I spent the weekend out in the garden, alternating between actually working in the garden and kicking back in a shady spot with a cold drink and a book. (Yes, it was the most delightful way imaginable to spend three days).
Yesterday, during my sitting-in-the-shade-reading periods, I was constantly bothered by a fly. It would land on my leg, I’d shake my leg or brush the fly away, and it would come right back and start walking up my leg again. Or the other leg. Or my arm – but mostly my legs. It was darned annoying (I was forced to retreat inside when naptime came).
Almost as annoying as the sensation of a fly crawling on me was my inability to figure out what the blasted thing wanted. Do flies need salt? I was definitely covered with a film of dried sweat (it was 90 and moderately humid yesterday). If not salt, then what?
IIRC, non-biting houseflies just want what we all want… food, and a nice quiet place to lay eggs and raise maggots. I mean offspring. I guess you give off a smell that the flies find either tasty, nurturing, or both.
I thought of this – one of the things I was doing yesterday was spreading compost, and, since I was barefoot, there was definitely a thin layer of rich organic matter on my feet and ankles – but the fly was higher up, mostly around my knees and thighs.
I really wish i knew the answer. Me and the wife went for a walk yesterday, and I swear this one little &&% of a fly was circling my head the whole way. I know I’m not slim, but I shouldn’t be attracting smaller masses into orbit!