How Much Do Flies Eat?

House flies, as their name suggests, do not have teeth and cannot chew solid food. Their mouthparts are straw-like, and their digestive juices turn food into a liquid. Flies love to feed on animal waste and decayed matter. They will travel up to 20 miles in search of these materials.

Flies are able to increase their food intake by feeding more often and eating more volume. This process of feeding and digesting food can be detected through flies’ brain activity. Researchers at Yale University have studied how flies make food choices. Interestingly, they were able to determine if there is a difference between flies’ food intakes with different food sources.

While flies are a nuisance pest, they can actually be beneficial in many ways. They are important pollinators and provide food for other animals. They also help many plants reproduce. So if you have a garden or a backyard, it may be worthwhile to keep flies as a guest.

There are several factors that influence the proportion of time that flies spend feeding. First, the time of day is important. Second, the amount of food consumed can be influenced by the group size. Flies that are housed alone spend a lower proportion of their time feeding in the morning compared to flies that live in groups of five or more.

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