# What if all the world's houseflies were eradicated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2016, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504 "2016-06-27T06:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/1 "2016-06-27T06:46:40Z")
I think we’ve already talked about what if all the world’s disease-carrying mosquitoes (and only those species) were eradicated. One of the ecological disasters that might precipitate could be the burgeoning of the human population, especially in regions that could least support that. Okay, now: What about the common housefly? Do they have any ecological value? If we eradicated every last one of them, what would happen? Would the sky fall on our heads? (Someone tell me if we’ve done this already.) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/2 "2016-06-27T11:44:40Z")
My WAG is you would be eliminating a major food source for something that _does_ play an important role in our ecosystem. Still though, it’s nice to daydream. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/3 "2016-06-27T13:11:11Z")
Their ecological niche would be filled by other species, which may or may not be more obnoxious and irritating than houseflies. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/4 "2016-06-27T13:36:13Z")
Houseflys carry diseases. There are a lot of similar insects that probably would end up replacing them and carrying the same diseases. I think the housefly has developed some resistance to common pesticides, so other species may be a little easier to control. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/5 "2016-06-27T17:19:18Z")
Beelzebub would wreak horrible revenge on humanity. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/6 "2016-06-27T17:41:41Z")
God in His wisdom created the fly, And then forgot to tell us why. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/7 "2016-06-27T17:47:11Z")
↑↑↑ This ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/8 "2016-06-27T21:31:38Z")
Kneedeep in shit? ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/9 "2016-06-28T03:40:06Z")
They consume waste. No garbage collectors, things can get pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/10 "2016-06-28T03:56:32Z")
Nobody worries about the frogs? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-all-the-worlds-houseflies-were-eradicated/758504/11 "2016-06-28T04:00:11Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I think we’ve already talked about what if all the world’s disease-carrying mosquitoes (and only those species) were eradicated. One of the **ecological disasters that might precipitate could be the burgeoning of the human population,** Was this a concern when eradicating smallpox? :dubious: