Did you ever feel that when you see some fruit flies being annoyed in your kitchen or garbage container, your skin starts itching? You are not the only one. This peculiar feeling is common among many people who most of the time have the question as to what is causing it. Although fruit flies on their own are not harmful, the reaction you experience with an itchy sensation may be as much related to your mind and the situations around you as it is with the insect.
Here in this article we are going to learn why we get this feeling, the psychology and the physiology behind it, and do we in fact face any real danger about fruit flies? We will also see how this reaction can be contained and fruit flies be prevented in the house.
The Fruit Fly Insights
Fruit flies also called Drosophila melanogaster refers to a small insect that can be seen around fruits and vegetables that are either ripe or decaying. They respond to sweet food and fermenting products and kitchens and garbage are their most preferable hangout. Although they never bite or sting, their effect can be irritating particularly with the rapid multiplication.
Is the Itch a Real or Psychological Thing?
The prickly feelings, which some individuals experience as a result of seeing fruit flies, could be a real condition, though the reason could be psychological as opposed to a physical one. This is called formication; a tactile hallucination that imparts a feeling that insects are crawling on or beneath your skin. It is a kind of psychosomatic reaction, when the brain provokes a physical effect to the visual reaction.
When you notice fruit flies, most of all when there is an abundance of them, your brain is going to connect them with dirt, contamination or infestation. The condition can arouse psychological effect that consists of an itching feeling, although nothing in fact is prodding your skin.
The Power of Suggestion there is no Imagination
Power of suggestion can be regarded as one of the most frequent answers to why people get itchy when they see insects. Even the sight of bugs, or the mention of them by another person is enough to make your brain start to think that something is crawling on you. Your brain responds almost immediately and your body responds through making your skin itchy.
This is even augmented by the imagination in other instances. Your mind might go into hyperdrive collecting information and broadcasting it to other parts of your body, no matter how harmless insects are, like the fruit flies, when you have recently seen a documentary about parasites, an article about infestations, or were involved in some traumatic situation with insects in the past.
Environmental Irritants and allergies
Even though in most cases, the psychological factor appears to be the most likely, it may also occur that you have a mild allergic reaction or irritation, associated with the environment, where the fruit flies exist. Infested areas, which harbor flies and fruit flies, could be littered up with mold spores, fermented organic food or other sources of allergies leading to itching.
To give an example, say, fruit flies are swarming over a piece of fruit that was allowed to go moldy or some wet and dirty surface, the air-borne particles that are present in such an environment may offend your skin or nose or throat. The itchiness in this case is actually not caused by the fruit flies but the unhygienic environment that invited them.
Skin Sensitive and Pre Existing Conditions
Individuals whose skin is sensitive or individuals with some dermatological troubles such as eczema or dermatitis might tend to itch more prevalently. To these people, the change in the environment like temperature, moisture, or allergies can cause an outbreak. Such alterations could be accompanied by the occurrence of fruit flies, which indirectly provide the feeling.
At most the people may even develop sensitive responses to insect particles such as the fine hairs or wings of flies blown into the air in infested zones. This is not common but this might be one of the reasons why some people would have feelings of being itchy when there are fruit flies.
Stress and Anxiety as Promoters
Physical symptoms are known to be caused by stress and anxiety and itching of the skin is one of them. The emergence of fruit flies may be stressful when they are out of the blue or when they exist in high numbers. This may lead to fight or flight mode, when your body responds to an unperceived danger with releasing adrenaline and other substances. Among the side effects of this reaction is the fact that the skin becomes more sensitive and itchy.
Anxious individuals also tend to have more bodily awareness, meaning they are easier to detect slight sensations unlike other people who simply ignore them. Itch occurs, which would otherwise be unnoticed, and this becomes amplified whereby one tends to scratch and becomes uncomfortable.
Can It Be Harmful to be Itchy around Fruit Flies?
The itches around the fruit flies are in most cases harmless and short lived. But regular or intensified itching may show a stronger problem, e.g. allergy, low air quality in the tents, or even psychological ground. In case the itching is persistent or contains rash it makes sense to see a health care provider in order to exclude underlying causes.
It is also notable that fruit flies in general are not harmful but can transport bacteria as well as pathogens on a contaminated surface to food. Keep environment clean and therefore prevent the invasion of fruit flies, and avoid the concomitant problems such as food poisoning.
Fruit fly Infestations Prevention
You can keep fruit flies out of your house to avoid inconvenience but it may help to eliminate itchy feeling and allergic reaction. The following are some major tips:
- Fruits and vegetables which are overripe should be discarded immediately.
- Empty garbage bins and drains.
- Put food in metal or plastic containers.
- To get rid of flies, set up traps using apple cider vinegar.
- Keep the kitchen hygienic and dry.
You eliminate the breeding sites of fruit flies and this minimizes the likelihood of their sighting and subsequent development of the itchy sensation.
Psychological Coping Methods
In case the feeling of itchiness is largely mental, one can train mindfulness or apply cognitive behavioral strategies. It is possible to lessen the severity of the sensation by going to realize that you are probably reacting due to suggestions. Your body can also reset its reaction due to relaxation techniques or deep breathing or stepping out of the area.
More severe cases, particularly those that result in skin damage due to itching or cause suffering, may be treated by a therapist or counselor to aid in dealing with the sensory anxiety.
Conclusion
The sensation of itchiness that arises after one sights fruit flies is quite a normal phenomenon that is psychologically, environmentally, and at some point, even biologically, hybrid. Although fruit flies themselves have no irritating effects on the skin or in the form of bites, their appearance can build various physical and psychological responses: starting with simple distractions and ending with a deep discomfort.
It is important to realize that a large portion of this reaction is triggered by what your brain thinks is happening which allows you to better balance it. Having a clean living environment and knowing how to monitor psychological cue will definitely help a long way to deterring invasion of fruit flies apart from your response to the same. Should the situation not improve or get worse, then do not be weak, consult a doctor or a psychologist to help in the right direction and feel better.
