1.          True flies are insects that belong to the order Diptera (originating from Greek di=two, and ptera=wing)

2.       True flies are the only insects with two wings; all others have four

3.       True flies are written as two words, for example “house fly,” as  opposed to “dragonfly”

4.       There are over 120 thousand different species of true flies known to man

5.       Some flies can lay up to 3 thousand eggs in their lifetime

6.       Flies can beat their wings 200 times every second

7.       Flies can travel up to 300 times the length of their body in one second. A plane traveling at the speed of sound only travels 100 times its length

8.       14 cows were introduced into Australia in 1788. The descendants of these cows have multiplied to over 20 million. With each cow generating up to 12 pads a day and an estimated 2,000 flies emerging from each pad, it isn’t any wonder that Australia is dealing with fly problems

9.       Female house flies may produce more than 150 eggs with each cycle and go through several cycles over the course of a few days

10.   Fly larva may hatch from the eggs within 24 hours

11.   Flies can begin reproducing 36 hours after exiting the pupa (where transformation from a maggot to a fly occurs)

12.   Without any natural predators, the offspring of two flies would cover the earth 8 feet deep within a year

13.   The life span of a house fly is approximately 21 days

14.   Flies do not grow; they are full size at birth. A fly that is small is not still growing, but didn’t consume as much food in its larva stage

15.   The average house fly carries 2 million bacteria on its tiny body. Think about that next time one is swarming around your dinner

16.   The female fly normally lays eggs on its food

17.   Flies poop every couple of minutes

18.   The foot of a house fly is 10 thousand times more sensitive to sugar than your tongue. They also use their feet to taste food

19.   They do not have teeth; therefore, they can only eat liquefied foods

20.   Flies have a straw-like suction tool called a proboscis that they use to slurp up meals

21.   Flies vomit up digestive enzymes from their stomach contents to break down solid food so it may be liquefied enough for consumption through their straw-like mouths

22.   House fly maggots consume dead flesh and rotting trash

23.   Scientists have never been successful in teaching anything to the fly. In fact, it is believed that the fly is possibly the only insect that cannot learn

24.   It takes 20 thousand watts of energy to run a car 40 mph. A fly produces one-tenth of a milliwatt, therefore, it would take 200 million trained flies to pull a car at a constant speed of 40 mph

25.   It would take almost 5 million flies to lift a 110 pound human

26.   The common house fly can fly up to 6 thousand feet high on a hot day

27.   House Flies can move as fast as five miles per hour

28.   A house fly’s eye contains 4,000 lenses

Check back soon for more facts on the Bot-Fly and the Horse-Fly…..

*facts obtained from Ruth Jeffers Pet & Equine. Glueboard does not vouch for the authenticity of these facts but has no reason to doubt them.