# Why do housefiles love people? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557 "2013-10-07T03:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/1 "2013-10-07T03:17:14Z")
I’ve got one of those big end of the season flies buzzing around inside my house. I would think the kitchen and the half full trash can would provide him with far more entertainment than me , but no, he continues to buzz my head and tries to get close to me at the other end of the house. I shave and shower and don’t think I smell like a good bet for fly (vs the trash can) , but still he persists. I will eventually get annoyed enough to stalk and kill him, but am letting him alone for now as my back is giving me trouble. Why? Are flies lonely? Do they want company? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/2 "2013-10-07T03:20:08Z")
just the minutest odor of rot and decay can attack them, far less then you can notice. rot and they will come. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/3 "2013-10-07T03:23:02Z")
I don’t know the answer to your question, but I do know that when I have flies buzzing around in the kitchen, and I go get the flyswatter out so I can smack them, they will all mysteriously disappear. So maybe get the flyswatter and keep it nearby and they won’t bother you. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/4 "2013-10-07T04:27:49Z")
I think it wants to either eat you, drink your blood, or lay eggs under your skin. It’s nothing personal. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/5 "2013-10-07T06:17:18Z")
Because we are warm and are a source of protein, which they require to breed. They are like flying vacuum cleaners and can only suck up stuff off our skin or from our tears to help them along. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/6 "2013-10-07T08:56:43Z")
Nothing to add, but having the exact same experience. I feel like Pig-pen. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/7 "2013-10-07T09:06:11Z")
She wants to lay her eggs in you. I suspect the flies that follow people indoors are different from the flies buzzing around the garbage. Every fly that I’ve squashed indoors has had… Go squash one and see for yourself, but make sure you have a strong stomach first. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/8 "2013-10-07T13:45:58Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Go squash one and see for yourself, but make sure you have a strong stomach first. I must know. I have no handy fly. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/9 "2013-10-07T16:48:29Z")
maggots crawl out ---
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/10 "2013-10-08T16:29:58Z")
I’d say it’s because we’re all full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![tadtooornamental](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tadtooornamental](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tadtooornamental)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/11 "2013-10-09T02:03:59Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > maggots crawl out Seriously? I have never, in my entire life, had this happen. And I’m somewhat of an ace with a flyswatter. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/12 "2013-10-09T02:14:14Z")
If you are very quiet, I bet you can hear his high-pitched voice yelling, “Help mee!! Helllp mee!!” ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/13 "2013-10-09T03:16:37Z")
> [@tadtooornamental](#): > > Seriously? I have never, in my entire life, had this happen. And I’m somewhat of an ace with a flyswatter. Do you inspect the fly after it’s squashed? I’ll try and get a video the next time I kill one, but that may not happen for a while. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/14 "2013-10-09T03:45:47Z")
Flies lay eggs. What flies bear live maggots? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/15 "2013-10-09T03:58:06Z")
He may want salt from your sweat. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/16 "2013-10-09T06:56:00Z")
I don’t know about in-house flies, but I’ve gotten the vague impression that outdoor flies, encountered on the hiking trails, seem to be territorial. (Maybe even protecting their territory?) What I’ve noticed is that a big horsefly-like critter will harass me by buzzing around, and following me along the trail for a ways. But after following me for a short way, they will leave (or maybe stay behind). I’ve gotten the impression that they stay within a short distance of their “home territory” and will be less likely to continue chasing you once you leave their turf. The above is all just a rather vague impression I’ve often gotten from the behavior of flies in the wild. I don’t know if it would apply to your typical indoor domesticated pet houseflies. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/17 "2013-10-09T08:06:50Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Flies lay eggs. What flies bear live maggots? I know, yet I’ve seen them crawling out. I can’t figure it out myself. ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/18 "2013-10-09T08:38:47Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Flies lay eggs. What flies bear live maggots? Flesh flies? > [@](#): > > Instead of laying eggs, flesh flies give birth to live maggots, which are either deposited or dropped mid-air. I was once standing in a motel room in Costa Rica and a flesh fly deposited a larva on my arm. Within less than a minute the larvae began to attempt to bore into my skin. Quote taken from here: [http://insectexpertphd.com/flies.aspx](http://insectexpertphd.com/flies.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-housefiles-love-people/670557/19 "2013-10-09T09:04:10Z")
On my jogging route is a field covered in cow pats with clouds of flies above them. As I run through, all of the flies chase after me, to the point where I will have a vast cloud of, certainly hundreds, possibly thousands, of flies chasing me. If I let them catch me they just buzz around me and don’t really do anything. Evidently I must smell more like shit than a cow shit.