Fruit Flies

These pests may be small, but they are mighty annoying. They are attracted to overripe fruits as well as other sources that are high is fructose. Females will lay their eggs on the food source which will be devoured by the larvae once they hatch. The life cycle of the fruit fly is quite short, however females can lay up to 400 eggs per day. Once hatched and fully formed, fruit flies will start mating in just 2 days. This is why dealing with a fruit fly problem can be tricky. Just eliminating the adults won’t make the problem go away.

Fruit flies are small in size and are yellow/brown in colouring. Female fruit flies are slightly bigger than males, but still only reaching roughly 2.5mm in size. They typically have red eyes and rings around their abdomen.

As mentioned above, fruit flies love sugary substances. It is best practice to check any fruit you have in your fruit bowl as this may be where eggs are laid, removing any overripe fruits. Due to their preferred food sources, they are typically found in the kitchen, so it is good to make sure that all spillages are cleaned up immediately and kitchen sides are wiped and cleaned regularly.

Pests on a whole are very resourceful so making sure your home is cleaned regularly is a great way to deter any potential pest problems.