Why Are Flies Attracted to Me? 9 Reasons You Need to Know

Poor sanitation is considered to be the number one reason for the infestation of flies. That’s why you’ll find them around clogged sinks, drainage systems, broken sewer lines, carcasses, garbage bins, and other dirty areas.

Therefore, if flies are hovering around you, people are likely to see you as unhygienic, even though you may be clean. So, the important question to ask yourself is: Why are flies attracted to me?

9 Reasons Why Flies Are Attracted to You

A fly is an insect of the order Diptera, which comprises insects that only fly using one pair of wings. Although flies have hind wings, they’ve evolved into highly powerful mechanosensory organs that serve as their high-speed sensors of revolving movements and enable flies to perform unconventional aerobics. These organs are commonly referred to as halters.

Flies feature a mobile head with two large compound eyes and one mouth, which is specially built to pierce and suck, or lap and suck in other insects. Their wings are uniquely designed to give them perfect maneuverability when flying. Their feet have tiny hooks and pads that allow them to stand on smooth surfaces.

Flies undergo full metamorphosis, whereby they lay eggs on the larval food sources and the larvae. Some species opportunistically deposit their hatching or hatched maggots, rather than eggs, on carrion, decaying materials, open wounds of animals and humans, and feces or manure. This is why you should keep your surroundings clean to make them unfavorable for flies to proliferate.

Despite their small size, flies can be a real nuisance, especially when they infest your space in large numbers. Aside from making you feel uncomfortable when they hover around you, flies can easily transmit serious infections like gastroenteritis. These insects are also known to transmit intestinal worms by contaminating your food.

Since flies thrive in dirty and unhygienic conditions, they can transfer harmful bacteria and other microbes using the claws and pads on their legs when they fly from a carcass, manure, or feces to your food. That’s why you should never leave your food open, especially if there are flies around. Also, keep your drains clean, especially in and around the kitchen, and your waste bins properly covered to avoid providing flies with perfect breeding conditions.

Aside from taking these preventive measures, you should also familiarize yourself with the main reasons why flies may be attracted to you so that you can take effective measures to keep them away from you. Here are the main reasons why flies are attracted to you.

1. Uncovered Garbage Bins

As mentioned above, flies thrive on decaying materials like garbage. So, if the garbage can in your kitchen is left uncovered for some time, it will attract flies. Unfortunately, this offers perfect breeding conditions for flies.

If there are pieces of meat, vegetables, fruits, and other food leftovers in your garbage bin, they’ll serve as the ideal place for flies to lay and hatch eggs. Soon after, you’ll notice a significant increase in the number of flies in your house. So, always keep your garbage cans completely closed to keep the flies out.

2. Carcasses

If there is a carcass in your walls, attics, or anywhere else in your house, expect to have flies hovering around you. A carcass attracts all kinds of insects and rodents, including flies because they enjoy the toxins emitted by the carcass and use it as a breeding spot. So, if you have rodents in your house, you are likely to have swarms of flies when a rodent dies in a hidden place like the attic chimney, or inside the walls.

Also, frequently check your backyard garden and lawn for dead carcasses, especially if there are bushes around your home where larger animals and rodents can hide. Even if you keep the interiors of your house clean, flies will find their way inside if there is a carcass outside.

3. Manure or Feces

Apart from filling your house with bad odor, manure or feces attract large swarms of flies. This could be animal manure or pet feces in your backyard. The decaying materials offer a perfect breeding environment for flies. Since manure and feces emit strong gases and toxins, they will attract flies from far and wide.

Even bird droppings can attract flies. Flies will use the droppings as their breeding habitat. In this case, you have to come up with effective bird control measures to prevent them from littering your home with their droppings. If you are rearing the birds as pets or for meat supply, you have to figure out the best ways to dispose of their droppings.

4. Decaying Food Supplies

Stocking your kitchen with perishable foodstuffs like potatoes, tomatoes, fruits, and onions among others increases the risk of having swarms of flies around you. When these items get cracked or start to decay, they will attract flies and serve as their breeding habitat. One rotten tomato can breed tens of fruit flies in less than a week. So, discard any food item that shows signs of going bad to avoid the infestation of flies in your home.

5. Sweet, Flavorful Drinks

Flies are attracted to sweet and aromatic drinks like wine, beer, energy drinks, cider, vinegar, etc. because of their fragrance. So, if you are fond of leaving open bottles of beer and used wine glasses all over the house, you’ll always have swarms of flies hovering around.

6. Dirty Drains

Are your kitchen drains dirty, clogged, or leaking? If so, then it could be the reason why you have so many flies flying around. To deal with this problem, check your drains routinely, especially the ones that are made of organically built materials, to ensure they’re completely sealed and clean. Also, make sure the drain pipes aren’t leaking.

7. Spoiled Animal Feeds

If you have spoiled animal feed in your house, it will attract swarms of flies because of its toxins. The spoiled feed also offers a perfect breeding environment for flies. When you are discarding the ruined feeds, use the right disposal methods.

Don’t just throw it in your backyard garbage pit because it will still attract flies. You should throw it in the garbage can and cover it tightly until it’s safely collected by the garbage collector. Alternatively, you can bury it in your backyard if you have enough space.

8. Heat and Light

When it’s extremely cold outside, flies will enter your house in search of warmth. They’ll also come to your house at night when the lights are on. That’s why some insect control companies use special light traps with UV bulbs to catch flies.

9. Sugar Syrup

Flies are attracted to sugary drinks. That’s why you find them clinging to cracked or damaged fruits. They have dedicated taste cells for sweet tastes and carbonated liquids. So, it’s normal to find flies binging on sugary foods and drinks like soda and sugar syrup.