#Flies July 5

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During the month of July, I have taken up the 30-Day Curiosity Coach4aday Challenge, and today’s focus is on FLIES.

The mechanics of this challenge involve presenting a question and subsequently uncovering the optimal response.

July 5th Curiosity Question

How do FLIES find food?

Over the past few weekends, I have enjoyed the company of friends and family at backyard cookouts. Everything is going great and the host brings out some food and within minutes there are flies. How do they locate it so quickly? Are flies communicating their windfall to other flies?

FYI my friend Joe Terranova counters fly attacks on his summer pool food with this device called a Fly Fan. I can testify it is effective.

July 5th Answer on Flies

Flies have several mechanisms to locate food at a picnic or any other location. Here are some ways flies find their food:

1. Sensing odors: Flies have a highly developed sense of smell. They can detect a wide range of odors, including the smell of decaying matter or food. When food is present at a picnic, flies can pick up the odor molecules released by the food and follow the scent to locate the source. They actually detect odors with their antennae.
2. Carbon dioxide detection: Flies are sensitive to carbon dioxide, which is produced when living organisms exhale. As humans and other animals exhale carbon dioxide, flies may be attracted to the vicinity where food is being consumed due to the elevated levels of this gas.

It’s worth noting that flies are opportunistic feeders and can be attracted to a wide variety of food sources. At a picnic, their ability to sense odors and visually locate food can make them persistent in their search for a meal. To minimize fly attraction at a picnic, it’s important to cover and seal food items, clean up spills promptly, and consider using screens or other barriers to prevent flies from accessing the food.