What You Need to Know

Need to get rid of fruit flies? Read on to learn the answers to all of your important questions. Need help? Call our professionals today to get started.

What Is Flying Around My Home?

Fruit flies are a species of fly that is a common pest in homes and businesses. Fruit flies are typically found in the kitchen or anywhere there is food.

As the name suggests, fruit flies are attracted to fruit and are commonly found on overripe fruit, unrefrigerated produce, and any other kind of food that has been left sitting out for any period of time. You may also find them on food packaging that has been left out

What Do Fruit Flies Look Like?

Fruit flies are typically yellow-brown with red eyes and black rings across the abdomen. Male fruit flies are usually a little bit smaller than female fruit flies. 

How Did I Get Fruit Flies?

Since fruit flies are so small, it is easy for them to hitch a ride home from the grocery store in your produce containers and bags. Once they are in your home, they can find easy places to lay eggs anywhere there is a food source. Make sure all your food is put away in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator. Clean any spills, crumbs, or drips from beverages as soon as they happen. All a fruit fly needs to breed and thrive is a thin film of organic material so check for fruit flies in drains, drain lines, garbage disposals, trash containers, empty soda or beer cans and in mops and cleaning buckets. 

Are Fruit Flies Harmful?

For the most part, fruit flies are not dangerous. They can’t cause damage to your home and they don’t bite. They can quickly become a nuisance, however. Their complete lifecycle from egg to adult takes less than a week. Their lifespan is about 50 days from egg to death. A female fruit fly, in her 40 days of adulthood, can lay about 400 eggs. Fruit fly eggs hatch about 12-15 hours after they have been laid. This means that the one fruit fly that came into your home on some bananas from the store can very rapidly turn into a house full of annoying bugs flying around your kitchen and crawling on your food. Fruit flies do not sting or bite so they don’t transmit any diseases. They can carry bacteria from one food source to another potentially contaminating your food and food preparation surfaces.  

When Should I Call Pest Control for Fruit Flies?

If your home becomes overrun and you are constantly hassled by fruit flies, call in a professional, knowledgeable pest control specialist to root out the problem areas and get rid of your fruit fly problem completely.

Call Pest Control Experts today to get a free quote and to schedule your home pest inspection as soon as possible!