# Where do flies go at night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619 "2003-05-16T05:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alan\_Kates](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Alan\_Kates](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Kates)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/1 "2003-05-16T05:12:06Z")
I have no idea, I just know they disappear once the sun goes down. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/2 "2003-05-16T05:18:44Z")
Sleep? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/3 "2003-05-16T12:22:04Z")
According to sites I’ve just had a look at, they rest near their food sources for larval reproduction areas, more than five feet from the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/4 "2003-05-16T12:23:09Z")
Sorry, that should read “or” instead of “for”. :o ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/5 "2003-05-16T13:24:10Z")
Welcome to the SDMB! 🙂 And, for a first poster, yours is a really great question! ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/6 "2003-05-16T13:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\*According to sites I’ve just had a look at, they rest near their food sources for larval reproduction areas, more than five feet from the ground. \*\* Unless they’re in your bedroom, in which case they buzz around your head all night. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/7 "2003-05-16T13:34:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Early Out \* > \*\*Unless they’re in your bedroom, in which case they buzz around your head all night. \*\* In the dark? Either those flies wear little infra-red goggles, and like to par-tay all night long, or … you’re a food source. 🙂 ---
**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:** [May 16, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/8 "2003-05-16T14:26:18Z")
When I’m camping, some of them roost on the inside walls of the tent, usually on the upper half. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/9 "2003-05-16T14:34:07Z")
The ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/10 "2003-05-16T14:57:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Early Out \* > Unless they’re in your bedroom, in which case they buzz around your head all night. If you sleep with your mouth open they will go in your mouth and walk around looking for food. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/11 "2003-05-16T15:07:15Z")
I agree with Dr. Rieux. I see them on my ceiling at night. Take a look yourself. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/12 "2003-05-16T19:25:42Z")
Yep, all the flies go to handy’s ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![auntnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@auntnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntnut)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/13 "2003-05-16T22:17:29Z")
Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/14 "2003-05-17T03:33:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\*In the dark? Either those flies wear little infra-red goggles, and like to par-tay all night long, or … you’re a food source. 🙂 \*\* Now that you mention it, it only seems to happen when I’ve soiled myself. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/15 "2003-05-18T03:40:42Z")
Do they fly upside down to get to the ceiling, or go up like a helicopter, & then suddenly flip over? A serious question. (After all, scientists JUST, a month ago ,discovered that elephants don’t run.) They do a Groucho shuffle, so to speak, w/one foot on the ground at all times. But you all knew that. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/16 "2003-05-18T03:45:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > \*\*Do they fly upside down to get to the ceiling, or go up like a helicopter, & then suddenly flip over? A serious question. (After all, scientists JUST, a month ago ,discovered that elephants don’t run.) They do a Groucho shuffle, so to speak, w/one foot on the ground at all times. But you all knew that. \*\* Yep, they hang out on the ceiling. They fly close, then grab and flip up. I think there is a thread about it. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/17 "2003-05-18T03:52:07Z")
Check [this](http://www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/garden_visitors/fly.html) site. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/18 "2003-05-18T04:02:11Z")
Thanks. That line about 47 feet deep of flies reminded me: if all birds suddenly died, in one day the earth would be 6 feet deep with insects & I guess 8 legged bugs too. Wow, moral-be nice to birds. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/19 "2003-05-18T04:17:24Z")
\ Search me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619/20 "2003-05-18T09:56:47Z")
Early Out isn’t a food source, he’s a larval reproduction area… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-flies-go-at-night/175619.md?page=2)