Local fly information

Fly control in Illinois

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Flies in Illinois: what to know

Around Illinois

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

What to note

Where you see flies, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.

Local research

Flies in Illinois: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which flies actually live in Illinois, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

More than 5 stable flies per leg drains performance

Stable fly economic threshold in Illinois

Stable flies bite, and the same flies coming off a nearby feedlot bite people at backyard gatherings.

University of Illinois Extension

20 to 30 blood meals per day; more than 200 flies per animal causes lost performance

Horn fly blood meals and threshold

Horn flies breed in manure, so pasture sanitation and feed-through control are the levers.

University of Illinois Extension

Wet springs are favorable breeding conditions and lead to big problems throughout the summer

What drives a bad Illinois fly year

A wet April in Illinois predicts a heavy July for flies around rural homes.

University of Illinois Extension

Fly species recorded in Illinois

House fly (Musca domestica) — Non-biting; breeds in manure, garbage, lawn clippings, decaying produce. 45 days at 60°F to 7 days at 95°F. Carries bacteria and viruses causing diarrhea, cholera, food poisonin…
Stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) — Biting fly with bayonet-like proboscis; about 12 days egg to adult; peaks early summer.

When flies are busiest in Illinois

Fly season builds after wet springs and runs through summer; knockdown sprays give only 1 to 2 weeks of residual, and fly tags only 30 to 60 days.

Illinois Extension notes that feed-through insect growth regulators must start at least two weeks before fly season and cannot kill a neighbor's flies, so exclusion and sanitation still matter at the house.

For context, nationally

About 45 days at 60°F; 7 days at 95°F — House fly life cycle vs temperature. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
75–150 per cluster; 350 to 900 in a lifetime — House fly eggs per female. University of New Hampshire Extension

Sources: University of Illinois Extension; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; University of New Hampshire Extension; Flies (Home and Landscape). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Illinois cities

Arlington Heights

Humid Continental · suburban setting

Fly control in Illinois

Flies in Illinois: what to know

Around Illinois

What to note

A useful next step

Flies in Illinois: what the public record shows

Fly species recorded in Illinois

When flies are busiest in Illinois

For context, nationally

Explore Illinois cities

Arlington Heights

Aurora

Berwyn

Bloomington

Bolingbrook

Champaign

Chicago

Cicero

Decatur

Des Plaines

Elgin

Evanston

Joliet

Naperville

Oak Lawn

Palatine

Peoria

Rockford

Schaumburg

Skokie

Springfield

Waukegan

Downers Grove

Ask about fly control in Illinois