Buzz
Common fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are attracted to decaying fruit, and once they invade, it can feel like they're impossible to get rid of. Sylvie Bouchard/ShutterstockFruit flies are frustrating. All you wanted was to leave your fruit on the counter during the summer heat — or maybe just let the dishes sit for a couple of days, like any normal person would — but instead, fruit flies start feasting on your overripe produce, hosting tiny dance parties in your sink drain and fruit bowl, and multiplying endlessly. Before long, a swarm of sluggish little bugs hovers at eye level in your kitchen, and you, my friend, are dealing with a full-blown fruit fly invasion. Do fruit flies care about your comfort or peace of mind? Of course not. They can easily slip into your home through even the smallest gaps in a screen door.
On the plus side, fruit flies (genus Drosophila) don't pose much of a health threat. Unlike mosquitoes, they don't bite or transmit disease. In fact, they’ve contributed immensely to our understanding of genetics. Thanks to their rapid reproductive cycles, scientists have used fruit flies as key subjects in genetic evolution studies — allowing them to observe changes in just 30 years that would take 200 years to see in mice!
Yet, even if you acknowledge a fruit fly's role in scientific advancement, that probably doesn’t make it any less annoying when one flies up your nose while you’re loading the dishwasher.
Methods for Eradicating Fruit Flies
So, how do you eliminate the dreaded fruit fly infestation? It might be simpler than you think to trap and remove them from your home.
- Verify they're truly fruit flies. Many small creatures could invade your home, such as fungus gnats that are drawn to houseplants or drain flies that breed in your plumbing. But fruit flies are fairly easy to identify: They’re tiny, around the size of a small mosquito (about 0.03 inches or 1 millimeter in length), usually black or brown with red eyes and small, round wings.
- Cool down your home. While it may not be the most energy-efficient solution, lowering your home's temperature could help reduce the fruit fly population. Female fruit flies live longer in cooler temperatures but lay more eggs when it's warmer. At 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius), a fruit fly can lay 30 to 50 eggs a day, leading to hundreds of offspring in their 10-12 day life [source: Spruce].
- Avoid leaving rotting fruit around. Fruit flies are particularly drawn to alcohol, which is why they’re often seen near a warm beer or wine. They are especially attracted to sweet fruits that ferment quickly in warm conditions. Fruit flies feed on and lay eggs in fermented substances, so to prevent them, get rid of any overripe fruit and keep fruit juices off counters. Another option is to store your fruit in the refrigerator during the hot months [source: Spruce].
- Maintain a clean kitchen. Without decaying fruit, fruit flies will settle for other organic matter, such as a stinky sponge, dirty mop heads, or whatever might be lurking in your garbage disposal or trash can. Frequently changing absorbent cleaning tools and taking out your trash more often can help [source: Spruce].
- Keep air circulating. Although fruit flies are skilled flyers, they need still air to land. If your kitchen is overrun with fruit flies, placing a fan on the counter may help keep them away or at least prevent them from settling on potential food sources. While it's nice to open the windows for fresh air, remember that fruit flies can slip through small holes in the screen, so keep windows closed to avoid letting in more uninvited guests [source: Spruce].
- Use insecticide to kill fruit flies. Chemical insecticides are an effective way to get rid of fruit flies. Be sure that no food or toothbrushes are left exposed on the counters when spraying the insecticide. Alternatively, you can try nontoxic home remedies like a borax or dish soap and water mix to control their numbers [source: Potter].
- Make a DIY fruit fly trap. You can create a simple trap by making a paper funnel and placing it in a jar. Add a few drops of cider vinegar on top and place the trap where the flies are most active. Leave it overnight, and it will trap fruit flies in your home [source: Potter].
- Craft a DIY banana fruit fly trap. Another effective trap involves using a jar, a slice of banana, and plastic wrap. Put a piece of banana in the jar, cover it with plastic wrap, and poke small holes in the wrap. This allows the flies to enter but makes it hard for them to escape. Set the trap overnight in areas where you notice fruit flies. In the morning, dispose of the jar full of flies [source: Pest Week].
Fruit flies are roughly the size of a tiny mosquito, typically black or brown with red eyes and circular wings.
iStockphoto.com/Tomasz ZachariaszAdult fruit flies have over 100,000 neurons in their brains, forming distinct circuits that control complex behaviors, such as circadian rhythms, sleep, learning, memory, courtship, feeding, aggression, grooming, and flight navigation, according to a study published in Pharmacological Reviews.
