Fruit flies often seem to come out of nowhere and suddenly swarm your home. These notorious household pests are commonly found in the kitchen and can be a terrible nuisance. These flies are also common in restaurants, grocery stores, compost heaps, and trash places.Â
However, where do fruit flies lay their eggs?
Fruit flies mostly lay their eggs in drains, trash bags, garbage disposals, empty cans, and of course, on and inside of fruit.
They are attracted to decaying and overripe fruits and vegetables and fly around in groups. These pests spread bacteria, and it can be tricky to eliminate them. Therefore, it is important to limit the presence of fruit flies in your home.
In this article, we’re going to look at:
- Where do fruit flies lay their eggs?
- How do fruit flies get into the house?
- How to get rid of fruit flies in your home
Where Do Fruit Flies Lay Their Eggs?Â
Fruit flies lay their eggs in areas close to the food supply. They are attracted to fruits, vegetables, and the garage. Some of the common areas you’ll find them laying their eggs are:
1. Trash Cans
This is one of their favorite breeding grounds. Trash cans supply fruit flies with food, rotting food that produces methane gas that they find attractive. Besides the food supply, trash cans offer warmth and protection, creating ideal conditions for laying their eggs.
It becomes worse during summer since the warmth enhances the food scent, making the trash cans more appealing to the flies.
2. Drains
Fruit flies love flying around overripe fruits and decaying matter, and drains offer a great habitat where they can access food. Therefore, it is no surprise to find fruit fly eggs attached to the various drainage systems, especially in the kitchen.
Fruit flies love flying around overripe fruits and decaying matter.
Note that many people suggest pouring bleach down the drain if you’ve got a fly infestation. We don’t think that’s a good idea, because bleach can be trapped in the plumbing. And if you later pour ammonia down there, you can poison yourself.
It’s much better and safer to pour boiling water down the drain.
3. On Fruit and In Fruit
Fruit flies love fruit. It’s in their name, after all! They consume fruit for food, and are constantly found swarming around rotten fruit.
Fruit flies can lay their eggs on and inside fruit, and are a particular menace when rotting fruit is left out on the counter for too long (we’re looking at you, bananas!). Fruit flies can burrow into fruit and lay their eggs, particularly if the fruit is already beginning to rot and whatever outer skin or peel has begun to decay.
Fruit flies can burrow into fruit and lay their eggs, particularly if the fruit is already beginning to rot and whatever outer skin or peel has begun to decay.
The larva will feed on the fruit as it rots, and as they grow, they will infest other fruits. This is common when fruit is damaged in a grocery store.
4. Garbage Disposals
Garbage disposals are not their favorite breeding ground because they get cleaned regularly. Properly maintaining your kitchen space makes it easier to spot and eliminate the laid eggs.
However, if you leave your garbage disposals unattended, the foul odor attracts the fruit flies and causes the pests to flock around the area.Â
6. Empty Bottles and Cans
One of the common characteristics of fruit flies is their strong sense of smell and taste. Bottles and cans containing soda, beer, juice, or sweetened drinks attract fruit flies.
They can easily trace sugar and yeast in empty bottles since they contain high nutritional value.Â
This is why it is common to find adult flies laying their eggs in these containers until the young ones can fend for themselves.
7. Trash Bags
Trash bags also have the rotting scent that these flies find attractive. These bags have everything these pests need to survive and breed. In addition, the trash bags are rarely cleaned. Therefore, their eggs have less disturbance.Â
8. Cleaning Rags and Mops
Cleaning rags and mops contain biofilm and organic matter that support larvae development. Old and dirty cleaning rags attract fruit flies, making them a common breeding ground. These flies feed on the food residue and love the moist environment created.
However, if you observe basic hygiene measures, there is no need to worry.Â
9. Around Stagnant WaterÂ
Stagnant water found in dug-outs, discarded cans, and roofs is a common breeding ground for these flies. You’ll commonly find the eggs and larvae in the gardens and other spaces with untreated stagnant water.
Finding their eggs in your basements, bathrooms, crawl spaces, and kitchen sinks is also possible. You may even find them in the bathroom, and often they seem to settle on the mirror where they may smell residue from your fruity hair care products.
10. Around Light SourcesÂ
Light sources naturally attract fruit flies because of the positive phototaxis. Light sources produce heat that keeps their bodies warm and functioning properly. Therefore, this creates the ideal habitat, and it is common to find them laying their eggs around well-lit rooms.
It is also important to mention that flies thrive better in warmer temperatures. This is why they choose to lay eggs in winter so their larvae can mature in spring.Â
How Do Fruit Flies Get in Your House?Â
Prevention is better than cure, and that’s why it is essential to understand how fruit flies access your home. It is important to state that the presence of fruit flies in your home is not an indication of poor basic hygiene.
