Fruit flies are pesky pests that aren’t as dangerous as other fly species, but they are an annoyance. If you’ve ever left produce out on the counter, you’ve probably had fruit flies. Learn more about these pests and what they are attracted to. Learn more about fruit fly control for restaurants, residential fruit fly control options, including 6 simple tips to eliminate and prevent fruit flies.
Look to Done Right Pest Solutions for all of your pest control needs, including fruit fly control, residential or commercial!
Table of Contents
- About fruit flies
- Things to which fruit flies are attracted
- 6 simple tips to eliminate & prevent fruit flies
- Fruit fly control for restaurants
- Residential fruit fly control options
- Conclusion & next steps
About Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are pretty common in the Midwest. These flying pests are black on top, but have tan underneath. They fly very fast, with their wings beating up to 2022 times per second, and are pretty tiny (about 1/8 inch or smaller).
You might notice their red eyes, but some species have brown eyes too. Fruit flies are very fertile. A female lays about 400 eggs onto a surface with fermenting food, bacteria, a damp area, older food, etc. There the eggs eat their fill and grow. As they get older, they look for dryer areas to pupate.
About 12 days after that, the fruit fly larva becomes adults. And the cycle repeats itself.
According to an entertaining article in which the author interviews a fruit fly, fruit fly males are more romantic than their female counterparts, alternating between 5 courting behaviors in order to copulate.
Did you know there are more than 4,500 species of fruit flies in the world?
If you’re wondering ‘Are fruit flies harmful?’ the answer is no, but keep reading to find out why.
Things to Which Fruit Flies Are Attracted
If you’re wondering, “What does a fruit fly eat?” you’re not alone. Fruit flies eat and are attracted to a number of things. Fruit flies eat produce and organic materials. “Organic materials” is a little vague, but basically anything that grows off of something is what fruit flies eat.
If you’re wondering how to get rid of fruit flies, keep in mind these 5 things to which fruit flies are attracted.
Produce. Keep all raw fruits or veggies that you get from the store in the fridge. Fruit flies love produce because as it ages, it starts to ferment. An overripe banana left on the counter, pushed behind the toaster, and forgotten about is a fruit fly’s dream.
Damp areas. Fruit flies are attracted to odor causing bacteria that can grow in damp places: sinks, tubs, drains, etc. They especially like mops and other cleaning supplies that don’t always dry.
Dirty dishes. Fruit flies like anything that has a little bit of water or liquid in it. This could be unwashed bottles, recycled pop cans or bottles.
Drains. Water goes down drains, so drains never dry. There is also the drain trap where food particles, organic materials, and other things that don’t need to go down drains end up. This is a prime breeding location for fruit flies. If you’re wondering why fruit flies in sink garbage disposal exist, this is why: the food they eat is there.
Garbage Disposals. If you have a garbage disposal you will probably have fruit flies sometimes. Garbage disposals sit idle the majority of the time and they are filled with organic matter that fruit flies love! All it takes is a couple of days to leave the eggs and let them hatch. So if you only use your garbage disposal once in a while, it is perfect for fruit flies. Commonly, fruit flies in sink garbage disposals seek shelter, eat food, and breed. More commonly, fruit flies in sink garbage disposals lay eggs and new larvae and adults emerge.
Eliminating the breeding and food sources are the key components for effective fruit fly control. If you own a restaurant or bar, it is important to have a proactive pest control program in place for fruit fly control. Proactive pest control is always better than reactive pest control.
If you’re wondering are fruit flies dangerous, you can be assured that they aren’t as dangerous as flies. Flies carry and spread many diseases. Fruit flies are not similar in that way and the things they are attracted to are much different. So you don’t have to worry because fruit flies are not dangerous.
While fruit flies are not dangerous, they certainly are a nuisance. Therefore, it’s important to get these flying pests eradicated as quickly and efficiently as possible.
6 Simple Tips to Eliminate & Prevent Fruit Flies
With these 6 simple tips to eliminate and prevent fruit flies, you can prevent these pests and try some DIY pest control. While some fruit fly infestations require pest control experts, many (especially if caught early) can be solved with quick action. If you’re wondering how to get rid of fruit flies, here are the tips!
1. Clean up your kitchen.
Fruit flies are attracted to any organic materials and they eat organic materials. This can be a spilled food or liquid source. This can also be bacteria that can grow on regular cleaning items. I would suggest doing a monthly deep clean and then brief cleanings throughout the week, depending on how much you use your kitchen.
Cleaning up your kitchen is a great way to prevent fruit flies.
2. Dry out cleaning materials.
Often when you’re done using your sponges or washcloths they don’t get to fully dry out. This can happen with mops as well. Whenever these cleaning supplies don’t get dried out well enough, bacteria and organic material will grow. Fruit flies are attracted to this bacteria and organic material. We can usually tell when the bacteria grows because the sponges and washcloths start to smell.
