How does fruit flies form

This surface-feeding characteristic of the larvae is significant in that damaged or over-ripened portions of fruits and vegetables can be cut away without having to discard the remainder for fear of retaining any developing larvae.

The reproductive potential of fruit flies is enormous; given the opportunity, they will lay about eggs. The entire lifecycle from egg to adult can be completed in about a week.

Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. But they also will breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. All that is needed for development is a moist film of fermenting material. Infestations can originate from over-ripened fruits or vegetables that were previously infested and brought into the home.

The adults can also fly in from outside through inadequately screened windows and doors. Fruit flies are primarily nuisance pests.

However, they also have the potential to contaminate food with bacteria and other disease-producing organisms. The best way to avoid problems with fruit flies is to eliminate sources of attraction.

Produce which has ripened should be eaten, discarded or refrigerated. Cracked or damaged portions of fruits and vegetables should be cut away and discarded in the event that eggs or larvae are present in the wounded area.

Infestations have to start somewhere. Fruit flies move into kitchens, bathrooms, and basements if they sense a food source. Overripe fruit on the counter or any fermenting matter in drains, mops, and trash bins appeals to them. Unsuspecting homeowners may also bring these pests inside on garden crops. The smell of ripening fruit and decomposing produce attracts these insects. While fruit flies become a pest problem throughout the year, generally they are most likely to be an inside pest during the summer and fall if food is abundant.

However, they can also be a problem year-round. Determining where fruit flies come from helps with controlling an indoor infestation. To make homes less welcoming to the pests, remove fruit fly sources of food. Promptly dispose of old, decomposing produce, clean drains regularly, and wipe up drink spills.

Since fruit flies spread disease-causing bacteria, issues with these insects be serious. Make sure there are no old food scraps hanging out on your floors, countertops or trash. If a few weeks seems like too long to wait, the University of Nebraska—Lincoln offers a more aggressive solution: Fill a jar with an inch or two of warm water, a teaspoon of yeast and a small amount of sugar to activate the yeast.

Take a plastic sandwich baggie, poke a small hole in one corner of it using a sharpened pencil and stick that corner inside the top of the jar. Now secure the bag around the rim of the jar with a rubber band. Clean out the jar and start over once a week until the fruit flies are gone.

If you toss it down the sink, run your faucet for a full minute to ensure the eggs are washed away, the UNL report advises. Or you could just live with your fruit fly friends.