Fruit Flies

Identification:  An adult fruit fly is about 1/8" long and brownish in color.  The most distinguishing feature is their bright red eyes.

Habits:  The adult female fruit fly will lay her eggs (about 500) near the surface of fermenting fruits or decaying organic materials.  Once the eggs hatch the larva will feed on these materials.  The life cycle of a fruit fly can be as little as eight days.

Control:  The key for fruit fly control is sanitation.  Elimination of larval food and development sites is mandatory. Cleaning the edges of drains and garbage cans rather than down the middle is a sure-fire way to mitigate a fruit fly infestation. Adults (fliers) are easily killed by an appropriately labeled aerosol product.

 

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