What Do Flies Eat?
WouterIf you’re concerned that flies are eating your food, you may want to know what they’re eating. Flies are known to eat a variety of things, including meat, fruits, and vegetables. Since they can’t chew, they rely on their saliva to digest food. Their diet varies from old vegetables in supermarket dumpsters to rancid hamburgers, and from decaying matter in your yard to the garbage in your garbage can.
The problem is that flies often land on unsanitary objects, such as food and garbage, and that means that they’re likely to bring in bacteria and viruses. These germs can be transferred in just a second when the fly touches the food. This can be dangerous, especially if the flies don’t have good hygiene habits.
Although they can’t chew, house flies have hook-like mouthparts that scrape food out of their mouths. They suck up particles smaller than 0.45 millimeters in size, and then regurgitate the dissolved food. House flies also have a mouth like a straw, which means that they can suck up whatever they want.
Some flies are herbivores, and they feed on decaying plant matter and plant roots. Others, such as the bottle fly, burrow into dead animal carcasses and lay their eggs. They also consume garbage and feces. One species that bites humans is the horse fly, which is known for its sharp, cutting mouth parts. This type of bite is painful and may tear the flesh.
