If you’ve ever dealt with a fruit fly infestation, chances are you remember how annoying those pests can be — swarming around in groups, gathering around your fruit bowl, sink, or trash cans. And, it seems, that no matter how clean you keep your home and how many DIY solutions you attempt, the pesky little buggers keep coming back.
In today’s blog, we are going to discuss everything that you should know about fruit flies, how to prevent them, what attracts them to your home, and how to get rid of them if you are struggling with an infestation. Read on to learn more, and if you are in need of professional pest control services in the Sacramento area, look no further than Earthwise Pest Management. Contact our team today for a free estimate.
What Do Fruit Flies Look Like?
Fruit flies are a small tan/brown fly. They have six legs, a small oval body, and measure in at about an eighth of an inch in length. They have red eyes, antennae, and you’ll often see them in swarms rather than on their own when they find something good to eat like fruit, spilled juice, or another sweet substance. They are most common in the late summer and fall but once they make your home their own, they are incredibly difficult to get rid of and can become year-round pests.
The Fruit Fly Lifespan
While you may have heard myths about fruit flies, as well as other flies, only living for 24–48 hours, this, unfortunately, isn’t true. Fruit flies typically live for anywhere from 40–50 days, and they lay their eggs at about 500 at a time, so once you have one fruit fly, you’ll quickly find that more have been hatched.
What Attracts Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies, as their name indicates, do like fermenting fruits. However, this is not the only thing that attracts them. They are attracted to almost anything that will give them a sweet meal including soda, juice, and beer. They are often found swarming around trash cans that contain food waste or empty soda cans, as well as around beer taps in restaurants, and drains that have not been properly rinsed and cleaned. Fruit flies enjoy moist environments where they can find food waste — especially something sweet.
Fruit Fly Prevention
Now that we understand what attracts fruit flies, it becomes easier to see how they can be prevented. Keeping food off of the counter and either in the refrigerator or in a tightly sealed container is a great start, and you can also get into the habit of emptying your trash cans frequently, cleaning out your mop after use, rinsing out empty soda cans and juice bottles, and cleaning your drains and garbage disposals. Fruit flies will not make a home in an area that does not provide them with food, but once they find a food source, even if you continue to keep that area clean, chances are they will stick around and find another food source.
How to Get Rid of an Infestation
If you are currently experiencing a fruit fly infestation, you understand how obnoxious they can be. These swarming flies can also be a health hazard by contaminating your food. So, for a pest that is so difficult to get rid of, how do you successfully remove them from your home?
First, you’ll want to start by ensuring that everything is clean, and any areas that we mentioned above are free from food and moisture. After that, you can attempt some DIY treatments, but these tend to have mediocre outcomes at best. After all, each time a fruit fly lays eggs, you have the possibility of hundreds of more fruit flies claiming your home as their own. The best way to ensure that you get rid of fruit flies for good is to contact your local pest control company. Professional pest control can ensure that every fruit fly and egg is removed from your home and that they don’t return any time soon.
Reach Out to the Sacramento Pest Control Experts
If you’re struggling with fruit flies in your Sacramento home or business, the team at Earthwise Pest Management can help. Our pest control experts will ensure that those pesky pests are removed from your home for good. Reach out to us today, ask about our fruit fly control services, and we’ll get you started with a free estimate.