Nothing ruins a good meal like a nasty, icky, no-good fly landing smack-dab in the middle of your lunch. First of all, they're bugs — and unless you're into that sort of thing, creepy crawlies don't exactly make for the best appetizers. Secondly, flies carry tons of bacteria — some of which can make you pretty sick — and nobody wants a trip to the hospital for dessert. Then there's the way they digest their food, and you don't want to know how they do that ... but in this video, we're going to tell you anyway! This is what really happens when a fly lands on your food.
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00:00On any warm-weather day, many people want to take advantage of dining outside. It's
00:04hard to beat the feeling of a light breeze and the sun on your cheeks while you sip a
00:08glass of rosé. Still, that fairy tale can sometimes be cut short by a pesky fly who
00:13insists on landing on your fries.
00:15Indoors or out, it's a sight nobody wants to see. You look away from your food for just
00:19a minute, only to turn back and notice a fly has found a new home atop your pricey meal.
00:24Or even worse, being forced to wave your hand around constantly in order to prevent said
00:28fly from setting up shop on top of your plate. In some ways, bugs' body parts can actually
00:33enhance a recipe. But we've been told our whole lives not to let flies land on our food.
00:38Is it actually that bad? The short answer? It's not good.
00:41Waiter, there's a fly in my soup. Could you do something about it?
00:45Black flies are not picky eaters. These insects will eat anything from roadkill to a perfectly
00:50cooked steak. They'll never say no to a meal. And with that, flies often land on garbage,
00:55expired animals, and other surfaces that allow them to pick up harmful bacteria, according
00:59to Mental Floss. Since flies land on the food with their legs first, that bacteria mostly
01:04lives on their legs, meaning even a brief stop at your plate is enough to transfer that
01:08bacteria to your tasty meal.
01:10In 2017, scientific reports related that research conducted on flies proved they can carry potentially
01:16deadly bacteria. It turns out these bothersome bugs can be riddled with Salmonella, E. coli,
01:21and H. pylori, which can all cause serious or even deadly food poisoning.
01:25To make matters worse, flies can't actually chew. They have no teeth. Rather, they vomit
01:30up bile, which quickly breaks down whatever they're snacking on. It turns the solid food
01:34into a liquid so the fly can consume it. In short, a fly spending any amount of time on
01:39your food could result in your dish having harmful bacteria, plus fly vomit, neither
01:43of which makes for the best seasoning.
01:45Though it's well known that those annoying black flies are a danger to food, it turns
01:49out that your summer barbecue isn't the only place you might find bacteria-ridden bugs.
01:53Rather, there are other flies that can pose the same risk, specifically fruit flies, which
01:57are much smaller than black flies and often hover around aging fruit. You've likely seen
02:02fruit flies around your kitchen if you've ever left the fruit bowl out for a few days.
02:06These bugs are about the size of gnats, and while tiny, they can still pose a health risk.
02:11According to WebMD, fruit flies can transfer germs in the same way black flies can. Fruit
02:15flies enjoy eating rotting food, which means they often land on garbage. The flies have
02:19been found to have harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. It won't
02:24take long for fruit flies to infest your home.
02:26WebMD also reports these flies can land on food and quickly lay up to 2,000 eggs. They
02:31have a short life cycle, which means those eggs hatch quickly. Within about 30 hours,
02:36the eggs have turned into maggots that feast on your food.
02:39Though it's not fun having to deal with the critters, there are steps you can take to
02:42prevent flies from setting down on your dish. To keep black flies away from the buffet table,
02:46try adding some lemons. According to Today, flies hate the smell of lemons, so if you
02:51put a few lemon wedges around the food, that could help keep the bugs away. Plus, they
02:54dress up the dish. You might need to use quite a few lemons, but Today suggests placing them
02:59in decorative bowls to help add to the ambiance.
03:01Outdoor Happens suggests using large fans to deter the bugs from flying in the direction
03:06of the food. Plus, if it's a hot summer day, it might also cool off the guests. And if
03:10you want a solution that will also serve as a conversation starter, purchase a few
03:14Venus fly traps. The carnivorous plants prey on insects such as flies, and their ability
03:19to capture the bugs often creates intrigue. If fruit flies are the problem, The Spruce
03:23suggests washing and inspecting produce upon purchasing to make sure there are no fruit
03:27flies already making themselves at home. And if fruit is damaged or getting too old, throw
03:32it away.