The life of a fruit fly is manageable and yet exciting. On closer inspection, the annoying insects turn out to be little specialists who have adapted to living on fermented fruit. There are simple tricks to get rid of the pests.

Fruit flies become a nuisance, especially in summer

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Fight fruit flies
  3. Ineffective methods
  4. Prevent fruit fly infestation
  5. emergence and propagation
  6. What are fruit flies?
  7. risk of confusion
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • Fruit flies can be controlled with alcohol or vinegar. A screw-top jar can quickly be converted into a trap.
    • The use of chemical agents is unnecessary. Instead, preventive measures such as hygiene and control help to prevent spread.
    • Fruit flies reproduce en masse in a short time because their life expectancy is not very high.
    • There are several species of fruit flies, one of which prefers to stay close to humans. Some fly species are often confused with fruit flies.

    What to do against fruit flies?

    The vacuum cleaner is an effective way to get rid of fruit flies. This requires a steady and at the same time quick hand. Once the insects have been scared away, sucking them in turns into an endless game of catch. Patience is required until the flies settle again. It is a bit easier with various food and household items.

    Home remedies for fruit flies

    You can quickly build a fruit fly trap yourself

    The question "What helps against fruit flies?" can be easily answered: with fermented or vinegar-containing substances. Do not use chemical agents against fruit flies. Home remedies prove to be not only ecological but also cost-effective and gentle on the health. Take advantage of the insects' preferences by attracting the annoying pests with the help of smells. Many of these substances are present in every household.

    Home recipe for the fruit fly cocktail:

    • a sip of fruit juice
    • a few dashes of vinegar, for example apple cider vinegar
    • some sugar
    • a few drops of dish soap

    The trick is that the dish soap reduces surface tension. As soon as the fruit flies land, they sink into the liquid and drown. Because yellow is particularly attractive to insects, you should use light-colored fruit juices. To further increase the effect, you can pour the mixture against fruit flies into a yellow container.

    Fruit fly trap: gentle variant

    If the fruit flies have not yet become a nuisance, a live trap made of a glass and a piece of paper will help. Shape the paper into a funnel (€4.85) that fits snugly in the opening of the jar. For more stability you can fix the funnel with a strip of adhesive tape. Such a flytrap has proven to be the best way to catch fruit flies without killing them.

    Place fermenting fruit slices or old banana peels in the jar and place the construction next to the fruit plate. The insects are attracted by the smell and fly into the trap from which they can no longer find their way out. If necessary, empty the trap next to the compost in the garden. Here the insects find an optimal habitat and can take over useful functions in the recycling of leftovers.

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    Fruit fly trap: radical variant

    If the expansion of the fruit fly population can hardly be stopped, several fly traps can help. Fill a bowl with a fruit fly cocktail and cover the jar with cling film. Poke a few holes in the foil. These serve as entry openings. If the fruit flies got lost in the trap, they can't find their way out. An old screw top jar provides a more stable variant that you can use on the balcony and terrace. Drill several holes in the lid with a nail.

    carnivorous plants

    A supportive solution to keep the fruit fly infestation at bay are carnivorous plants. These exotic plants have developed special mechanisms with which they hunt insects. Fruit flies are also attracted by sweet smells and alluring colors. If they fall into the trap, there is no way out. Digestive enzymes slowly break down and kill prey.

    scientific term catch structure maintenance effort
    venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula Catch leaf with two flaps medium
    Butterwort Pinguicula spec. leaves covered with glands that secrete a sticky secretion easy
    sundew Drosera spec. Leaves with tentacle-like glands that produce sticky droplets medium
    pitcher plant Nephentes spec. Leaf tips formed into jars filled with digestive juices light to medium

    You should avoid that

    During the summer months, vinegar flies can be particularly annoying. Many of those affected seek help and rely on tips from like-minded people. Much of this advice should be treated with caution, as it is harmful or dangerous and often does not bring any visible success. If you want to get rid of fruit flies, you should take more gentle measures.

    chemical club

    Various sprays use the active ingredient pyrethrin to destroy fruit flies and other insects. Such funds act as a contact poison. If the dipterans are sprayed, the nervous system is excited, coordination disorders and finally death. The effect sets in within a few minutes, so such exterminators effectively and quickly eliminate the plague. However, the active ingredient remains in the air for up to six weeks. If food comes into contact with the poison, consumption can result in damage to health.

    deodorant

    Spraying the insects with deodorant spray does not lead to any visible success. At most, the measure causes wing sticking or some animals suffocate after inhaling sufficient amounts of spray. Due to the low efficiency, you should avoid this measure. In great desperation, attempts are made to eliminate the insects with a burning deodorant spray flame. This method is not only ineffective but also dangerous.

