7 Horrifying Things That Happen When a Fly Gets Into Your House

In the summer, it seems nearly impossible to open your door without a housefly inviting itself into your home. Then, after a sad attempt at trying to swat it away and failing, you’re left preparing dinner as the fly buzzes and bounces against the glass window. Suddenly, the noise is gone, and you look down to find the fly sitting on the chicken you were making. Do you throw that nearly-finished meal out? I spoke to Technical Training Managers Dave Lofquist and Tommy Olschewske at Arrow Exterminators to find out.

Here’s literally everything you’ve always wondered about houseflies and didn’t know who to ask. Spoiler alert: You should never eat anything a fly lands on.

1. A housefly will likely die on its own from stress.

The interior of a home can be disorienting and stressful to a housefly, says Dave. If you’ve ever seen a fly bouncing on a window trying to escape, that’s what will eventually cause its death. These flies aren’t meant to be in air conditioned environments, which can also contribute to them dying. The longest a housefly will last inside is about two weeks.

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2. Flies don’t vomit when they land on you.

I’m here to bust that myth everyone said in middle school, thank you very much. “Flies don’t have teeth, instead they have a spongey mouth part that soaks up food,” explains Tommy. Since houseflies don’t have teeth, they’ll vomit on the food to make it wet and then they’ll dissolve it and eat it. A housefly doesn’t consider your shoulder as food —they’re more into feces and trash — so no, it’s not going to vomit if it lands on you.

3. But, if a fly does land on you, wash yourself. And don’t eat anything that it touches.

“The biggest concern a person should have is that when a fly lands on your counter, it was probably on something decaying before,” says Tommy. Yikes. According to Tommy, the most concerning part about flies is not knowing where they’ve been, but knowing what they’re attracted to. I asked if the three second rule works at all here, and Tommy said “I’m not going to eat it.” And, if he goes to a restaurant where he sees a few flies, he’s walking right out. Noted, Tommy.

4. The best way to clean your sink to avoid flies and gnats is with vinegar and baking soda.

Tommy swears by three scoops of vinegar and some baking soda, and he’ll never use bleach. The foam that forms from the baking soda and vinegar is crucial because it’ll stick to the inside of the pipes and really clean everything out.

5. Houseflies thrive in anything wet and warm.

The cooler and drier, the less likely for houseflies to be there. In addition to sticky temps and water, the experts at Arrow Exterminators say that garbages and pet droppings are also drawing these flies in. They want to nest in pet feces or in the garbage under your sink — they’re not just coming in because they smell the pie you just baked. Pro tip: Scrub your garbage can every once in a while with warm water and soap, to get rid of any food residue.

6. If you go away for a week, don’t forget to do this one thing.

First things first: Get rid of your trash and clean your garbage bin before you leave for a summer escape. Then, the major no, no: Don’t turn the AC all the way up to 80-something, which is a common mistake. Dave says to leave it in the mid-70s, because the higher humidity, the more likely flies are to nest while you’re gone.

7. While you’re gone, they could lay eggs.

Let’s say you leave garbage in the sink while you’re gone, a fly might come in and lay some eggs. Tommy and Dave say these flies are always seeking places to do this, and that a Housefly will lay 500 eggs in its lifespan. Anything from a garbage to a dead animal in a crawl place or attic can cause this to happen. If it does, they say to contact a specialist immediately.

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