Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are small size flies often seen in late summer or fall in and around the kitchens. Fruit flies will find ripened or rotting or fermenting fruits and vegetables outdoors as well as indoors. They will feed on this and lay eggs on and around this.

Biology and Behavior

Wherever there is fruit or vegetables rotting there could be fruit flies. Such locations could be a home, a restaurant, or grocery store where an adult may have flown into and have laid eggs. An adult Fruit Fly would be about 1/8 inch long with red eyes. Fruit flies will lay their eggs near surfaces where there is rotting foods, moisture or other organic substance that they can feed upon. The larvae will feed on the fermenting substances. The larvae will feed merely on the surface and will not dig a deep hole into a fruit. Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs. The Fruit Fly lifecycle, from egg to adult, is completed in about 7 days.

Prevention

Locate and remove organic material on which these pests can feed upon. It could be under or behind refrigerator, under the sink or in a recycling bin. Keep your door and window screens in good order.