Are you tired of putting up with the incessant buzzing of fruit flies in your home? It is irritating to work and dine with flies hovering over your food and equipment, and it is not good for one’s health. If you are suffering from a fruit fly infestation, take some necessary steps or call an equipped professional to eliminate the flies. It is worth taking any action as fruit flies reproduce within days and result in a never-ending population.
About fruit flies
Fruit flies are one of the most common flies. Belonging to the species Drosophila melanogaster, they are also commonly known as pomace flies or vinegar flies. They are very small and range in size to about 3-4 mm. You can see fruit flies year round, but it is the spring and summer when the fruit fly population increases vigorously, and draws them into the smell of ripe fruits in any home.
Habitat
The fruit flies are abundantly found in homes, gardens, kitchens, grocery stores, and even restaurants. They love to hover over moist and decaying matter and reproduce quickly. You may have encountered large numbers of fruit flies if there is a fruit tree at your place. In addition to ripe fruits, they hover around decaying vegetables, fermenting materials like leftover soda drinks, rotting fruits, vegetables, near garbage disposals, and garbage bins.
Body
If you want to distinguish between a fruit fly and common house flies, take a look at its body structure and the color of its eyes. Fruit flies have red eyes with the tan thorax. They are black on top and gray underneath, while other house flies are far different.
Fruit fly reproduction and life cycle
The reproduction of fruit flies is quite short, only taking a few days to populate an area. As they are fond of moisture, they lay their eggs in damp areas like kitchen counters, rotting vegetables, and other decaying matter.
Like other flies, their life cycle consists of 4 stages that begin with eggs, a larval and pupal stage, and then adulthood. The female fruit fly lays around 500 eggs at a time. The eggs hatch in about 30 hours, less than 2 days, and develop into larvae. The vinegar-like liquid around hatched eggs serves as the food source, and they also consume yeast from rotting food. After 4 to 6 days, the larva develops into a pupa and then into a fruit fly. The adult flies mate within about 2 days, and hence their life cycle is finished in about 8 to 10 days, which is why one must discard the rooting food as soon as possible. If you have tried your best and they are still multiplying, it may be time to call a professional.
Fruit fly infestation signs
It is very easy to locate a fruit fly infestation as the adult flies are very apparent; if you are also seeing pupae or larvae then the issue may be one that requires an exterminator. Mature larvae turn into pupae that crawl out of the breeding spot to a dry place. You may mistake them for cockroaches, but fruit fly pupae are recognizable by a pair of horns found one side.
Are fruit flies dangerous?
The fruit flies are a health risk as they transfer germs from one place to the other. As mentioned earlier, these flies love to hover over decaying matter and ripe fruits; they can contaminate a clean surface by spreading their saliva and fecal matter on it. Their food contamination can cause food sickness if one were to eat something that has seen fruit fly activity; in the most severe cases this food poisoning can be dangerous.
The food poisoning bacteria that fruit flies can transfer from one place to the other are:
- coli
- Listeria
- Salmonella
How to prevent fruit flies?
If you want to keep fruit flies out of your place, change some of your habits and work on these preventive measures:
- Cover your food when it is not being eaten/cooked. Apart from fruit flies, other airborne germs can contaminate them.
- Clean up food/drink spills as soon as possible.
- If your trash bins are not covered, make sure they have tightly sealed lids. This applies to all trash bins, not just the one in your kitchen.
- Empty out standing water in glasses/bowls to prevent creating additional moisture in the air.
- Keep the kitchen windows closed and/or purchase bug screens to prevent them from coming in.
Fruit Flies Extermination – Final thoughts
When there are a few fruit flies, it may become possible to get rid of it yourself, but if the issue persists it is advisable to call for help. You should not allow the issue to get worse, or even the simple act of eating dinner can become a health risk. We are here to help you out of this problem. Contact us and share whatever details you can about the issue and you will not be disappointed with the results we provide.
