What are they?
- Flies – Family Drosophilidae
- Also called – Vinegar, Fermentation, or Fruit flies
Why should we be worried about them?
- Flies are extremely mobile between decaying waste and the food we eat and utensils we use.
- They are very good at spreading bacteria and tend to vomit on surfaces they land on.
- They also lay eggs and larvae feed on fermenting fruit and veggies.
What is their life cycle?
- Breed very rapidly
- Entire life cycle from egg, larvae, pupae, to adult can be as quick as 1 week (typically 1 -2 weeks).
- Adult flies live approximately 2 weeks.
- Adult flies lay 25-30 eggs per day, so 1 can easily become 500 if left untreated. And then 500 x 500 etc. etc.
Why are they at my place?
- We have stored fruit and veggies at home which continue to ripen over time
- Fruit flies are attracted to yeast produced from the initial decomposing of organic material
- Overripe fruit and veggies are a special favourite because adult flies can feed on and lay eggs in the fermenting juices
What should I do if I have fruit flies?
- Get rid of the overripe fruit and veggies (seal in plastic bags and bin it outside, or dig it deep into the compost heap)
- Wipe up any spillages, including water from surfaces in the home
- Clean any surfaces with fly spotting (this is the vomit from the adult flies, which is also an attractant for other flies). Hot, soapy water will work.
- Use a vinegar fly trap for the adults.
Things you can do in your home to avoid fruit flies?
- Always inspect fruit and veggies at the shop.
- Don’t allow fruit to become overripe (good idea to rotate fruit in your fruit bowl, or keep what you can in the fridge).
- Use a fly mesh or net over fruit and veggies.
- Make sure your fly screens are in good condition, and your doors and windows are well sealed.
- Remove organic rubbish from the house on a regular basis (daily is the best, and try not to leave overnight).
- Keep a lid on your bin (this restricts flies from getting access).
- Clean up spills and waste from benches and floors as soon as possible.
As a professional pest control company, we have treated many homes and businesses for flies of various varieties.
We use a “teamwork” approach with the home or business owner to get lasting results.
Many of the professional products we use work effectively on the adult flies, but we are often limited when it comes to eggs, larvae and pupae as they are living in and on food and food surfaces. We are extremely careful not to cross-contaminate food, food prep surfaces and utensils with pest control products.
If you would like more information about getting rid of Flies you can click here >
If you think you might have a Fruit Fly infestation in your home you can contact Knockout Pest Control by Rentokil for a pest inspection. You can call our service team on 1300 858 140. or you can send us an email by using the Contact Form by clicking here >
