Apologies to biologists out there.
But let’s face it; flies can be nasty at times. At the slightest chance they get, they would begin to circle, follow and peck on you.
Sometimes, it may even seem like you’re the only one with the problem. And no matter how much you chase them, they’d keep coming back.
To keep returning, these flies invest lots of energy. Yet, many people don’t know why. So, there must be something that attracts these flies to humans, right? Well… in this article, we’ll find out.
Why Are Flies Attracted to Humans?
The answer to this has almost nothing to do with spirituality.
You see, during hot seasons, we humans are like walking bags of sweat, dead skins, carbon dioxide, and aromas.
Flies love these things. Because of that and more, flies get attracted to us. In this section, we will talk about those reasons in detail:
READ MORE: 5 Tiny Black Bugs In House Near Window.
- Body Scents.
Each individual has a unique body odor; some smellier than others.
Houseflies, deer flies, fruit flies, and any other type of flies we see around rely mostly on their sense of smell (mushroom body) to find food and breeding spots.
This is because oftentimes, flies prefer to lay their eggs within decaying plant and animal matter. This decaying matter is often moist and soft when it begins to rot.
This soft-moist condition provides a perfect condition for fly eggs to survive. Within 12 hours, a fly egg should hatch into a larva. This larva would then feed on the decaying matter for a few days before moving on to the next stage.
Now, dead matter, as we know, emits a certain strong aroma that is repugnant to humans. To flies, such aromas smell yummy. Even from very far distances, flies such as house flies can smell these odors. In fruit flies, scientists believe that their memories and sense of smell are connected.
So, if you have a strong body odor or have anything smelly on you, flies will surely get attracted to you. This even goes double if you happen to be among the unhygienic types.
- Body and Follicle Oils.
In most cases, flies and other insect-like creatures get attracted to only sugary and sweet things. Talk about fruit flies; Drosophila melanogaster, and those are the perfect description for their favorite food. For some flies, like houseflies, oils with dirty smells are considered a delicacy.
Oftentimes, we humans use fruit-based body creams. These creams can sometimes be the source that attracts some flies to us. Not only that, but some hair types are also very oily. Because of that, the scalp and hair shafts get soaked in oil.
This trapped oil serves as a dirt collector. If the person in question doesn’t wash up often, the dirt gathered between the hair shafts and on the scalp would start smelling. If it does, such scents attract flies.
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- Sweat.
Our sweat is another reason why flies are attracted to us humans.
This is because sweat, as we all know, has water as its major component.
But then, it’s water plus other things. These other things include carbohydrates (sugars), protein (ammonia and urea), and salts.
The salts and sugars in sweat serve as a food source for flies. For these same things, flies sit around the eyes of livestock and lick the nutrients they need.
But compared to other mammals, humans are less hairy. So, we produce more sweat that reaches the surface than other animals. And for that, a fly could chase you to the end of the world.
Aside from the components, impure sweat also smells. This is true especially when it gets mixed up with epidermal bacteria and when special puberty hormones are released in your armpit.
These scents that come with these things, of course, irritate humans. Flies, on the flip side, find them attractive. It should be noted that flies are also attracted to body warmth.
- Dead Skin and Open Wound.
Many flies like house flies are scavengers. That means, they can feed on anything; dead or alive.
Among the dead things they eat are dead skin cells. In fact, some species of flies like Blowflies, and flesh flies eat carrion, aka dead flesh.
Most times, our skin cells, when dead, flake off. It is these flakes that fly suck alongside sweat. Likewise, these flies can also lay their eggs on open wounds.
These eggs grow into larvae that cause a parasitic infection called Myiasis. Common examples of flies like that include screwflies, botflies, and blowflies.
Species of Flies Are More Attracted to You than Others.
1) Fruit flies.
Fruit flies, like the name, live rotten fruits and vegetables.
So, the major reason why fruit flies are attracted to humans is to get a taste of that fruity scent on you. Oftentimes, we come across this slightly after we’ve chomped on a plate of fruits.
In other cases, it can happen when we take fruity candies, ice cream, or even lollipops.
In fact, you may get attracted to fruit flies if you use fruit-based cream (rare though). Unlike houseflies, fruit flies don’t like the scent of sweat that much.
