Wednesday, August 29, 2012

NEVADA COUNTY GARDENERS - FRUIT FLIES IN YOUR KITCHEN


If you have a garden then you may have been picking the fruits of your labor lately as I have. The beautiful tomatoes which were brought into the house attrracted a lot of fruit flies.

Fruit flies live for 8-10 days. In that time, females lay around 500 eggs, using rotting fruit or vegetables as their nest. As awful as that sounds, once you pick your garden's fruits they begin to rot.


Characteristics
1/8" in length 
tan in color
6 legs 

Fruit flies feed on decaying fruits and vegetables. They are generally found when the fruits and vegetables are picked from the plant which they normally grow.  Fruit flies are commonly found in homes, restaurants and other facilities where food is processed. They are especially attracted to garbage that has just been sitting around. Fruit flies are found in unsanitary conditions like garbage dumps and trashcans. When they are around, humans can become very sick.


  • Keep your home clean.
  • Remove kitchen trash every day and keep kitchen counters clean.
  • Immediately remove rotting food from your home.
Fruit flies can invade your home through any small crack or opening. They have good smellers and can smell fruit and other desirable foods from long distances. They seek warm and moist areas that have organic matter in which they can lay their eggs. They will take advantage of any damaged fruit skin and can also be found around kitchen sinks, garbage, and drains. The best combat against fruit flies is to remove food sources in the home for them which include food waste, dirty counters and dishes, clogged drains, etc.

1 comment:

  1. Fruit flies and nats will be prone to your home if you do not keep up an efficient level of cleanliness on the interior of your home, scientifically the kitchen.

    -Land Source Container Service, Inc.

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