Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are widely distributed over the world. They are both a concern and a nuisance. They can contaminate food as well as be pesky while flying around your home, mostly in kitchens and bathrooms around sinks or anything with moisture built up.

Large populations of these flies can certainly build up rather quickly in food service establishments. It takes very little for a fruit fly to claim your kitchen as their home. They only require a moist area of fermenting stuff. These things are, but not limited to: ripened fruits or vegetables, drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash bags or cleaning rags and mops.

Fruit flies lay their eggs up to 500 at a time! When the larvae hatch, they feed on the moist surface too. Because they only feed on the surface, you probably won’t eat any of these insects if you just toss out the damaged or over ripened parts of fruit or veggies. Because they require a period of only 9 to 12 days to develop from egg to adult, their reproductive potential is tremendous. Very large numbers of them may appear in a short time.

Adult flies are strong fliers. They have been known to travel as far as 6 1/2 miles within a 24 hour period. These flies tend to populate & build during the summer, becoming very abundant at harvest time.

Fruit flies are frequently active indoors at all times of the year. They are readily attracted to any number of materials, especially that of moisture. Because these flies are so teeny, it is very easy for them to sneak into your home as adults through window and door screens or on fruit as larvae.

According to the Organic Lessons website, here are 6 ways to get rid of gnats and fruit flies at home:

1. Create a trap by mixing apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap.
2. Another home made trap is to pour left over red wine into a jar.
3. Mash up banana slices in a jar and cover the top with plastic wrap.
4. Pour bleach solution into the bathroom sink. Warning; do not mix bleach with ammonia.
5. Use an insect fogging product if you are dealing with a large-scale infestation.
6. Place rotten fruits into a jar to attract the gnats and fruit flies.

These are just a few ways to help rid of these pesky flies. Another help would be trying not to keep wet rags or mops lying around, as well as any other moisture filled item.