Ask the Exterminator

Got Pests?

Ask The Exterminator provides expert advice for your pest control problems. Browse our categories of exterminator expertise and contact us with questions.


RSS Feed
Email this article
Printer friendly page


Where Do Fruit Flies Come From?


Summary: Fruit flies are common pests of kitchens, but where do fruit flfies come from? The short answer is that fruit flies breed in any forgotten place where food material has slipped between cracks to decompose or where fruit has been left out too long.

James R; Johnstown, PA asks: I getting a lot of fruit flies in my kitchen during the summer. Where do fruit flies come from?

Dear James: To answer your question, "Where do fruit flies come from?", my suggestion would be that the fruit flies are coming in to your home on the fruits and vegetables that you are bringing in from the garden, grocery store or farmer's market. It's very common for this to occur during the warm summer weather.

Wash your fruits and vegetables when you bring them into the house. You can use a product like Veggie Wash if you are worried about removing waterproof pesticides. Or, refrigerate them. Either way, you want to remove the breeding source for the flies.

Ripe, soft fruits like bananas, peaches, pineapple and strawberries are some of the most frequent breeding sources for fruit flies. Once you remove the

Fruit_fly.jpg
Fruit fly on bowl
breeding source the fruit flies will be gone within hours. They have a very short life span so you won't see lots of breeding adult flies if they have nothing to eat or nothing to lay their eggs in.

A quick shot of any flying insect killer like Raid Flying Insect Killer will also do the trick for the adult flies. But, if you don't get rid of the breeding source you'll have the flies back in full force within a day or so.

Comments

Brenda Eisenberger
28 Jul 2008, 13:30
I have a problem with fruit flies in and near my bird cage only in the summer months. What is a safe and effective way to rid of them and keep them at bay?
Ask The Exterminator
28 Jul 2008, 13:57
Clean, clean and clean. Any type of "filth" fly, including fruit flies, love decomposing matter. When the birds do their "business" it creates an environment conducive to fly development.

Do not allow moisture to accumulate at the bottom of the cage. Freshen water supplies often. Vacuum spilled seed.

If you are feeding your pets fruit, be sure to wash it before putting it in their cage. Fruit flies are especially active in warm months and can easily be brought indoors on vegetables and fresh fruits.
Mike Renna
09 Oct 2008, 16:45
You say the breeding source is the bananas / fruit. Are they (the eggs, laid on the skin of the bananas when in the field?) coming into the house on the fruit? Or they just grow on the bananas after coming in from some other way?
Ask the Exterminator
09 Oct 2008, 17:15
Fruit flies like ripe or rotting fruit. If you bring home bruised fruit from the market it is possible it will carry breeding fruit flies.

Most times, fruit flies simply find their way inside via opening and closing doors. They are highly sensitive to smells of decaying fruit and are attracted from distances.
walt
26 Oct 2008, 21:08
put a 1/2 cup of cider vineger with a drop of detergent in it and you will kill your pests. The cider will attract them and the detergent will make it so the surface of the liquid will not hold them.
*Name:
Email:
Notify me about new comments on this page
Hide my email
*Text:
Security Image:

Visual CAPTCHA


 

Categories: