Photo courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Fiction: I have a bunch of fruit flies, but they all look different.
Fact: Not all small flies are fruit flies. Many flies are found in the same environment and are similar
in size and appearance. Drain flies are fuzzy and heavy bodied. Phorid flies have a distinctive hump back. Vinegar flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are the most commonly occurring indoor fruit fly and have bright red eyes, which are clearly visible, even without a microscope. Ask any high school biology student.
Fiction: Fruit flies only eat fruit.
Fact: Fruit flies are attracted to and feed on decaying fruits and vegetables, drinks (including beer and wine), spills, coffee grounds, drains, trash cans, dirty mops, towels, damp clothing, moist pet food and indoor houseplants. If itâs damp and remotely edible, fruit flies and their larvae will use it.
Fiction: Fruit flies donât carry disease.
Fact: Fruit flies have hairy bodies and sticky foot pads that spread bacteria and filth, which cause diarrheal diseases.
Fiction: You can tell by looking whether food is contaminated by fruit flies.
Fact: Although they donât poop and vomit when they land, female fruit flies â much like house flies â are egg-laying machines. Fruit can appear normal on the outside, but be brown on the inside thanks to fruit fly activity. When cutting away overripe parts, be careful to remove any trace of eggs or larvae.
Fiction: The only way manage fruit flies is by spraying.
Fact: Sanitation is the key to managing fruit flies. The life cycle of Drosophila is about 10 days. A drink spill, a sour mop, unwashed towel or dirty trashcan liner can harbor thousands of eggs and larvae. Spraying will harvest some of the adults, but unless harborage areas are cleaned regularly and proper storage practices are put in place, the vicious cycle will continue. pmp
You can reach the McGoverns at jeffreymcgovern@mindspring.com.
FAQs
A female fruit fly can lay anywhere from 500-2000 eggs in a lifetime. The eggs can hatch into larvae in as little as 12 hours. Each egg takes 10-14 days to mature into an adult. The entire fruit fly life span is 30-50 days.
What do exterminators use for fruit flies? âș
Insecticide fogs such as CB80 or PT 565 Pyrethrum Aerosol can be sprayed into the air to kill adult winged Fruit Flies. A simple 3 second spray into the air with the products will kill most Fruit Flies within the area.
What was significant about the fruit fly experiment? âș
Morgan decided to use fruit flies to study how physical traits (for example, eye color) were transmitted from parents to offspring, and he was able to elegantly show that genes are stored in chromosomes and form the basis of heredity. This work won him a Nobel prize in 1933 and marked the birth of modern genetics.
How do you solve fruit fly problems? âș
Fill a microwave-safe bowl with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Microwave the bowl so the mixture becomes even more aromatic. Leave the bowl out uncovered as fruit fly bait. The soap will reduce the surface tension, causing any fruit fly that lands on the surface to drown.
Why do fruit flies never leave? âș
Fruit flies are attracted to environments that are damp and unclean, such as piled up dishes and dirty counters, dirty sponges or places that have rotting produce. If your kitchen is guilty of any of those, then you're more likely to keep having fruit flies.
How long is a fruit fly's lifespan? âș
How long do fruit flies live? Fruit flies are known for their rapid reproduction and relatively short lifespans. The average lifespan of a fruit fly is about 40 to 50 days. The fruit fly life cycle is made up of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
What smell do fruit flies hate the most? âș
Fruit flies can't stand the smell of basil, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender and clove. If you've had a fruit fly problem in the past, try placing these fragrant herbs in muslin sacks or tea bags and hanging them around the house. You could also buy them in essential oil form and use them in a diffuser.
What cleaning product do fruit flies hate? âș
Fill a cup with apple cider vinegar or wine đ·. Something sweet. You can also use a microwave-safe bowl and put it in, then microwave to really add to the aroma! đ Add a few drops of dish soap to the mix, Dish soap reduces surface tension so flies will land and sink!
Will spraying vinegar get rid of fruit flies? âș
You'll learn about various homemade traps using apple cider vinegar, old wine and beer. You can even create a spray with alcohol and water to spritz on plants, or use dish soap and vinegar to trap and drown them in a mason jar or bottle. Some of these ideas work overnight and can even kill fruit flies on the spot.
How quickly can fruit flies evolve? âș
It's super fast.â Fruit flies are already known to evolve at a speedy pace. In laboratory studies, the insects evolve resistance to stressors like dry environments and cold temperatures within 8 to 9 generations.
NASA's Fruit Fly Lab provides a research platform aboard the International Space Station for long-duration fruit flyâDrosophila melanogasterâstudies in space. The system has three major components. The first is the Fly Cassette that will house and safely transport fruit flies to the space station.
How to maintain fruit fly culture? âș
Hot tap water works great. We recommend keeping your fruit fly culture storage area between 70-75F and 50-60% R/H for best results. Be sure to fully saturate the media. Leaving dry pockets will marginally slow the rate of production while increasing the likelihood of encountering a culture crash.
Can fruit flies live in drains? âș
For fruit flies, your kitchen drains are the perfect place to hide, lay eggs, and multiply. The first thing to do is keep your drains clean and cover them at night to keep them out and prevent breeding and egg laying. If you get a drain clog, a quick fix is crucial to keeping the flies at bay.
What are fruit flies facts for kids? âș
Adult fruit flies emerge from the ground. They are generally between 5 to 8 mm long and are reddish-brown in colour, with distinct yellow markings. They have a wing expanse of around 10 to 12 mm, and have clear wings with brown veins. Females have an ovipositor (stinger) that is used to lay eggs into fruit.
How many eyes do fruit flies have? âș
The Drosophila compound eye contains approximately 700 (male) to 750 (female) unit eyes known as 'ommatidia'; the adult structure is presented in Fig. 5.1.
Can fruit flies bite you? âș
Since fruit or vinegar flies prefer fermenting fruit and food particles in mop water or even on wet mops, these flies do not feed on blood, and they do not have biting mouthparts. So, these flies do not bite people even though infestations may total thousands.
How smart are fruit flies? âș
The brains of fruit flies can do things we usually only associate with mammals. According to a new study, these tiny insects possess attention, working memory and awareness capabilities.
