Did You Know...?
By Susan
@HazySue (39268)
Gouverneur, New York
August 11, 2016 5:06pm CST
Did you know flies are deaf. That's right, that can't hear a thing. It tends to make one wonder how they know when you are sneaking u[ behind them with a fly swatter in your hand.
I know, I become fascinated by the strangest things. Really, I was just moving around on the internet when this little fact grabbed my attention.
Flies also live for about 30 days. They may not live long but they sure do make pests of themselves while the are here. Not only that, during this thirty day lifespan they manage to lay between 400 to 600 little fly eggs.
While their hearing may be non existent, their smelling to quite good. They can smell a tasty morsel up to 750 yards away. A garbage can, with a little trash hanging out in it, can become the breeding ground of about 30,000 flies.
I may not want them around but I do think they have a few fascinating qualities. None that I want to experience up close and personal though.
12 people like this
12 responses
@moffittjc (121612)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Aug 16
Many, many years ago, I had read in a book (maybe it was a science book at school) that if it wasn't for flies, the entire earth would be covered in a layer of poop several inches thick! Thank goodness those pesky flies are attracted to that sort of thing!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121612)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Aug 16
@HazySue Somebody (or in this case, some thing) has to eat all our garbage and waste! Might as well be the flies! lol
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
22 Aug 16
@moffittjc I guess so, I know I'm not volunteering for the job.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
15 Aug 16
@moffittjc what a gross and fascinating thought. They are good for something then.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (167071)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Aug 16
Yuck! Sure glad they aren't around any longer than they are.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (167071)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Aug 16
@HazySue ......Luckily we haven't had many this year.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
15 Aug 16
@celticeagle that is a blessing.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
12 Aug 16
@celticeagle they may not live long but they sure do get around.
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
12 Aug 16
I didn't know that flies can'r hear .. thanks for the info 
.. But now I'm thinking why do people say " it would be interesting to be 'the fly' on the wall " when they wonder what other people say behind closed doors?.. What do they expect to hear if flies can't hear? .
.. But now I'm thinking why do people say " it would be interesting to be 'the fly' on the wall " when they wonder what other people say behind closed doors?.. What do they expect to hear if flies can't hear? .1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
13 Aug 16
@HazySue This afternoon, my husband said that "I would like to be the fly on the wall" when we were talking about a couple .. And I started laughing because I remember your post that flies can't hear .. so I said, "you would be wasting your time because if you're a fly, you can't hear a thing!"...
I wonder if cockroaches can hear?.. 
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
15 Aug 16
@epiffanie That is funny. I say that too, now that I know flies can't hear I guess I won't say it anymore. I don't know. It's an interesting question.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50288)
• United States
15 Aug 16
I didn't realize that they were deaf
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50288)
• United States
16 Aug 16
@HazySue glad you wrote about it.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
15 Aug 16
@Tampa_girl7 I didn't either, I guess that's why I felt moved to make a post about it.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
12 Aug 16
don't reckon i knew there were deaf neither. but, they've purty good eyesight from what i understand, lol.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
12 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx it must be the eyesight that saves them.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
12 Aug 16
@HazySue i chased one 'round the house most'f the day...'til 't finally met 'ts fate. danged thingy kept landin' 'n my glasses whilst i was tryin' to sew bindin' 'n a quilt. most annoyin'...
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
15 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx they are a nuisance I guess that's why they are called pests.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7084)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
11 Aug 16
Great. Now I'll be dwelling on the thought of that garbage can with 50,000 maggots. Or however many. LOL. I didn't know they can't hear. You'd think that would give us an advantage, but they seem to get away a lot.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
12 Aug 16
@CinnamonGrl you would think so and yet they keep on outnumbering us.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Aug 16
I certainly never thought about it! Tyey may not be able to hear but it's still hard to creep up on them.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
12 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts you would think being deaf would make them easier to swat.
@rina110383 (24492)
•
12 Aug 16
Those are interesting facts about flies. Thank you for sharing it.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
12 Aug 16
@rina110383 I am not a fly lover but I do like new facts and trivia.
1 person likes this
@Haffie34 (67)
• United Kingdom
15 Aug 16
Wow, I didn't know that! I love reading or hearing about strange facts, and the things you find out are mind boggling. I used to watch Planet Earth with my family when I was younger, because there are so many fascinating things to find out!
1 person likes this
