Unlike mosquitoes or black flies, they don’t bite us.
Depending on our household hygiene, they’re unlikely to be carrying much in the way of contamination when they land on our plates.
Unlike certain moths, they don’t destroy our winter clothing.
They don’t even get in our eyes.
But they really can drive us nuts! Especially when they’re inside the house.
They make a point of letting us know they’re present, just by the whirring wings and flashes at the edge of our vision. When they land, it’s often to tease us, staying just out of range of the swatter, once we’ve grabbed one.
They seem to be nosy about whatever we’re trying to do or even eat.
Somehow, they’ll even show up in winter or at least on a day of thawing.
And some people think “getting a buzz on” is a good idea?
I suspect that ultimately houseflies stir up feelings we have about certain individuals in our lives but don’t dare admit to ourselves, much less express openly.
Which brings up a related question. Why is a successful “thwack!” so satisfying?
Jnana's Red Barn 