08/10/2022
Fruit Flies - August 2022
Pest of the Month
FRUIT FLIES
The bane of every kitchen: the common fruit fly. Unfortunately, fruit flies can be a problem year-round. They are attracted to ripened or fermenting fruits and vegetables, which they consume and use for laying eggs. It can often feel like a mystery how a fruit fly infestation starts and even more of a mystery how to fully get rid of them.
- Adults are roughly 1/8 inch long and usually have red eyes.
- The reproductive potential of fruit flies is enormous. They will lay about 500 eggs, usually into the same ripe and fermenting produce that they eat.
- The entire lifecycle from egg to adult can be completed in about a week.
- The best way to avoid problems with fruit flies is to eliminate sources of attraction. This means getting rid of open decaying food and remembering to eat your produce as soon as it turns ripe.
- You can build your own fruit fly trap! Just take a piece of paper rolled into a cone and place it into a jar filled with cider vinegar. The flies will be attracted to the sweetness of the cider and won't be able to escape back out of the cone.
Read more about fruit flies here!
MSPCA will highlight a pest each month on marylandpest.org, in its own email, in the e-newsletter Closer Look, and on MSPCA’s social media channels. Includes recognition as a sponsor with your company logo linked to your website.
Each pest of the month is archived on the website for the full year!
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