Fruit flies are a very strange and annoying fly. They seem to appear from nowhere and are interested exclusively in our sweet foods. They are attracted to fruit in any stage of early or late decomposition, brown bananas are one of their favourites but they are also attracted to alcohol. They will infest fruit and anything else they can find and lay their eggs in it. Their bodies are covered in disease because they often live in the sewer like drain flies. This means whatever food they touch can give you food poisoning or worse. The fruit fly female can reproduce at a shockingly rapid rate. In warm weather or inside of a house the eggs can hatch in twenty-four hours after being laid. The female can lay eggs as soon as it becomes sexually active which is only two days after emerging as adult fruit flies. The process begins with eggs laid in fruit and vegetables or other sweet foods they can trust to remain for a few days. They often go for unsecured food garbage where they can lay eggs endlessly. This is not to say a messy house is what attracts them, leaving fruit out when its warm will be enough to bring them to the house. The eggs hatch in one week and then burrow into the decaying fruit. They will eat and then moult where they transform from a maggot into a fly. This happens after five days of moulting followed by the maggots moving to a surface that is dry so they can encase themselves in a dry layer of skin. It takes two to three days for adult fruit flies to emerge. In the winter when it is cold it can take as long as two months to reach adulthood from an egg so they are more of a spring and summer infestation but will be attracted to your home in the winter where they can reproduce faster.
Fruit flies are a serious infestation and a dangerous threat. There are several ways to get rid of them, domestic products like insecticides will kill them off very fast but will also introduce dangerous chemicals into your home that could harm young children, pets, the elderly and the unwell. That being said the insects are also dangerous to everyone in the house. There are alternatives to living with the flies and using dangerous pesticides, you can try making a trap.
Fruit fly traps contain two main ingredients. Vinegar, preferably apple cider but white vinegar will work in a pinch. You will also need a piece of fruit. The fruit should be moderately fresh but with a strong smell. Mix the white vinegar with the fruit to get it muddles a bit, make sure the fruit stays in one piece. Put this mixture in a glass cup, a tumbler works well and cover the top with a piece of cling film. Poke some small holes with a sewing needle in the film and then place it near the areas of highest activity. The more you place the more effective the treatment. You can also assault the fruit flies directly with a mixture of white vinegar, dish soap and water. Put the ingredients in a spray bottle and spray the flies directly. You can also use it to kill the eggs and larva by spraying it in the food garbage. This will be effective in keeping the population down but eventually, you will have to find the cause of the issue.
The cause of fruit fly infestation is often caused by open food garbage. It may be a container that looks like is closes and seals but the flies are so tiny they can go between the opening and lay their eggs in the garbage. For this reason, ceramic food garbage is one of the best choices you can make. You can store it on the counter because there will be absolutely no smell leak and it will be impenetrable to flies with a tight-fitting and heavy lid. Cleaning out your drains with either Drain-O or a strong vinegar wash will also help to stop the flies from coming up from the sewer.
