Do Flies Poop?

The fly is a notorious member of the class Insecta and the order Diptera. They have a presence on every single continent of the world including Antarctica and Oceania and they number up to 240,000 species. 

Given their small size and the fact that they always just “fly around,” many people have never stopped to wonder if flies actually poop. In this article, we will be discussing fly poop in detail and whether it’s even a thing at all. Shall we?

Do Flies Poop?

As we mentioned before, flies number up to 240,000 different species and they are some of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom. On a general note, flies do poop with some exceptions including tardigrade, mayflies, butterflies, and sponges, among others. 

The most popular fly is the housefly, and it is notorious for perching everywhere indoors or outdoors, accompanied by a discordant buzzing sound. In addition to that, they are among flies that poop, doing it everywhere they perch including beds, porches, foods, walls, etc. Since they eat so much from different food sources, it would be a little odd if they didn’t poop, wouldn’t it?

What Does Fly Poop Look Like?

Not many people know that flies poop not to mention what the poop looks like. However, it’s pretty easy to assume that since flies are tiny creatures from a human view, their poop would be even tinier and practically unnoticeable. Well, that assumption is right to an extent but it’s possible to actually notice fly poop especially if you know what they look like. 

Fly poop is very often called “flyspeck.” These specks are incredibly tiny dots with a black/brown coloration. Like we said before, they are practically unnoticeable; however, if you are suffering a fly infestation, you may notice a build-up of these specks. 

Do Flies Pee?

Now, since flies poop, one might be tempted to think they pee as well. Flies, however, do not pee, at least not in the human sense of urinating from a different opening. They secrete a liquid waste product known as uric acid which comes out through their anuses as poop. So, in reality, they poop and pee all at once. 

Do Flies Fart?

You may find this incredible but flies do fart, from time to time. Much like humans, they also produce gas during digestion, although it isn’t clear whether they do it from their anuses. Sometimes, a portion of these gases get reabsorbed through the fly’s blood and may be released through an opening in their exoskeleton. 

In case you were wondering, flies do not fart out loud like humans and some other animals do. Truth is, even if they did, you probably would never get to hear it since they are such tiny creatures. 

Do Flies Puke?

Puking, also known as vomiting, is an act common with most mammals, which involves throwing up prior ingested food or substances. While there are animals, like rodents and horses, who lack the ability to barf, most other animals, including flies, can. 

Flies usually puke on a food source but they don’t do it because of indigestion, illness, or irritation. Puking is kind of like a routine for flies because the aim is to vomit certain juices to make the food source liquid enough for them to absorb with their proboscis. 

How Do Flies Poop?

Flies ingest food through their proboscis, a straw-like mouth without teeth. So, food intake for them is more like sucking up, like humans take drinks with a straw. Before ingesting, they often vomit some sort of juice to liquefy whatever food source they have their eyes on. So, it’s more like digestion for them begins before actual ingestion. Food travels through the alimentary canal, gets processed and waste leaves through the anus. 

How Often Do Flies Poop?

As we have mentioned before, much of the fly’s diet is liquid and this makes their digestive process super fast. Most experts believe flies poop as often as they perch even if it is on their next food source. So, in addition to barfing every time they want to eat, they also poop on most occasions. Pretty gross, huh?

What Do Flies Eat?

Flies have a very diverse diet and they eat anything from rotten fruits to feces to spoiled meats and even decaying bodies (animals and humans). They also fancy flower nectar, plant secretions, raw meats, milk, and sugary products. 

While flies do not have mouths as humans do, they can taste with their feet. Ever wondered why they perch irreverently on your food? That’s their way of tasting whatever they are looking to suck up with their proboscis. 

Why Do Flies Like Poop?

Flies are very much attracted to fecal matter whether from animals or humans. One major reason is that they love the smell of poop and the fact that they can easily detect it. And since poop contains an array of nutrients, they feed on them for a balanced diet. 

Another reason flies like to perch on poop is that they see it as an opportunity to lay eggs. Once the eggs hatch and morph into larvae, the poop becomes an automatic food source for them. 

Are Flies Harmful?

While most flies do not cause any serious physical harm or pain, they still pose a great deal of danger to humans. From all that we have discussed so far, it is evident that flies perch in places and on food sources that are not ideal. They also carry diseases like salmonella, worms, and E.coli because of their preference for rotten meat and feces. 

Since they eat poop and also poop where they eat, flies are fundamentally unsanitary. Hence, it is unsafe to eat any food that a fly has perched on.

On the whole, we advise getting rid of flies especially within the home as they cause a great deal of harm and irritation. Scientists say house flies carry at least 65 illnesses including typhoid, dysentery, cholera tularemia, and tuberculosis, among several others. 

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• Discover The Largest Fly In The World

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/lersan8910