These flies are very tiny, and it is very easy for them to make their way to any home.Â
From the Market
The most common way the fruit flies get to your home is by hiding in fruits and other groceries. When you go to the market to buy your veggies, these pests ride in your bag, and you transport them to your home.
Other common entry points include:Â
2. Through the WindowsÂ
Windows, especially kitchen windows, are common entry points for fruit flies. These spaces expose the fruits, vegetables, and trash cans to these pests. It can be difficult to regulate this entry point since it can be tricky to keep them closed during hot days.
3. DoorsÂ
Doors, especially those kept regularly open, provide a way for the flies to enter your home. They act the same way as windows; however, controlling their opening and closing is easier.
4. DrainsÂ
Drains are common breeding grounds and also ideal entry points. These spots attract them, and once they build their home there, you’ll notice they start hovering in your space.
5. Cracks and HolesÂ
Once they smell overripe fruits and garbage in your home, fruit flies attract, and they can use the small cracks and holes to enter.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your HomeÂ
It can be challenging to control fruit flies because of their tiny size. This makes it easy to transmit bacteria, posing a huge health risk to you and your family. Therefore, if you’ve noticed them in your home, here are some practical methods to eliminate them.
The best way is to maintain good hygiene. Actions such as cleaning your trash cans and storing veggies and fruits in paper bags or in the fridge (though fruit flies can survive in the fridge for several hours) will make a difference. Cleaning your kitchen space and fixing leaking pipes are good ways to prevent these pests.
The concept here is to limit their food and water supply. There are other ways to eliminate them, and you can choose to do this either naturally or manually.Â
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
You can use natural ways to repel fruit flies from your space, such as employing various plants. As much as fruit flies are attracted to fruits and vegetables, there are certain plants that they avoid.
For instance, you can try using plants such as Basil, laurel, wormwood, pennyroyal, rosemary, citronella grass, and tansy.Â
Basil, laurel, wormwood, pennyroyal, rosemary, citronella grass, and tansy produce scents that naturally repel flies.
These plants produce scents that naturally repel flies and other pests. While we love the idea of using a Venus Flytrap to consume fruit flies, it doesn’t work well. The flies are too small to trigger the Flytrap’s sensors, and even if the Trap gets them, fruit flies can often escape.
Animal predators also hunt fruit flies, such as spiders, iguanas, frogs, geckos, and chameleons. The advantage of using these natural methods is that they do not involve harmful chemicals.
Manual Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
The natural methods discussed above are not as effective as eliminating the flies manually. That is why most people use manual methods that involve luring and eliminating flies.
One of the best ways is to get a fly spray and spray the chemicals to the common habitat and breeding grounds. Many fly sprays are available, and you should get one that repels the flies, even after application.Â
If you’re not a fan of using chemicals, especially around sensitive kitchen spaces, you can use glue traps; that is much safer and easier. These traps contain food scents that the flies find irresistible and attracted to. Once they land on the trap, the glue instantly immobilizes them, and they eventually die.
Those who manage to escape will not cause much damage since the glue affects their flying abilities, and you can use other methods to regulate them.Â
We have discussed that light attracts fruit flies, which you can use to your advantage. You can get a light zapper that naturally attracts and eliminates them. This common trick is used on mosquitos and also on fruit flies.
You can make a fruit fly trap with apple cider vinegar and soap. This can work well but is sometimes hit or miss. Click here to learn why yours isn’t working well.
The benefit of this method is that electric zappers come in various forms, and some options cover common entry points such as windows and doors.Â
What if you spot the fruit fly eggs and larvae in your kitchen, garbage, or basement? There are also other effective methods to use to get rid of these eggs that include:
- Vacuuming – You can use your vacuum to clean up the eggs; the vacuuming property sucks and cleans the smallest of eggs. You can decide to wipe or sweep areas the vacuum cleaner cannot access.
- You can also sprinkle some salt on their breeding grounds. Salt is a natural repellent for some pests, and leaving it on the fruit fly eggs kills them and the larvae.
- Pouring boiling water instantly kills eggs and larvae. However, it is not an ideal control measure for fruit flies.
ConclusionÂ
Fruit flies are almost always found around fruit and veggies that are rotting or getting overripe. If you can control the foods on your counters, you’ll be in good shape. They are also found in drains and around food waste areas. Cover your compost bin, clean your trash cans (and the lids), etc.
Fruit flies are health hazards since they transmit bacteria, and the best way to ensure you eliminate their presence is to get rid of their eggs.
Good luck!
