Here\u2019s what we know about insect \u201cblood\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Fruit flies and insects don\u2019t have blood in the same way that humans and mammals do<\/li>
- Insects have hemolymph<\/a>, a clear liquid that usually appears yellow or green<\/li>
- Hemolymph is not circulated through blood vessels but rather through all of the tissue in the bug\u2019s body<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll notice that they leave behind a red smear when you do kill one. You may have wondered if this is blood, and the answer might surprise you! In this article, we’ll discuss what this red substance is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for an explainer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nDo Fruit Flies Have Blood? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pestqueen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/34549052_fruit-fly-on-a-blade-of-grass-in-the-meadow-e1662560270270-1024x680.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFruit flies do, indeed, have a blood-like substance, though this substance is vastly different from what we consider blood in other animals, like our fellow mammals. It serves a similar purpose but has a different appearance and is distributed through the insect\u2019s body differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u2018blood\u2019 found in most insects is generally a clear liquid known as hemolymph, which can sometimes have a yellow or green tint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u2018blood\u2019 found in most insects is generally a clear liquid known as hemolymph, which can sometimes have a yellow or green tint. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hemolymph circulates through the insect\u2019s body via an open circulatory system.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The blood is moved throughout the insect\u2019s tissues rather than through a series of blood vessels. So, when you swat an annoying fruit fly, all of its hemolymph is released, leaving a red stain that looks like blood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat Are Fruit Flies Drawn To?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pestqueen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/48048786_fly-eating-a-mango-fruit-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFruit flies didn\u2019t get their name for nothing! They are primarily drawn to fermenting fruits<\/a> and vegetables, but they can also be attracted by compost bins<\/a>, garbage disposals, drains<\/a>, trash bags, pet foods<\/a>, and mops.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are drawn to moist environments and food waste, though they only feed on food surfaces. So, your chances of accidentally ingesting one of these bugs are nearly zero if you\u2019re observant<\/a> enough. Their eggs are a different story, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhere Do They Lay Eggs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Vegetables and fruits are the most common places<\/a> for adult fruit flies to lay their eggs. To do so, the food needs to be rotting or overripe, as they won\u2019t try to burrow into food that is not already rotting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the conditions are favorable, adult fruit flies will breach the outer area of the vegetable or fruit and deposit their eggs within. However, overripe foods are not the only places where fruit flies will lay eggs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be on the lookout for small buildups of sludge, which fruit flies might utilize for laying their eggs. This kind of sludge usually manifests as a goopy mass of liquid and debris that collects inside garbage disposals, at the bottom of trash cans, in the seams of appliances, and inside plumbing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the smallest volume of sludge can host a few eggs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be on the lookout for small buildups of sludge, which fruit flies might utilize for laying their eggs. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nDo Fruit Flies Die in Winter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, winter weather will not cull fruit fly populations<\/a>. After all, in many parts of the world, winter can be quite warm, including inside homes! But cold temperatures will halt the development of new fruit fly generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Hemolymph is not circulated through blood vessels but rather through all of the tissue in the bug\u2019s body<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n