by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

You might have heard a rumor that flies spit or throw-up on everything they land on. Unfortunately, this yucky myth is mostly true, at least when it comes to house flies.

Because these flies’ mouths are not made for chewing, they only eat liquids. So, when a house fly wants to eat some food that needs chewing, it deposits a special spit-like substance on the desired food, which then turns the solid into a liquid so they can drink it up! 

While some experts say these flies will regurgitate this spit every time they land, others say they only do it when they land on something they’re interested in eating, and so they don’t necessarily spit every time they land. 

However, whether or not they spit each time they land, it’s still better to stay away from areas or foods with lots of flies nearby just in case they have been using their special spit. Plus, flies often hang out in dirty places and sometimes they bring other germs along with them, even if they don’t spit. Eeeww!

Fly Facts!