Western Exterminators - Pest Control Services California, Arizona, Nevada

Flies: Blow Fly, Bottle Fly | Fruit Fly (small), Vinegar Fly | Fungus Gnats, Root Gnats | House Fly

	Common name:	Latin name:	Class:	Order:	Family:
	Fruit Fly (small), Vinegar Fly	Drosophila spp	Insecta	Diptera	Drosophilidae

	Size:
	Adults are about 1/8 inch (3-4 mm) long, including wings.
	Characteristics:
	Adults have antenna with a feathery bristles; wings with thickened front margins, intersected in two places. Mature larvae are eyeless, legless, and tapered from large rounded rear to a pair of dark mouth hooks at the "head" end.
	Color:
	Adults are dull tan to brownish yellow or brownish black; eyes usually bright red. Larvae are nearly white, except mouth hooks which are black, and the tips of the abdominal breathing pores which are yellowish.
	Where Found:
	Worldwide, throughout the United States. Common in homes, restaurants, supermarkets, or wherever food is allowed to rot and ferment.
	Comparison:
	True fruit flies are in the family Tephritidae, a different group. Small Dung Flies have wings with thickened front margins broken in three places. Humpbacked Flies have humpback appearance. Moth/Drain/Sewage Flies have body and wing veins covered densely with hairs. Fungus Gnats and Dark Winged Fungus Gnats are more mosquito-like, with long legs, slender, and antenna without the bristle.
	Habitat:
	Live and breed in and around their food source. Fruits or briny substances. Look for infested product and source of these flies near were you find greatest concentration of flying adults.
	Food:
	Small Fruit Flies develop on fruit. Vinegar Flies develop in briny or vinegar-like liquids at the top of poorly sealed canned fruits and vegetables.
	Biology:
	Females lay eggs near surface of fermenting fruits and vegetables or in poorly sealed jars of these foods. Eggs take about 30 hours to hatch. Larvae develop in brine or vinegar of fermenting material. They feed near the surface, mostly on the yeast, for 5-6 days and go to drier places to pupate. Newly emerged adults mate in about 2 days. The life cycle may be completed within 8-10 days at 85 degrees F (29 degrees C).
	Damage:
	Nuisance pests which also transmit disease. Can contaminate food with bacteria and other disease-producing organisms.
	Invasion:
	Small enough to go through ordinary screens.
	Control:
	Sanitation and elimination of breeding sites is critical in controlling this fly. The breeding site and food source are the same with this insect. Most adults will be seen close to their food/breeding area. Applications of aerosol pesticides will give only temporary relief if the breeding site is not eliminated. Careful inspection is necessary and it is important to look for items that may have been dropped under furniture or appliances. One small piece of rotting fruit can produce many fly larvae and adults. If a drain is the suspected breeding source, you can cover it with plastic wrap. If it is the source, you will see adult flies on the underside. Some drain lines may have to be professionally cleaned. Finding and eliminating the source is the best way to achieve long-term control. When using any pesticide, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions.