This Is What Really Happens When A Fly Lands On Your Food, And It's Worse Than You Thought

Sep 04, 2018

You know you've asked yourself the question before. Can you keep eating or drinking something even after a fly lands on it? The reality will shock you.

It's common knowledge that flies are carriers of a number of germs that can cause sickness. But even so, we often want to continue eating our food after a fly has touched it. We find ourselves wondering: Is it really that bad? The answer: Yes. Yes, it is. The process by which flies infect food is sure to horrify you.

Some people believe that disease-causing germs are only transmitted to your food if a fly has touched a dirty place with its legs. However, the contamination happens in a much grosser way.

Since flies don't have any teeth, their manner of eating is a process of sucking fluid through their noses. If they land on solid food, they have to turn it into liquid. So they vomit saliva onto it, liquefying the food so it's drinkable.

Flies eat absolutely everything, including substances you really don't want to think about. When they vomit onto your food, they're throwing up all of that harmful bacteria they've ingested through rotten meat and feces.

The average housefly can move pretty much every bacteria and pathogenic cell you can imagine. Viruses and bacteria both come from animals. A fly might eat the waste and then regurgitate it onto your meal.

In fact, houseflies have been proven to transmit more than 100 different parasites and diseases. Among these are cholera, tuberculosis, and salmonella. And as if this wasn't enough, there's yet another way that flies might contaminate your food.

If you ever leave your food unattended for any period of time, you should give it a cursory glance before you eat it. Not only do flies spread pathogen contaminates, but they also lay eggs and poop in human food. This usually happens if the food has been sitting out for longer than 24 hours. That's why you see maggots on garbage bins, rotten carcasses, and old food. They hatched there.

It's rare for pregnant flies to lay eggs on a meal that hasn't been sitting out for a while, but it's not unheard of. If a fly has landed on your meal at all, you should probably throw it out. The one exception might be if you shoo it quickly, as they might take flight before they get the chance to vomit. However, you're running the risk of ingesting bacteria stuck to their legs.

Flies are going to get you sick if you don't take action to stop them. You should always keep your food covered, even in situations where you're sure there are no flies around. These bugs tend to be sneaky and lurk in unseen places waiting for a meal.

What do you think? Does the knowledge about how flies eat make you want to change your food-eating policies?

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!