The Gross Truth About Flies In Your Food

#1 Flies Are Gross

We find it really gross and off-putting when a fly or bug lands on our food; and one of the worst culprits is the common housefly. They're found just about everywhere, and unfortunately, they're also particularly disgusting with being all hairy, crawly and unhygienic pests.

#2 People Thought The Cockroach Was Dirtier Than The Fly

In a recent survey, participants were asked which critter would cause them to flee from a restaurant the fastest: Rodents, cockroaches, flies, ants or snakes? (Um snakes, bye). Sixty-one percent of respondents said cockroaches would do the trick, but scientists say that the real threat comes from flies, which carry twice as many germs than any of the other mentioned critters. And it only gets more gross from there.

#3 There Are 90,000 Different Species of Flies

The study is particularly naming the common housefly, that can be found just about anywhere. And, there are over 90,000 different species of flies. All of them are equally disgusting.

#4 They Harbor A Lot Of Dirty Habits

Flies don't just look gross, with their huge eyes and hairy bodies, but actually are pretty disgusting creatures with a number of bad habits. Flies are attracted to other gross and disgusting things. They are attracted to things like rotting corpses, like faeces, like rubbish and like dirty water. And when a fly lands on your food, there's a good chance that it has just come from landing on some POOP.

#5 Do You Keep Eating Or Toss Your Food

So what do you do when a fly lands on your food? Do you toss it in the garbage, or do you just shoo the bugger away and continue eating? You might want to think twice before picking up that fork and continuing to feast on that lunch.

#6 Flies Can't Eat Solid Food

Houseflies are actually unable to eat solid food. You may think they have landed on your ham sandwich and are enjoying the meal but they are physically incapable of biting down.

#7 Their Mouths Are Used To Suck Things Up

Their mouths are specifically built to suck up food, like little straws.

#8 They Spit Out Bacteria Ridden Saliva To Soften Their Food

So when the fly wants to eat solid food, they regurgitate germ ridden saliva filled with enzymes onto that food, making it soggy and soft enough to slurp back up through their tiny little hose mouths.

#9 The Saliva Contains Germs From Everything The Fly Has Eaten

What's so bad about this is that the saliva contains remnants from their last meals, which means your food might be hosting a little bit of bacteria and pathogens picked up from feces, raw meats, or garbage. If you've watched a fly for awhile, you know they land and feast on some pretty gross things.

#10 Their Hairy Bodies Carry The Germs From Place To Place

It's not the eating of your food that is even the worst part. The things that the fly finds delicious, like dog poop, or rotting fish, gets absorbed into their tiny little hairs all over their body and it only takes a single second for them to transfer those germs to your food or to your body once they land. Those hairs collect particles and hold them from every place that fly has landed and drop off once it lands someplace new. Gross, right?

#11 Flies Can Carry Diseases

Flies are known carriers of dysentery, cholera, and typhoid, but because the bacteria is so minute and the fly is only landing briefly, most people won't come down with any of those diseases. However, it's better to be safe than sorry.

#12 If You See Flies Eating Something You Probably Shouldn't Eat It

In all reality, if you see a fly or a bunch of flies feasting or landing on a donut or slice of pizza, you probably shouldn't eat it. The human immune system can usually take care of the small amount of bacteria the fly is carrying but it's the combination of all the germs and bacteria in the hairs on its body and the saliva that can make you sick.

#13 Flies Do Not Poop Every Time They Land

One falsehood about the fly is that each time it lands on you or your food, it is pooping or leaving behind its own feces. This is incorrect. They will leave its bacteria but it couldn't possibly be pooping each time it lands, which is about 31 times per minute unless it is eating. If it is eating it may linger for 45-60 seconds before moving on to the next victim, or plate.

#14 Most People Still Eat Foods A Fly Has Landed On

While it probably isn't cool to eat foods that flies have been landing on, even if they had started spitting up their saliva to feed, it's actually those little hairs that carry all the diseases and make people sick. The truth is that you're probably not going to throw away that juicy steak you just cooked because a fly landed on it. And if you have ever eaten food that's been out overnight (I know I have), then you will almost certainly have eaten foods that have been covered in all kinds of bugs and insects. Not nice.

#15 Don't Get Too Worried About A Fly Unless There Are A Lot Of Them

In groups, flies can be the most dangerous for spreading a disease. If you see hundreds of them feeding on a corpse, that's not safe to be around, but a single housefly won't really harm you, just annoy you. So if a fly lands on your food, don't get too upset about it. Wave the fly off and continue to eat. If you see a fly buzzing around your kitchen though, then you should probably kill it to prevent the spread of disease. And if you have any food that's covered in flies then just turn and walk away.

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