Avoid Fruit Flies This Fall

September 8, 2017

In: Flies

While not typically lumped in with other overwintering pests, fruit flies can definitely be more of a problem in the fall than they are the rest of the year. Like other insects, they are cold-blooded. That means that their body temperature rises and falls with the temperature of the air. When it gets cold, they will look for a place to hide from the cold. This can bring them into our homes.

How do you prevent a tiny fly from getting into your home? You don't. Besides exploiting the many holes your home has, fruit flies can also fly right in through the front door when you come in or go out. They are also able to ride into your home on the items you're carrying. Sealing them out is simply not possible.

When fruit flies come in, they will be drawn to any organic food matter that is ripening or rotting. This is because they lay their eggs in these fermenting foods. Preventing this is the most important way we can avoid a fruit fly infestation.

4 Ways To Prevent Fruit Fly From Breeding

• If you tend to leave fruit out, consider putting it in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat it. If there are fruit fly eggs already on the fruit, the cold temperatures in your fridge will keep them from hatching. But, more importantly, it will keep any fruit fly that gets into your home this fall from using your fruit as a breeding site.
• We put lots of food into our trash. Some of those foods are ideal for fruit flies to lay their eggs. If you don't bring your trash out daily, consider putting it into a sealed container. It takes fruit fly eggs between 24 and 30 hours to hatch.
• If you have kids, it is important to teach them to keep food in the dining room and kitchen. Children have an amazing propensity for leaving food to rot in hidden places, such as an apple lying on the floor behind the couch.
• When you're done drinking a cup of juice, be sure to take care of it. The remnants in the bottom of a cup are more than enough to allow fruit flies to breed.

The best way to avoid fruit flies, and a whole bunch of other bugs that can get into your home, is to have ongoing pest control from an experienced and educated pest control professional. If you live in our Massachusetts or Connecticut service area, take a quick look at our Pest Guard program and see how adding this service for your yard and your home is not only a quality of life improvement but also essential protection for those you love.