Fruit Flies

Identification

Fruit flies are small flies that measure about 3mm long. They have red eyes, a tan thorax, and an abdomen that is black on top and gray on bottom and are commonly found in Madison Wisconsin. They can be easily confused with other small flies, such as fungus gnats or phorid flies, so it is important to look closely at their features and behavior.

Lifecycle

Fruit flies go through complete metamorphosis, which means they have four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Adult flies often enter buildings through screens and open doors, or they may be introduced on fruit and vegetable deliveries. Adults seek out decaying or fermenting organic matter, and deposit eggs that will hatch within 30 hours. Larva will feed on organic material for 5-6 days before pupating. Adult flies will emerge and mate, starting the process all over. Adults can lay up to 500 eggs and complete their life cycle in 8 days.

How They Reproduce

Fruit flies typically lay their eggs directly on rotting fruits and vegetables or inside drains that are not kept clean. Fruit flies can produce up to 500 offspring during mating season and it takes only a week for this to happen. This means that a few fruit flies can quickly turn into a large infestation if not controlled.

Conditions Conducive to Survival

Fruit flies need two things to survive: moisture and fermenting organic material. They can be found in nature as well as in buildings where these conditions are present.

In nature, they are still attracted to overripe fruit, any fermenting matter, garden crops, compost piles, and other areas with water and decaying organic material. They are not a nuisance around the exterior of a structure, but once they get in they can infest a structure quickly.

In a structure, they can be found in a lot of places such as sinks and sink drains, floor drains, beer tapper pans and drain lines, soda gun holder, glass racks, dishwashing areas, garbage and recycling containers, fruits and vegetables, wet floors or leaking pipes, fermenting mass around mop boards and equipment legs, cracks or joints in the floor, and any other place where food or moisture accumulates.

Where They Live

Fruit flies have a very short life cycle, so they generally live in the areas that they are hatched in. This can include homes, restaurants, supermarkets, and wherever else food is allowed to ferment and rot. They spend most of their time flying around or landing on their food sources.

How They Winter

Because fruit flies have a very short life cycle, there is not time for them to overwinter. They will persist on the interior throughout the winter months if they have moisture and fermenting organic material.

Evidence Found During Inspection

When inspecting a structure for fruit flies, you will want to look at the areas with fruit and/or vegetables and areas of standing water or organic material. You will see fruit flies flying around or landing on these areas when they have the chance. They will be spending all of their time around those conducive conditions and there will be a large quantity of fruit flies in those areas.

Fun Facts

• Due to their short life cycle, researchers can easily study genetic evolution over generations, making fruit flies the stars of genetic research.
• Fruit flies have many genes. In comparison humans carry 24,000 genes and fruit flies, which are only a couple of millimeters long, have 14,000.
• 75% of the genes that cause diseases in humans are also found in the fruit fly.
• A female fruit fly lays between 30 and 50 eggs per day throughout her short life cycle.
• Fruit flies can be used to study a wide variety of diseases that plague humans. For example (flies eating a lot of sugar also exhibit symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Researchers can also genetically modify fruit flies to study a variety of other conditions.

If you are having trouble with fruit flies, call the Experts Today for an honest quote and evaluation to meet your specific needs!

Kwik Kill Services to control Fruit Flies

• Commercial Fruit Fly Extermination
• One-Time Pest Control Services- Please call our office for more information.

Additional Information:

https://depts.washington.edu/cberglab/wordpress/outreach/an-introduction-to-fruit-flies/
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fruit-flies