    Prevent fruit fly infestation

    Tomato plants keep fruit flies away

    A few measures are enough to curb the spread of fruit flies. The insects are often brought into the home with the fruit. Make the environment hostile to vinegar flies. If they are deprived of their livelihood, they can no longer reproduce in large numbers.

    Drive away with plants

    There are some smells that fruit flies dislike. These include the essential oils of plants and aromas of various spices. These scents keep flies away from refrigerators, trash cans, and fruit plates. Once the smell has gone, the effect is lost. Therefore, you should set up additional traps.

    Tips for angering:

    • tomatoes: lay out fresh leaves in the kitchen
    • basil: Grind leaves to release essential oils
    • cloves: crumble slightly and sprinkle over the fruit plate
    • eucalyptus oil: evaporate a few drops in an aroma lamp
    • laurel oil: spray on organic waste with a water sprayer

    take hygiene measures

    In addition to regular airing, it is important to clean dirty dishes immediately so that the fruit flies do not have a livelihood. The dipterans not only nest in drains but also find optimal conditions in the full dishwasher. Be vigilant and remove any leftover food and drink immediately.

    How to prevent fruit flies:

    • Check fruit for bruises and use these fruits immediately
    • Store fruit in a cool place and cover
    • Do not leave organic waste for longer than two days
    • Thoroughly clean trash cans after emptying
    • Clean and disinfect drains

    How are fruit flies formed?

    Fruit flies reproduce surprisingly quickly

    Fruit flies can reproduce explosively when conditions in their environment are optimal. Warm temperatures, increased humidity and organic waste ensure an ideal basis for life.

    Multi-level courtship

    Courtship can be divided into several phases in many fruit fly species. In the first phase, the male touches the potential partner with his front feet. The females secrete a sex attractant that makes them recognizable. If the male identifies a dissimilar female, he withdraws.

    If chemical recognition is successful, the second phase is optical orientation. The male circles his partner. Nocturnal species skip this step and go straight to the third phase. Both sexes slowly open and close their wings.

    In the fourth step, the male vibrates with his wings facing the female. It continues to circle the partner, creating an airflow. Females can sense these air movements and also respond by vibrating their wings. The male quickly starts with a first attempt at mating. This courtship ritual is repeated several times if the female resists mating.

    oviposition and larval food

    After successful mating, a female lays up to 400 eggs. It prefers fermenting plant matter or substrates as an egg-laying place, which serve as food for the larvae. The food spectrum of fruit flies is broad. The diet of many larvae consists of bacteria and yeasts, which decompose the fruit. These species are considered to be ancestral and are found close to humans.

    Larvae of other species feed on plant tissue in leaves and stems or on fungi. Some fruit fly larvae show predatory behavior and prey on plant-sucking insects or prey on the nectar and pollen stores of bees.

    development

    We know the larvae of fruit flies as maggots

    The newly hatched larvae of the widespread black-bellied fruit fly have a pointed front end that they can extend and retract. This chitinous pen contains vestigial mouthparts. The maggots crawl around in the pulp and eat the food. Over the next few days, they molt twice before pupating. The pupa is reminiscent of a desiccated maggot, because the shell is formed by drying out the larval skin. It takes less than a week for the lid to burst open and the adult fruit fly to crawl outside.

    lifespan and hibernation

    Fruit flies have a lifespan of two to eight weeks, with males dying after ten days. The aging process of insects is hormonally controlled. Adult insects do not survive the cold season. Fruit flies overwinter in the pupal stage in sheltered niches. The fact that flies also appear in the kitchen in winter is due to the favorable living conditions. Here, vinegar flies can reproduce continuously and produce masses of eggs.

    What are fruit flies?

    Fruit flies owe their name to their fondness for rotting and overripe fruit. Other common names are fruit or vinegar fly and fermentation or must fly. To avoid confusion with species of bore flies, which are also known as fruit flies, the term fruit fly was introduced. The insects represent a family and belong to the order Diptera. In Germany there are 50 different species that are between two and six millimeters in size.

    digression

    Interesting behaviors

    The main activity time of fruit flies is in the morning and evening hours when dew is falling. Researchers have discovered that the females show a special behavior when their offspring are threatened. Their eggs are parasitized by certain wasp larvae. If the female fruit flies sense the presence of these larvae, they lay their eggs in heavily fermented fruit. The alcohol content serves as protection, because the wasp larvae are sensitive to it and avoid these fruits.

