Phorid Fly
What are Phorid Flies?
https://extension.psu.edu/mushroom-phorid
How did they become a problem?
Phorids have been around for decades. See this study from 1997: here.
Why are they such a big problem?
Mushroom growers lost their main Phorid fly control product, Diazinon, in 2012. Other controls get emergency approval year-to-year that the industry applies to EPA to have and use.
Warmer weather over longer periods of time have also allowed the flies to start reproducing earlier, and to reproduce longer. Many other insects are thriving as never before, as well.
Why do the flies like my home?
The Phorids get carried by the wind from mushroom farms and to date, PSU and the industry aren’t sure how the flies cluster in residential areas.
Is it true that. . .? Some myths:
The Phorids don’t reproduce in homes, and their only food is the mycelia—mushroom roots—in the mushroom houses. Mushrooms do not grow in or on mushrooms, mushroom stumps, or mushroom compost, according to research announced by PSU in January 2021.
We do know that the Phorids like moister environments, are attracted to light, are most active during dawn and dusk, and fly upwards for safety.
Phorids also carry no diseases and are not communicable to humans.
Is there hope?
Yes—PSU has had success in introducing methods and products onto three farms, and AMI and the industry are working to recruit farms for PSU to implement the methods used; to replicate successes, and to be able to understand and use the PSU methods independently.
AMI is working with volunteer researchers in the area who study watershed ecology to understand how the external environment affects Phorid populations and residences impacted. One natural predator of Phorids according to leading ornithologists are birds in the Swallow family, and these watershed researchers are putting up Swallow houses not just for Phorids but for other insects that impact many different types of farms, crops and livestock.
Where can I ask more questions and get support?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PhoridFlyCommunity
What is the industry doing to help?
The mushroom industry funds research through a PSU endowment for the university in place for decades; individual growers contribute to research, such as Giorgi mushrooms, and AMI has provided funding through grants and contributions to growers and PSU and other researchers and continues to do so.
Mushroom farmers live in the communities by the farms and are alo impacted and very heavily invested in addressing Phorids.
In addition, mushroom crops experience hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses due to Phorids’ impact on their crops.