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General
The representatives of the Sphaeroceridae family to which the latrine fly belongs, are called small dung flies in America. It has rightfully earned this name, because these flies are often found in large numbers on and near animal droppings.

Appearance and lifestyle
These small, dark coloured flies develop on very humid places, where the soil is contaminated with rotting organic material. Such breeding places are formed in houses where the drain of the sink is leaking or when something is wrong with the drain of the toilets. The flies can also develop in the vicinity of houses, such as in manure heaps and in stables.

Prevention / control
The only effective control measures are to find the breeding place(s) and to sanitize them. In case of sing or toilet leakage, one can try to remove the contaminated material from the crawling space or to cover it with a layer of clean sand. The the flies develop outside of the house, the focus should be on prevention, for instance by applying fly screens in open windows. Manure store in the immediate vicinity of houses should be avoided or the manure must be properly covered. In stables, proper hygiene should be observed. The fly larvae (maggots) in the manure can be eliminated with the help of authorized insecticides.

If the control measure, carried out based on this advise, does not lead to the desired result, you can always contact EWS.