Botflies (bot flies) are not as common as some of their fly relatives, but they have a special life cycle that makes them very unusual insects. Botflies burrow inside a living host, animal or human, to gestate until they burst out of the host’s skin. They may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but they’re surprisingly harmless. They don’t harm the host during the entire process.
Botflies are often mistaken for other insects, so it’s important to know the signs of a botfly infestation and how to tell each insect apart. Read on to learn everything you need to know about botflies, including what they eat, what they look like, and how to remove them.
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What Do Botflies Look Like?
Adult botflies have large bulbous heads covered with hair. The hair may be different colors, from black and white to reddish-orange. They are true flies from the order Diptera, with only one set of wings. They are generally half an inch to an inch long and have no functioning mouthparts as adults.
The larvae are quite different. They are soft, worm-like creatures about one or two centimeters long with spines that point backward all over their body to keep them in place inside their host’s body. They live just under the skin, and the only sign of their presence is a boil-like swelling known as a warble.
What Do Botflies Eat?
Adult botflies don’t eat anything. In fact, they’re incapable of eating because they don’t have any functioning mouthparts. Once they emerge from their cocoon, they only live a few days until they die. They live just long enough to mate and reproduce.
The botfly larvae, inhabiting their host, live on the decaying tissue and flesh that falls off the host due to the presence of the botflies. Botfly larvae also eat the skin they shed when they molt.
What Other Names Do Botflies Have?
The human botfly has the scientific name Dermatobia Hominis. Another common genus of botfly is cuterebra, which attacks rodents and other small animals. There are many different subfamilies of botflies, like the horse botfly, rodent botfly, robust botfly (Cuterebridae), and more.
They are also called berne (Brazil), mirunta (Perú), moyocuil (México), mucha (Colombia), torsalo (Central America), and ura (Argentina). Additionally, they are also known as a warble fly, a heel fly, and a gadfly.
Where Do Botflies Live?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), botflies are native to Central and South America. Botflies also live in North America, though Southern California is the only part of North America where botflies are native. Botflies are extremely rare in the United States, and they’re almost non-existent in Canada and Europe, so they’re not a common house bug in most places.
What Insects Are Botflies Mistaken For?
Due to their hairy bodies and coloration, botflies are often mistaken for bumblebees, mosquitoes, yellow flies, and horseflies. Botflies are very rare in the United States, but most cases of them in North America come from people who travel, take vacation, or work in South and Central America.
The Botfly Life Cycle
The botfly has a unique life cycle, and a lot of it is due to the symbiotic relationship between botflies and mosquitoes. During its short life, the female botfly will mate, then capture a mosquito in flight, lay eggs on it, and release it unharmed.
Then, when the mosquito bites a host, they deposit eggs into the host. After that, the botfly eggs hatch into the larvae, and the larvae enter the host through the hole left by the mosquito bite or in the openings around hair follicles. That’s why if you want to keep bot flies away, you need to get rid of mosquitoes.
The botfly maggots or larvae molt several times during the infestation of the host. In humans, this infestation is known as cutaneous myiasis, botfly myiasis, or Dermatobia hominis myiasis. The botfly never harms the host or the mosquitoes at any point in the infestation process.
Symptoms of Botfly Infestation
Symptoms of botfly infestations in humans include raised lesions or cysts in the skin that become hard and painful. Some patients can even feel the larvae moving when they shower or cover the wound. Hosts will also have elevated white cell counts if they’re infected with botfly larvae.
How To Treat a Botfly Infestation
According to The University of Florida, there are several ways to treat dermatobia hominis myiasis, but the simplest way of removing botfly larvae is with a small surgery. The surgeon uses a scalpel to cut a slit in the wound and take the larvae out. You can also draw the larvae out by blocking their breathing. You can do this by covering the wound area with petroleum jelly, beeswax, or any other thick substance that prevents the larvae from breathing. Once the larvae come out of the lesion to breathe, you can easily remove it with tweezers or forceps.
In some cases, you can even apply pressure to the wound and pull the larvae out, much like popping a pimple. However, be careful when using this method because if the botfly larvae break, you could get a secondary infection. No matter what method you choose, a doctor should prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection. Surgical wounds should heal in one to two weeks with little or no scarring.
Are Botflies Dangerous?
No, botflies aren’t dangerous at all. Once the botfly larvae emerge from the host’s skin, the skin lesions they leave behind heal within a couple of days. Botflies also don’t transmit diseases or pathogens, so you don’t have to worry about any long-lasting effects of a botfly infestation.
Final Thoughts on Botflies
While botflies may be harmless, they’re still unpleasant to have in your body. If you notice botfly larvae under your skin, you should remove them immediately (unless you want to let the whole gestation process run its course). Be sure to consult a doctor before trying any botfly treatments to prevent infection.
However, if you see botflies flying around your home or yard, consider hiring a pest control expert or exterminator to kill them before they become a serious problem. DIY pest control methods may be effective, but professionals can get rid of flies, mosquitoes, and any other pests (like botflies) you may have in a fraction of the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a botfly larva live in human skin?
Botfly larvae usually live inside of a host for five to 12 weeks before they emerge from the skin. Their whole life cycle ranges from three to four months.
Is botfly removal painful?
Botfly removal can be painful if you do it yourself, though the pain is minimal. If you see a medical professional, they can apply a local anesthetic to numb the pain before performing any procedure.
Can my pet get botflies?
Yes, pets, including dogs and cats, can become hosts for botflies. If you notice small lesions on your pet, consult a veterinarian immediately.
Can I remove a botfly at home, or do I need to see a doctor?
While you can try to draw the larvae out yourself, it’s always best to go to a doctor. If the larvae break when you try to remove them, you could end up with an infected wound, which is a bigger problem. Instead, consider getting botfly larvae removed by a doctor.
