As the name indicates, fruit flies are those that feed on fruits. Its biological name is Drosophila melanogaster and it belongs to the family of Drosophilidae. These are small flies that are usually 3 to 4mm in length. They are found to be active in places where there are lots of garbage, dampness, rotten fruits and they get easily attracted to all kinds of sweet foods. They are commonly found in brown or tan shades. The life cycle of these fruit flies is about 8 days. These fruit flies reproduce very quickly and they are active all through the year.
Diet and characteristics
Rotten fruits and vegetables, trash cans, areas of standing water, open liquor bottles and other areas where there lots of decayed food are some of the common places where you can spot fruit flies. There are two main types of fruit flies that you commonly see in your homes – pupae and adult flies. The areas discussed above are the ones where you will spot the adult flies. Pupae usually are found in dry areas and they are easily differentiated from other insects, through a pair of horns that protrude from one end of the pupae. There are four types of chromosomes in these insects – three autosomal and one which identifies the sex of these flies.
Types of fruit flies
Some of the common types of fruit flies are the following:
- Mexican fruit flies – Commonly found in Central America, these flies are usually 7 to 11mm long and slightly yellowish-brown in colour.
- Citrus fruit flies – These are usually 7mm long and are reddish-brown in colour. As the name suggests, these are commonly found in citrus fruits.
- Olive fruit flies – Averaging about 5 to 10mm in length, these fruit flies are commonly found in the Mediterranean basin, these fruit flies are in a greyish black colour.
- Caribbean fruit fly – Also known as the Great Antillean fruit fly, this is found in the West Indies predominantly.
Some of the tips to control fruit fly infestations
Due to their capacity to reproduce at a great speed, fruit flies are quite commonly found whenever there are decayed fruits and vegetables. Trash cans and kitchens are the common breeding areas of these fruit flies. One of the first tips that you have to follow in order to control infestations from fruit flies is to store left over fruits and sugary foods in the refrigerators. You should also keep the areas where you have kept your trash cans clean and tidy. Fruits that are too ripe, damaged, half-eaten, left in the open for a long time and those that are too sweet are the first breeding places of fruit flies. Hence in order to control infestations from them, you should first remove all of these foods from your houses.
Once you have done the groundwork for the same, you can then call professional pest control agencies to advise you of permanent solutions for the same. Toro Pest Management, is one of the leaders in this industry and you can call them for a free quote for your requirements.
Need Pest Control Services ? Contact us today for your free Estimate.
Are You Ready To Start A Conversation?
Proudly Serving Florida
Proudly Serving New York
Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Westchester
Call for your free estimate today!
Miami-Dade County: Aventura, Bal Harbour Village, Bay Harbor Islands, Biscayne Park , Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, Doral, El Portal, Florida City, Golden Beach, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Homestead, Indian Creek Village, Islandia, Key Biscayne Village, Medley, Miami City, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, Miami Shores Village, Miami Springs, North Bay Village, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-Locka, Palmetto Bay Village, Pinecrest , South Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, Surfside, Sweetwater, Virginia Gardens and West Miami.
Broward County: Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Coral Springs, Dania Beach, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Hollywood Florida, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderdale by the Sea, Lazy Lake, Lighthouse Point, Margate, Miramar, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sea Ranch Lakes, Southwest Ranches, Sunrise, Tamarac, West Park, Weston and Wilton Manors .
Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach , Boca Raton , Boynton Beach , Delray Beach , Greenacres , Jupiter , Lake Worth , Palm Beach Gardens , Royal Palm Beach and Wellington .
Monroe County: Key Largo , Islamorada , Marathon and Key West.
Ants: Acrobat Ant, Allegheny Mound Ant, Argentine Ant, Big-headed Ant, Carpenter Ant, Citronella Ant, Crazy Ant, Field Ant, Fire Ant, Ghost Ant, Harvester Ant, Little Black Ant, Moisture Ant, Odorous House Ant, Pavement Ant, Pharaoh Ant, Texas Leaf Cutter Ant, Thief Ant, Velvety Tree Ant and White-footed Ant.
Bitings Insects: Bed Bugs, Bird Lice, Cat Flea, House Mosquito, Human Head Lice, Kissing Bug, Pubic Lice and Thrips
Mosquitoes: Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes-Aegypti Mosquito and Culex Mosquito.
Cockroaches: American Cockroach, Asian Cockroach, Australian Cockroach, Brown Banded Cockroach, Cuban Cockroach, Florida Woods Cockroach, German Cockroach, Oriental Cockroach, Smoky Brown Cockroach, Surinam Cockroach and Woods Cockroach.
Flies: Blow Fly and Bottle Fly, Cluster Fly, Crane Fly, Face Fly, Flesh Fly, Fruit Fly, Fungus Gnat, House Fly, Drain Fly and Phorid Fly.
Rodents: Deer Mouse, House Mouse, Norway Rat, Pack Rat, Roof Rat, Vole and White-footed Mouse.
Spiders: Black Widow Spider , Brown Recluse Spider, Cellar Spider, Crab Spider, Domestic House Spider, Funnelweb Spider, Garden Spider, Ground Spider, Hobo Spider, House Spider, Jumping Spider, Spiny-backed Orb Weaver Spider, Tarantula, Wolf Spider and Yellow Sac Spider.
Stinging Pests: Africanized Honeybee, American Dog Tick, Bald-faced Hornet, Bed Bugs, Bird Lice, Bird Mite, Deer Tick, Brown Dog Tick, Bumblebee, Carpenter Bee, Cat Flea, European Hornet, Fire Ant, Honeybee, Human Head Lice, Kissing Bug, Lone Star Tick, Paper Wasp, Scorpion, Soft Tick, Thrips and Yellow Jacket.
Termites: Dampwood Termite, Drywood Termite, Formosan Subterranean Termite and Subterranean Termite.
Ticks and Mites: American Dog Tick, Bird Mite, Black-legged Tick, Brown Dog Tick, Clover Mite, Lone Star Tick and Soft Tick.
Other Pests: American Spider Beetle, Bean Weevil, Cigarette Beetle, Cowpea Weevil, Dried Fruit Beetle, Drugstore Beetle, Foreign Grain Beetles, Indian Meal Moth, Larder Beetle, Mediterranean Flour Moth, Red or Confused Flour Beetle, Rice & Granary Weevils, Sawtoothed & Merchant, Grain Beetles, Shiny Spider Beetle, Cabinet Beetles, Centipedes & Millipedes, Chinch Bugs and Earwigs.