Start Of Fall Marks Peak Season For Fruit Flies

October 4, 2017

In: News

Western Mass News
By: Taylor Jacobs
By: Ryan Trowbridge, Web Content Manager
October 3rd, 2017

To read full article as it appeared on Western Mass News, click here.

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -The end of summer and start of fall is something many people looking forward to each year and it's not only people. 

Fruit flies like the change of seasons too and you've probably noticed.  They are out in force right now. 

Fruit flies are flying around at a higher clip than usual, said Bob Russell with American Pest Solutions.

"Right now, we're at the peak season for development and population," Russell noted.

Inside, outside, it doesn't really matter.  Russell said they follow the food.

"Fruits from trees that have fallen. Trash cans that have accumulation over the summer.  All that fermentation, all that liquid fermenting are food sources and breeding sites for flies," Russell explained.

However, the main reason you may have seen more flying around these last few weeks is simple: these temperatures that have been anything but fall like.

"This time of the year there is an abundance of them out there. Especially with that last week we had really warm temperatures," Russell said.

However, since their life cycles are so short and their size so teeny tiny, is there anything you can do to keep them out of your home?

"Eliminating the breeding sites, removing the fermentation sites - cleaning, drying up water sources. Those can all be done by homeowners," Russell added.

You'll want to act fast.  Russell told Western Mass News that within just a matter of days, these flies can go from egg to adult, populating your home in a flash.

"The adult can live up to 30 days and produce up to 500 eggs in a month, so you can see the ability for the population to explode is there," Russell said.