The disgusting reason you should never eat food a fly landed on
The natural instinct when flies buzz around food is to shoo them away, but it turns out we’re still underestimating how much of a health threat flies are.
In a recent survey by Orkin, 300 participants were asked which pest would stop them eating if they saw it in a restaurant: Rodents, cockroaches, flies, ants or snakes? The majority of participants chose cockroaches, with 61 per cent saying they would flee if they saw a cockroach. Flies received a mere 3 per cent of votes.
But scientists say the real threat comes from flies, which carry twice as many germs as other insects. Flies commonly carry over 200 different forms of bacteria on their bodies.
“Many restaurant patrons may not be aware that houseflies are twice as filthy as cockroaches,” said Orkin entomologist and Technical Services Director Ron Harrison. “It is important that everyone understands the magnitude of the health threats flies pose so that he or she can help prevent the transmission of dangerous diseases and bacteria.”
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