Do fruit flies bite?

Fruit flies cannot bite and have no teeth or mouth parts capable of puncturing skin. However, they are often confused with gnats, which can bite. Fruit flies are often found around rotting fruit, whereas gnats are typically found in wet outdoor areas.

Since fruit flies land on rotting fruit and garbage, they can carry bacteria on their feet. If infected with bacteria carried by fruit flies, people generally experience diarrhea, loose stools, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. This bacteria can also cause a rash-like allergic reaction to appear on the skin, which many people mistake as bites.