The name refers to the maggot's long tail, which is actually a breathing tube, or siphon, used by the maggot to survive in very wet environments.
Maggots breed in stagnant waters high in organic matter.
Eggs hatch in about a week. Maggots develop through the summer and pupate, usually in late July and August. Pupae cannot survive in the very wet environments where the larvae develop. Hence, prior to pupation, larvae leave the breeding site to find drier and more protected sites. It is during this period of migration that rat-tailed maggots are most often noticed by owners and employees of livestock facilities.