# Super Fly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027 "2000-05-31T19:07:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drew\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@Drew\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drew_Blade)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/1 "2000-05-31T19:07:26Z")
I was warming some milk the other day in the microwave oven when a fly flew in just before I closed the door. Rather than “shoo” it out and swat it later, I went ahead with warming the milk. I set the timer for 33 seconds, and started the oven going. The fly was unfazed by the 33 second blast. I heated the milk for 28 seconds more and the fly didn’t care but it had flown to another part of the oven’s interior. Really curious now, I removed the milk (which was warm enough) and put in about 12 oz of water in a plastic cup. I set the timer for 99 seconds and blasted away. When I opened the door the fly was crawling around on one of the sides. I set the oven for 99 more seconds and let it rip. When the timer dinged I opened the door and the fly flew out, apparently unharmed. Meanwhile my plastic cup had deformed, and the water was too hot to touch comfortably. I don’t want to do any more experimenting, but how much microwave radiation can an ordinary fly take? Yes, I had water in there too (I heard that microwaves shouldn’t be run “empty” and a fly is not much bigger than a food crumb), but the fly should have absorbed its share of the radiation that started to melt the cup. Did I have a “super” fly in the microwave oven, or more ominously, did I create a “Superfly” under the theory that “that which does not kill us makes us stronger?” (Remember The Hulk!) I never did find the fly to swat it later… ---
**Author:** ![Drew\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@Drew\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drew_Blade)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/2 "2000-05-31T19:14:48Z")
I dod not mean to post this to Great Debates. How about having a little moderator help moving it to General Questions or wherever? Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/3 "2000-05-31T19:46:44Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] Off to GQ (I guess). [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/4 "2000-05-31T20:04:34Z")
Well, I don’t know how much microwave radiation a fly can take, but I _do_ know that you are a cruel bastard! Hmmm, I wonder how much a frog can take. I’ll be back later… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Thin_Skin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/5 "2000-05-31T20:10:30Z")
If your microwave is anything like mine then it has dead spots where there’s little radiation. My dead spot is in the center and is pop-tart shaped. Anyway, I think the fly crawled around until it quit hurting. When you opened the door it got the hell out. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/6 "2000-05-31T20:16:36Z")
whoa! the same thing happened to me. although it was one of those giant mosquito things. i had just microwaved something for a few minutes, and when i opened the door i saw it! i couldn’t believe that he was just hanging out in there. i ended up not eating whatever it was i microwaved. he may have developed some super nuclear brain and decided to sabotage my food. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/7 "2000-05-31T20:37:01Z")
Well, microwave ovens heat up water, fats and sugars with a radio frequency of approx. 2,500 MHz (I’m quoting the frequency from memory here, so don’t razz me too much if I’m wrong.) I’m sure a fly has in its body fats and sugars, and probably some water too (though I don’t know how much.) There can also be spots that are more or less warm due to wave interference, so I would go with Mr Thin Skin’s explanation. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/8 "2000-05-31T20:40:26Z")
Cecil covered a question like this. See [I nuked a roach](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_025.html). I’ve never been very happy with his answer, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Thin_Skin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-fly/21027/9 "2000-05-31T21:01:40Z")
I believe those large mosquito-like things are call crane-flies. My dad, mom, and brother are all entomologist, but I’m not.