One good thing about winter is the fact that bugs go into hiding. Most of them, at least.
But here it is, the end of May. As such, the bugs have returned in full force.
Now, for anyone who likes to do things outside — especially eat — we have one friend in particular who likes to eat outside, too.
And that is the fly. Yes. That common housefly.
They are pretty ugly as insects go. At least, by my bug beauty measures.
Anyway, flies love food.
And. They like to land on our food.
But have any of you thought about what happens when a fly lands on your hamburger or piece of fried chicken? Or worse yet. On your macaroni salad?
Well. I’m here to tell you.
And. Is it harmful?
There have been many studies on this. And this is what happens when a fly lands on your food. It is more than gross. Let me tell you. It’s germy.
I read an article where a public health epidemiologist and an entomologist (aka an insect expert) talked about the process of a fly landing on your food. Let me warn you. There’s poop involved. Not to mention other flyish body fluids.
So.
What happens when a fly lands on your food?
You may have heard that when a fly lands on your food, it vomits. Well. This is basically true.
When a fly eats, it has to throw up digestive enzymes onto its meal. Those enzymes also contain some remnants of whatever it last ate. So, when the fly lands, it pukes first. And that “fly puke” will probably contain a meal full of pathogens. Because flies eat some pretty disgusting things.
But let’s back up just a teeny bit. Right before the fly vomits, it uses its antennae to sample your food with taste sensors on its feet. If it likes what it tastes — and it probably will — that fly will stick down its tongue—its official name is the proboscis—and coat your food with saliva containing digestive enzymes (a form of puke). So it is kind of licking and puking down into your food at the same time.
If you are not grossed out yet, the next detail just might do it. The fly also poops liberally on your food. Thankfully, most flies are pretty small compared to us. So their poop is small too.
But should you be worried?
Well. Just maybe. Because when a fly lands on your food, it can spread salmonella, E. coli, parasites, and dysentery.
A 2023 study published in the journal Microorganisms found flies can pass along bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains. According to the study: “House flies serve as a vector to move disease from one place to another. Because we all live together, flies can spread many different pathogens between humans, animals, and the environment.”
So. Before you get too paranoid about fly landings, there is an upside. A fly can share only a tiny number of germs. And fortunately, when it comes to food poisoning, the dose makes the poison, as the old saying goes.
So when should you worry and throw out your food?
Well. There are times when that fly can spread enough germs to make you sick, but, according to scientists, they often just start a chain of events that makes it possible for you to become ill. There might not be enough bacteria initially coming out of the fly to do harm, but if you let the food sit out at room temperature for a long time, those bacteria can multiply to the point where they become dangerous.
A lot of it matters where the fly was BEFORE it landed on your food. Was it in the trash can? Again, that might be a red flag because a trash bin is an “obvious source of contamination.” You should also steer clear of eating if the fly has touched down on raw meat or animal poop before visiting your dish.
But how do you know where that fly has been before setting foot on your food? You probably don’t. So, the best way to minimize this potential problem is to keep flies away.
How can you protect your food from flies?
Window screens.
Hanging nontoxic, sticky flypaper traps.
At picnics and barbecues, keep dishes covered as much as possible.
Make sure that foods are kept at the right temperature and don’t sit out too long, as that can turn a small problem into a big one.
So yes. Flies. Worse than you thought.
Just wait until I start talking about the dangers of mosquitos and ticks.
You’ll be begging winter to come back soon.
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“The human condition is not without its problems; the difficulty is how to make the unpleasant palatable.” — Maya Angelou
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“Germs are part of life. Some of them are good; some of them are bad. The trick is to know the difference.” — Anthony R. Smith
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“The world is a dirty place. It’s full of germs, but it’s also full of miracles.” — Alfred Thompson
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