# Where do houseflies go in the winter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581 "2004-11-25T01:35:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/1 "2004-11-25T01:35:57Z")
Do they “flybernate”? Seriously, I read that flies live about a year, so I’m curious. What happens to flies when they are inactive? Any chance they could be located in their little dens and eliminated before summer when they drive me crazy? ---
**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:** [November 25, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/2 "2004-11-25T01:52:11Z")
France. They go to France. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/3 "2004-11-25T02:13:54Z")
…I have no idea, but I wish they’d go there in the summer, too! ::rimshot:: Seriously, a few answers from around the net: [Some hibernate, but most pass the winter in the pupal stage.](http://www.safeguardpestcontrol.co.uk/Common%20Pests/housefly.htm) [They burrow into anything warm… decaying wood, animal burrows, the tiniest openings around windows, barns, etc. Their metabolism slows to almost nothing, but they won’t die unless frozen solid. That’s why you’ll see flies buzzing at your windows (and between windows and screens) when you get a couple of warm days in winter.](http://www.pointask.com/pointask/f_q.php3?qid=9735) [A previous thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=34083) Maybe Cecil knows for sure… [sub]hint hint[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/4 "2004-11-25T07:04:06Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > France. > They go to France. 😃 _Mon Dieu!_ I weesh zey would _stay_ zere! And thanks, **Scruloose** , for the more serious answer. I appreciate them both. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/5 "2004-11-27T20:46:17Z")
DG, here’s more. Click here and your “fly” is open. [http://www.hydeparkmedia.com/housefly.html](http://www.hydeparkmedia.com/housefly.html) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/6 "2004-11-28T00:30:30Z")
> [@Scruloose](#): > > Maybe Cecil knows for sure… > > [sub]hint hint[/sub] [Cecil knows all](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_022.html): > [@](#): > > Northern winters kill most adult flies, leaving only those in the larval and pupal stages to maintain the Muscidate race. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/7 "2004-11-28T00:35:55Z")
Thanks for the link, **Ignatz**. It’s mor than I ever knew (or thought I wanted to) about the pesky critters. The last comment rings true, too. As much as I hate the damned things, there is a certain pleasure in truncating their already short existence. SWAT! ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/8 "2004-11-28T00:41:45Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > France. > They go to France. LOL!!! 😃 Jake ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/9 "2004-11-28T00:44:03Z")
> [@Scruloose](#): > > …I have no idea, but I wish they’d go there in the summer, too! > > ::rimshot:: > Seriously, a few answers from around the net: > > [Some hibernate, but most pass the winter in the pupal stage.](http://www.safeguardpestcontrol.co.uk/Common%20Pests/housefly.htm) > > [They burrow into anything warm… decaying wood, animal burrows, the tiniest openings around windows, barns, etc. Their metabolism slows to almost nothing, but they won’t die unless frozen solid. That’s why you’ll see flies buzzing at your windows (and between windows and screens) when you get a couple of warm days in winter.](http://www.pointask.com/pointask/f_q.php3?qid=9735) > > [A previous thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=34083) > > Maybe Cecil knows for sure… > > [sub]hint hint[/sub] Are We sure he isn’t there right now?? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-houseflies-go-in-the-winter/276581/10 "2004-11-28T06:43:03Z")
Sacre Bleu! No, seriously, thousands of places are warm 24-7 through the winter, and they have a population of houseflies all the time. (Wal\*Mart, for example) In civilization, (and civilisation, too) there is no winter for flies. We have changed nature. Robins and flies winter over now.