Drying out cleaning materials is essential to prevent fruit flies.
3. Run the garbage disposal with water for longer.
Bacteria and organic material will often grow in drains near garbage disposal entrances and in garbage disposals. When you do run the garbage disposal, make sure to run it with water for a bit longer than normal with running water.
Running the garbage disposal with water for longer than you normally would can help prevent fruit flies.
4. Grind up orange peels in your garbage disposal.
Since it’s common to have fruit flies in sink garbage disposals, and you may be wondering how to get rid of bugs in garbage disposals, try citrus fruit!
Citrus fruits don’t just smell good, they help eliminate growing bacteria and prevent fruit flies. Once or twice a month, try putting your orange peels in the garbage disposal after your orange snack! Your kitchen will smell good for hours too!
Grinding up orange peels in your garbage disposal regularly is essential to prevent fruit flies.
5. If you do get fruit flies, try apple cider vinegar traps.
Fruit flies are attracted to the pungent aroma of apple cider vinegar, but it often will kill them once they get stuck in the liquid. You can simply put the apple cider vinegar in a little dish, a glass, or an empty water bottle. This method isn’t guaranteed to get all of the fruit flies, but it can alleviate your kitchen.
Using apple cider vinegar traps can help eliminate and prevent fruit flies from infesting your home.
6. Call a local pest control company.
If you try apple cider vinegar traps and cannot get rid of all of them, or over time if they keep coming back and keep coming back and you’ve taken the previously noted precautions (cleaning and drying out washcloths and sponges), you may have a bigger problem.
Calling a local pest control company shouldn’t be a last resort, but a good starting point. Often they will be willing to give tips and tricks to help you out. And of course, if you do not want to try the tips and you’re fed up with the flies, they can come treat your home for fruit flies. Each pest control service should have a warranty for guaranteed service within that warrantied period.
Done Right Pest Solutions would love to help! 651-342-9489. Fruit flies are not dangerous, but they certainly are annoying!
If you have larger flies and are looking for fly control, check out our article, “4 Expert Tips for Fly Control in Your Home or Business.”
Fruit Fly Control for Restaurants
Done Right Pest Solutions offers a competitive comprehensive approach to Commercial Pest Control. This includes fruit fly control. We have weekly, twice monthly, monthly, every other monthly, or quarterly service.
Each of those options includes visits like the name suggests. At each visit all interior and exterior rodent control and insect control is completed.
Often large restaurants, apartments, strip malls, etc. will have multiple service options. We call this our mix-and-match service options. You may opt to have monthly service for your exterior rodent control and insect control. But you may opt to have twice monthly service for all interior rodent control, insect control, additional fly control, fruit fly control, and sometimes cockroach control, as needed.
Our treatments target the breeding and harborage areas of flies, big and small. For fruit fly control, the majority of our focus is in kitchens, bathrooms, drains, sinks, and tubs.
For all of your restaurant pest control needs, including fruit fly control, call Done Right Pest Solutions 651-342-9489. We offer free estimates and lookover for bids.
Residential Fruit Fly Control
Done Right Pest Solutions offers a one-time service options for fruit fly control. This includes treatment for adult and egg/larvae life stages. From sticky traps to liquid bait to drain treatments, we are your go-to pest control provider when it comes to fruit fly control. So if you’re tired of wondering how to get rid of bugs in garbage disposals, call the experts at Done Right Pest Solutions for a free quote: 651-342-9489.
We offer a one-time crawling insect treatment (larvae are the crawling insects, and we treat for the adult fruit flies too). This service includes a 2 month warranty. So if you see any more after a week or so, all you have to do is give us a call.
We also offer an annual service with year-round warranty for pest control, called the Peak Seasons Plan. This is the most effective service option for Residential Pest Control. If you ever have any other issue like mice, carpenter ants, or hornets and wasps, the Peak Seasons Plan is the most cost effective option.
To learn more about this plan, as well as read answers from frequently asked questions, check out our article “How to Know if the Peak Seasons Plan is for You.”
Conclusion & Next Steps
You learned a lot about how fruit flies operate, including how they lay 400 eggs at a time. These flying pests are attracted to organic material, fermenting or old food, and ripe produce. You even learned the answer to the questions, “What does a fruit fly eat?” The answer: organic materials. Finally, you learned some practical steps for how to get rid of fruit flies.
We shared some fruit fly control techniques, including 6 tips to eliminate and prevent fruit flies. And finally we shared different options for fruit fly control for restaurants and residential fruit fly control, like our Peak Seasons Plan.
Give us a call today for a free estimate 651-342-9489, or fill out our Quick Estimate Form. You may also email us at donerightpestsolutions@gmail.com.
We can’t wait to help get rid of your pests.
Done Right Team
Have you ever had fruit flies? They can be so annoying! Did you use any of the tips we mentioned in this article, or other tips? We would love to hear about what worked for you!
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