Pest Guide for Fruit Flies
Fruit flies get their name from their strong attraction to ripening or rotting fruit. These little flies can seem to appear out of nowhere and once they’re in your home, they’re tough to get rid of. If you have a fruit fly issue, we suggest contacting our pest control experts. We can assess your situation and take care of your problem.
Appearance
Unlike house flies, fruit flies are very small – most are around 3-4 millimeters long. While they’re tough to see, these flies have bright red eyes (though sometimes they can be darker) and appear to be brown or tan in color. Female fruit flies are capable of laying more than 500 eggs in decaying organic matter and they breed rapidly, which is why it’s important to get rid of them at the first sign of an infestation.
Habits
Fruit flies don’t have one true habitat and can be found nearly anywhere there is food. This includes your home, a grocery store, a restaurant, and more. While they’re most noticeable in the summer and fall, you can find fruit flies year-round around fruits and vegetables or in drains, garbage disposals, trash containers, and even in empty beer or soda cans.
Infestation Prevention
Once you have a fruit fly infestation, it can be very difficult to get rid of them. That’s why the best thing to do is prevent them from becoming a problem in the first place. Since fruit flies feed on ripened or rotting fruits and vegetables, keep your produce as fresh as possible (it’s a good idea to keep it in the refrigerator). When your produce starts to go bad, make sure you get rid of it quickly so you don’t give fruit flies a place to feed or breed.
Also make sure you empty your garbage and your recycling bins on a regular basis. If you do find yourself with an infestation, give us a call. We can help get rid of it for you.
