Monday, September 21, 2009

Where do flies go when it rains?

Im back in the lab (where Im usually at when I update this blog) and noticed a tiny fly buzzing around the window...desperate to get out. Normally I would let the poor creature out and let it fly, "fly up and away"...back into the freedom of the wilderness. However, it is raining cats and dogs outside today, and I figured it was safer for the bug to stay indoors (Yes, I made that executive decision).

But this tiny winged animal had me wondering...where are all the flies when its raining? Do they gather up in special caves? Do they hide somewhere? First I thought of rocks and places they could crawl under...But everytime its raining, the rocks get flooded...right? So the bugs would drown underneath them. I mean...this is why worms crawl up and out of the soil during rain, cause the tunnels get flooded.

Then I thought about leaves. Perhaps they sit underneath the leaves on the trees...which I guess could be possible. There are still leaves on the trees, although they will probably fall off pretty soon...but what about the wind? Rain usually comes with a great deal of wind (like today)...so...won't the bugs fall off? Or at least get wet? And if their wings get wet, wont they drown?

You may be reading this (if you havent left the page already) and wonder why the heck you should keep reading this...and I wont blame you for leaving...I just seriously want to know the answer. So if you are a zoologist (Im afraid Im only a biologist...ecologist...and microbiologist) or just have a general deep facination for bugs, please give me a shoutout.

Cause the way I see it...Rain may suck balls some times, and we get irritated and annoyed by the need to walk around with an umbrella, or a raincoat...
But for a fly...Rain is Armageddon.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Unknown said...

Where do flies go when it's windy?( to windy to "fly")

Pete said...

Easy :
When it Rains they get out there Umberellas & when its very windy they put on their coats.

Unknown said...

Was wondering the same myself.they seem to be everywhere in the home bussing around lampshades and always two or three chasing each other in that triangular criss cross pattern. Then it rains and suddenly gone. I read they hide in cracks in the wall or floor or where they think its warm until they come out from hiding. Creepy but were all on this earth for a reason. Big or little.

Unknown said...

Was wondering the same myself.they seem to be everywhere in the home bussing around lampshades and always two or three chasing each other in that triangular criss cross pattern. Then it rains and suddenly gone. I read they hide in cracks in the wall or floor or where they think its warm until they come out from hiding. Creepy but were all on this earth for a reason. Big or little.

Anonymous said...

http://www.ask.com/pets-animals/flies-rains-1736fb118dc198ff

Anonymous said...

That was the best google answer I could find...
So maybe cracks in the walls of buildings inside mufflers of vehicles... Places like that