Can House Flies Bite?
No, house flies (Musca domestica) do not bite people. Their mouthparts are adapted for sponging and lapping up liquids, not for piercing skin. Instead of biting, they feed by secreting digestive enzymes onto solid food to liquefy it, then sucking it up through their proboscis.
However, while house flies don’t bite, they can still be a serious nuisance and pose health risks. Because they frequently land on garbage, feces, and decaying matter before touching food or surfaces, they can spread pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella. This makes them a common vector for foodborne illnesses and contamination in homes and businesses.
If someone feels a “bite” from what seems like a house fly, it may actually be from a biting fly species that looks similar, such as:
Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) – closely resemble house flies but have sharp, piercing mouthparts and feed on blood.
Black flies, horse flies, or deer flies – these also bite and draw blood.
Do House Flies Bite?
House flies (Musca domestica) are not capable of biting people under any circumstance. Their mouthparts are specifically designed for sponging and lapping up liquids, not for piercing or cutting skin. Because of this anatomical limitation, true biting simply cannot occur, regardless of how close or persistent these flies become.
House flies never bite, but if you’re experiencing painful or itchy spots after contact with flies, it’s almost certainly due to stable flies or another biting species.