Fruit Flies Prevention Tactics

Fruit Flies In Your Home  

Fruit flies are pesky little critters. They are smaller than regular flies and thus make less noise. In fact, it can take a while for a home owner to notice a few fruit flies hanging around some overripe fruit. Left to their own devices, these insects are bound to multiply within days. In fact, the life cycle of these flies is so fast that they have become the favorite research subject for geneticists. Known as drosophila in labs, fruit flies allow geneticists to experiment with genes and see the results several generations later, all within a few weeks.

For that reason, you should quickly and  efficiently eliminate fruit flies from your home . Keep on the alert during summer months, or, if you are living in a warm climate, throughout the year. While fruit flies are not among the most dangerous of flies, ingesting their eggs and larvae is not a good idea, and can lead to stomach aches and diarrhea. In some instances, these flies can move between drains, sewage and kitchens, creating an even greater health risk.

Preventing fruit flies from breeding and multiplying is the key in eliminating their presence. Their life cycle is comprised of three main phases. Adult flies mate and lay eggs in rotting fruit or vegetables. Larvae come out of these eggs, feeding on the fermenting material in which they were born, close to the surface of the fruit. They finally turn into adults, able to breed again, with the entire life cycle taking no more than a week.

In order to stop the cycle, you have to eliminate the food source for the larvae – and the stuff that attracts those flies into your kitchen to begin with – overripe or rotting fruit and vegetable.

Inspect your cupboards and shelves for any residue of fruit or even juice. Always clear away the remains of any fruit or vegetable. The more ecologically minded folks will throw this rich organic waste into the compost heap, taking care to mix it in and hide it away from the flies. No compost heap? Just seal it up in a bag and throw it outside into a tightly shut bin.

Another focal point in your efforts to eliminate drosophila is fruit bowls. They can be a decorative element in every home, and a nice available treat for family members and guests, but the last thing you want is a small circle of fruit flies hovering over your fruit arrangements. Even worse is the unsightly presence of larvae in the fruit, not to mention the following tummy ache! During warmer months, consider keeping all fruit and vegetable refrigerated at all times. If you do keep select fruit exposed, check it daily and remove any piece of fruit that may be too ripe.

To prevent the occasional mature fruit fly from entering your home, make sure it’s properly screened against flying insects. This is an important measure, helpful in reducing the numbers of other types of flies, as well as mosquitoes.

But what if you have taken every measure to prevent these pests from entering your home, and have made sure they have nowhere to breed, and still have these in your home? You may have to add a couple of fruit fly traps to your kitchen, just to make sure that the odd fly gets captured and removed from your home environment.

Author: Anne E. Moss

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_E._Moss

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