How high can a fly fly?

Ever wonder why flies aren't at altitudes where airliners fly? Today we're going to discuss how high flies can fly in this Moment of Science. read more

Most insects can fly as long as they are in air that’s about fifty degrees Fahrenheit, or warmer. If the air temperature at ground level is about seventy degrees, insects have about thirty-six hundred feet before they hit the ceiling and it’s too cold. read more

« Reply #7 on: 04/08/2009 16:23:49 » This morning I was trying to take aerial photos with a model airplane, and this a fly hit the lens about 600 ft up. read more

At high altitudes, insect flyers face the same challenges confronted by birds: "low temperature, low oxygen and low air density," Dillon told Live Science in an email. "Small insects can't regulate body temperature independent of their surroundings," Dillon explained. read more