Is the Pesky Problem Worse this Year?
By Diana Fairbanks
Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 3:07 p.m.
Read more: Local, Agriculture, Fact Finder, Fruit Flies, Diana Fairbanks, Fact Finder
One of the joys of late summer is all of the sweet summer fruit. But when you bring it home, you may have a few unwelcome guests tagging along for the ride: fruit flies.
A viewer wrote saying the fruit flies at her house seem worse this year and she wanted to know why and what she can do about it.
The answer is tonight's fact finder report.
This is the season for some of the sweetest fruit of the year and we aren't the only ones who enjoy it. So do fruit flies.
Erin Lizotte, Integrated Pest Management Educator with the MSU Horticulture research station says
"We tend to see them coming out this time. They're attracted to the produce we're harvesting or bringing into our homes from the area."
These little insects have a big appetite, and love company.
Lizotte says, "An individual female fruit fly can lay between 500 and 2,000 eggs which will hatch around 24 hours later."
That can mean a small fly can create a big problem in no time.
After a recent battle with the bugs, a viewer wrote in wondering if the fruit fly problem was worse this year.
But fruit pest experts say while it may be bad in your kitchen that may be an isolate incident.
Lizotte says, "I don't know of they are any worse this year than other seasons."
But one thing is certain.
Lizotte says, "This is definitely the season they show up and they remain until the produce disappears."
When's that? Winter, basically.
So what can you do about it?
Lizotte says, "The best thing to do is to prevent the initial infestation. That would be cleaning your fruit off, putting it in the fridge, keeping it in a cool spot."
But hiding your fruit isn't the only thing. You should also make sure to hide any bread, tie up your garbage and clean your sink, because those flies are also attracted to yeasts and slime molds.
Lizotte says, "They are attracted to different things. Let's say you have some gunk in your sink, they'll breed on that, anywhere there's decomposition going on."
One of the most effective ways to get rid of fruit flies is pretty simple, just start with a little wine or vinegar.
Lizotte says, "You just put a little in the bottom of the glass, put some saran wrap over the top, poke some holes with a fork. They'll be attracted to that, go in and not be able to get out. It's just an old fashioned trap that's pretty effective."
And keep in mind, while the fruit fly is annoying, Lizotte says it isn't harmful.
"It’s a pesky fly it bothers you but it doesn't cause any health issues."
Oh, and if you were wondering, she says there is no difference between fruit you buy at the market, or the fruit you buy at a road side stand. Fruit flies don't discriminate.
What do you think about the fruit flies this year? Do they seem worse at your house? Do you have a great trick to get rid of them?
Leave your comments below.
