Honey as a living flytrap
The story’s practical logic is simple: flies are drawn to sweet smells, and honey is sticky enough to hold them once they land. A person coated in honey could therefore act as bait, drawing insects away from the pharaoh. The tactic would not make flies disappear; it would concentrate them somewhere less bothersome to the ruler.
That is the explanation behind the often-repeated tale about Pepi II. It describes a court trying to solve an ordinary irritation with the resources and hierarchy of a royal household: one person’s comfort came at another person’s expense. The stark detail of a naked, honey-smeared servant is also why the story has endured.
A vivid anecdote, not a window into every day
The account is best treated as a reported court anecdote, not proof that Pepi II constantly used this method. It captures a plausible principle of insect control, but the colorful image alone cannot establish how often the practice occurred or whether it worked well. Honey might attract flies, yet it could also draw them close to the very person meant to keep them away.
The memorable point is the proposed tradeoff: rather than repel every fly, the method would redirect their attention. Its effectiveness depended on the bait being more tempting than the pharaoh—and on someone else bearing the sticky consequences.
