Why do dead animals carcasses cause flies?

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Yes, and plenty of them! One of the most common problems when an animal dies in your home is the flies that it attracts, and often this is the blow fly, an animal well known for being able to track down a dead carcass from miles away.



These flies look a little bit like a bluebottle, except they're green usually, but that's not the only fly that will join the party when a dead animal is in town. These flies collectively work together (by accident) to spread disease, and this is what makes them — and the dead animal — very dangerous together.

Once a fly has walked over a disease animal, they are then carrying that disease on their feet, so to speak. If that same fly were to fly into your home or around your BBQ and the burgers you have just cooked up, and then walk across it, any diseases that were present are now on your food. That's why you shouldn't let flies get in your home.

As well as the threat of spreading disease, certain flies can even leave larvae and eggs in your food, and this will make you rather poorly if you then ingest them. They turn up within an hour of a body becoming available, if you like, and their main job or purpose is to make sure that carcasses are cleaned up. Some eat, some lay eggs, some work as a signal for other scavengers to join the party too.

If you have suddenly experienced a huge increase of flies in your home, green or otherwise, there is a good chance that you have rotting something close by, and if that isn't rotting food, there's a very good chance that it could be a rotting animal.

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does dead animal removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of dead animals - my main dead animal removal info guide.
Example dead animal removal photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Dead animal job blog - learn from great examples of dead animal jobs I've done.