2) Hoverflies.
Like most flies, hoverflies are attracted to humans to get the sweet taste of the sugar and salt inside the sweat that our skins produce. In fact, one of the aliases for Hoverflies is Sweat bees.
However, unlike bees, they are not dangerous to humans and they prefer to suck nectars.
3) Crane flies.
Crane flies are attracted mostly to your face.
This is because the face is usually one of the most exposed parts of our body. However, Crane flies, unlike mosquitoes, don’t look for open skin areas to suck blood.
This is because the crane flies feed only on plant roots and rotten matter.
But the reason why they get attracted to the human face is that they are sensitive to the carbon dioxide we breathe out. But the thing is, crane flies also fly around other exposed skin areas as well.
4) Deer flies.
Deer flies can bite humans and are diurnal. Oftentimes, deer flies get attracted to humans because of our body heat and the carbon dioxide we breathe out. Aside from that, these deer flies are sensitive to vibrations, shiny surfaces, and clothing.
5) Blackhouse fly.
These house flies are the mundane house flies we see around. Oftentimes, they get attracted to garbage and rotten matter like pet poops and urine. Since we humans often come in contact with pets and their genital wastes, these flies hover around our clothes and homes.
6) Blowflies.
Blowflies, aka green flies, though rarely attracted to humans, are dangerous to humans.
That’s true because they spread diseases. Usually, you can find them near schools, canteens, and residential areas.
In these areas, blowflies get the chance to transmit diseases by landing on exposed foods. Aside from that, blowflies are also attracted to organic matter and anything that smells similar. If you bear any similar scents on you, blowflies may hover around you.
READ MORE: What Attracts Cockroaches?
Is There a Spiritual Reason Why Flies Are Attracted to Humans?
In the spiritual world, a fly is a very strong totem of bad omen.
But the meaning varies across different cultures. In native Americans, for example, many sects believe that flies are associated with diseases and curses. Although to the south-western tribes, flies are totems for message-bearers.
To Christians, flies are considered to be satanic. So, they believe that flies hover around sick people and impure people to torment them.
To the Celts, flies are considered to be guardians to the gate of the Underworld. In ancient Egypt, flies symbolize courage and perseverance.
So, in general, many cultures agree that an encounter with a fly or a swarm of flies is a bad omen.
If you find flies hovering around you, many spiritualists agree that it means that something very bad is about to happen to you. So, there is a need for you to kill off certain distractions and irritations in your life.
Some Christian factions agree that it could also be a sign of stagnant life, a life with no apparent growth. Likewise, it could also mean that you’re about to meet a stranger or experience something shocking. But to us, we believe we agree with what scientists have said earlier.
Why Are Flies Now Attracted to You and Not Others?
Sometimes, with the way some flies hover around humans, some of us feel targeted by flies. Because of that, those people tend to attach some weird spirituality like bad luck. However, there are more scientific reasons for it.
For one, every person produces sweat at different rates. Some people produce a lot of sweat from doing small tasks.
While others need to do strenuous activities to sweat things out. Remember that flies are attracted to components of sweat like proteins and sugars. In fact, they lick up as much sweat on your skin as they can.
So, the more sweat you produce compared to others, the higher the tendency for flies to target you. Then again, the component of each person’s sweat is different. If your sweat smells tastier than others, expect more flies to target you.
Also, not all flies need to have the tag, “fly,” added to their name. For instance, many people fail to realize that mosquitoes also fly. So, that makes mosquitoes the most dangerous fly in the world.
You see, the thing is; mosquitoes, which are blood vampires, love to drink from people with blood group O.
In fact, some mosquitoes prefer to suck blood from expecting mothers and beer lovers. The question now is; if mosquitoes, a type of fly, can prefer some people to others to drink from, what’s the chance that other flies do so too? Well… we’ll leave you to it.
Final Words.
All in all, we agree that flies can be attracted to humans. Most times, this fly attraction leans towards rotten organic matter as in house flies or sugary things as in fruit flies. In other cases, flies are attracted by dead skin, open wounds, sweat, and even blood type (as in mosquitoes). So, to steer clear of any species of flies, just maintain good personal hygiene.