming in my gravy!

There are several species of blowflies all have very pretty metallic colored thoraxes of one color or another and are called Black, Green or Blue flies depending on their color.

The blowflies are usually associated with animal manure, and they lay eggs in meat, fish and carrion BUT they are also attracted to garbage including rotting vegetable matter. When found in homes they are usually associated with dead animals in the attic or walls.

In the case of my Blue Bottle fly visitor, I traced him to an often dumped but never washed commercial dumpster outside the restaurant.

- William “Doc” Pickhardt, B.C.A.