Common Fruit Fly

Fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic materials. The reproductive potential of fruit flies is enormous and if given the opportunity, they will lay about 500 eggs. Their entire lifecycle from egg to adult can be completed in approximately a week. Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. However, they can also breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. All that is required for development is a moist film of fermenting material. Infestations can originate from over-ripened fruits or vegetables that were previously infested and brought into the home, or adults can fly in from outside through inadequately screened windows and doors. Fruit flies are primarily nuisance pests, yet, they do have the potential to contaminate food with bacteria and other disease-producing organisms.