    Where are fruit flies found?

    Drosophila melanogaster is common here

    Their original distribution area is moist deciduous forests and forest edges. There are some wild species that are strongly bound to woody plants. Other members of this family turn out to be culture followers and colonize habitats in human surroundings. This includes Drosophila melanogaster, which is a widespread fruit fly in the home. If you see small fruit flies everywhere, it is this species.

    Prefer fruit flies:

    • compost heap
    • fermenting fruit juices and leftovers
    • overripe fruit and rotting fruit

    tips

    Don't throw away the leftovers of wine, champagne and beer from the last party if you already have fruit flies in the kitchen. The bottles are perfect as traps for fruit flies. When there are enough dead fruit flies in the traps, discard the bottles.

    Fruit flies without fruit? Attention confusion

    Many fruit flies in the apartment cause disgust and despair. If control methods don't help against the small flies in the kitchen, they probably aren't fruit flies. Fruit flies are often confused with similar insects whose origins lie in completely different directions. It is therefore important that you identify the species before combating it.

    Fruit flies are attached to leftover food. If these are not available, other types of flies come into question.

    Flies in the flower pot

    If there are numerous flies in the potting soil, they are not fruit flies. Behind the black insects are fungus gnats, whose females lay eggs on the bare substrate. Once the larvae hatch, they burrow into the sheltered soil. A moist and warm environment offers these pests optimal conditions. Their larval stages eat plant roots, while adult fungus gnats prefer to stay in plants and only eat liquids.

    tips

    Cover the substrate of your houseplants with gravel. As a result, fungus gnats have no place to lay their eggs.

    Supposed fruit flies in the bathroom

    It is quite possible for fruit flies to settle in the bathroom. The insects lay their eggs in drains that have not been thoroughly cleaned. If such nesting sites have been eliminated without the flies disappearing, they are probably butterfly flies. These very hairy insects resemble tiny butterflies in shape. Psychoda phalaenoides is a species known as the mosquito. She is attracted to feces and urine and places her eggs near such scent sources. Butterfly gnats can get into the bathroom from dry drains or through air ducts.

    bore flies and fruit flies

    The borer fly causes great damage in orchards

    Drill flies are also called fruit flies, but have little in common with fruit flies. They have a ovipositor, with which they can deposit their eggs in plant parts and fruit. Adult flies are significantly larger than vinegar flies and are characterized by strikingly patterned wings. While they can cause damage in agriculture and horticulture, they are of no importance as pests in the home.

    frequently asked Questions

    How do I get rid of fruit flies?

    Fruit flies are easy to lure with fermented fruit or leftovers from drinks. Use these tools to build a flytrap from which the insects can no longer escape. A foil-covered bowl or screw-top jar make ideal containers. Poke holes in the cover and fill the jar with an attractant such as apple cider vinegar or juice and dish soap. If you want to get rid of the annoying insects permanently, you should not store any waste in the kitchen.

    Where do fruit flies come from?

    Fruit flies are carried into the apartment by bought fruit or with collected fruit from the garden. Usually their eggs are already on damaged fruit, so that fruit flies hatch after a few days. Therefore, check fruit and vegetables for bruises and damage. Store such foods under a plastic hood. As soon as the first insects are visible underneath, you can take the plate outside and open the hood outdoors. Consume the fruit as soon as possible.

    How do fruit flies reproduce?

    The mating of the fruit flies follows an elaborate courtship ritual, which consists of several steps. The male tries to find out if the female is ready to mate. He approaches his partner and tries to get her attention. It is more common for the females to run away. Then the male has to work hard again and the procedure starts all over again. Only when the female is persuaded does the male make a first attempt at mating.

    How fast do fruit flies reproduce?

    Once the female has mated, she lays her eggs after just 24 hours. A clutch can contain up to 400 eggs, from which larvae hatch after a short time. These live through several stages within the next few days until pupation. After four to five more days, the adult fruit fly hatches, which can mate after 24 hours.

    Are fruit flies harmful or dangerous?

    Fruit flies are not dangerous to humans because they cannot sting or transmit diseases. Nevertheless, the appetite quickly disappears when there are en masse flies in the kitchen. Drosophila species feed on yeasts and bacteria involved in fruit rotting processes. The insects are able to transfer these microorganisms to fruit and vegetables.

    How long do fruit flies live?

    Vinegar flies have a life expectancy of between two and eight weeks. The purpose of males is to mate with partners and to ensure the survival of the species. They usually live no longer than ten days, while the females can reproduce several times in their lives.

Category:

Animals in the garden