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Do It Yourself Pest Control for Fruit Flies

Fruit Fly

Also known as vinegar flies and pomace flies, fruit flies are widely distributed across the world. The most common species is Drosophila Melanogaster Meigen. Fruit flies are of concern both as nuisance pests and as contaminators of food. Large populations can build up quickly in food service establishments. Food processing plants such as wineries, pickle plants, and canneries, consider the fruit fly to be their most important pest.

Adult fruit flies are about 1/8 inch long. Their eyes are red in color, the thorax is tan, and the abdomen is black on top and gray underneath. Fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting materials, such as fruit, dirty garbage containers, rotten vegetables, or slime in drains. Minute larvae hatch from the eggs in about 30 hours and feed near the surface of the fermenting mass on which the eggs were laid. When mature, the larvae move to a drier area and pupate.

Each adult female lays approximately 500 eggs. With a period of only 9 to 12 days from egg to adult, the reproductive potential of these insects is tremendous. Very large numbers of fruit flies can seemingly appear overnight. Adult flies are strong fliers, having been known to travel as far as 6-1/2 miles within a 24-hour period. Populations tend to build during the summer, becoming very abundant at harvest time. Indoor, fruit flies are frequently active all year long. They are attracted to any number of materials, including ripened fruit and vegetables, fermenting products, empty soda or juice bottles and cans, drains and garbage disposal areas, and any area where moisture has collected, including mops and cleaning rags.

Prevention
Here are a few tips to prevent fruit flies from invading your space:

  • Don’t keep fruit or vegetables until it over ripens or rots.
  • Clean garbage disposal daily.
  • Clean inside trash cans regularly.
  • Keep drains clean.
  • Repair tile where grout is missing. Fruit flies like to lay eggs in cracks in tile.
  • Do not leave damp mops inside.

Control
Space spray or ULV aerosol (foggers) pest control products such as Pro Control Total Release or eco-friendly pest control products like EcoPCO ACU are very effective indoors. Applied over an area as a fog, mist, aerosol, or wet spray, they are valuable in reducing or eliminating adult fruit fly populations. Non-toxic pest control traps such as Vector 960 Fruit Fly Trap or Natural Catch Plus are also extremely effective.  Fly larvae may be controlled in breeding material by applying liquid residual pest control products like Suspend SC or Onslaught to the material.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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