Critter Guide :: Insects & Arachnids :: Fly A housefly is a common pest and disease carrier. It's hard to make friends when you lay eggs in garbage and manure, leaving germs behind. The housefly does have excellent eyesight, with thousands of lenses that give it multi-angle vision in all directions! Even though houseflies can see well and have a great sense of smell, they still have to land on things in order to taste. Where do they live? Houseflies live all over the world. They usually live for only one month. What do they eat? The common diet of a housefly seems to be garbage and waste. Houseflies have no mouths, so they release liquid from their stomachs onto their food. When the nutrients in the food are dissolved, the fly sucks up the liquid. The germs left behind by the housefly's meal can be dangerous and carry serious diseases such as typhoid and tuberculosis. These germs are also spread by the fly's sticky feet. Critter Fact Houseflies don't always want to stay in your house. They can fly as far as 13 miles away from where they are born. Did You Know? Females lay around 100 eggs at a time; all the eggs will hatch in one day!

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