Fruit Flies
Scientific group or name: Drosophilidae
Overview
Fruit flies are small flies attracted to fermenting plant material. Most common species are nuisance and hygiene pests rather than direct attackers of sound fruit.
Host plants
Ripe, damaged or fermenting fruit and organic residues.
Identification
Adults are small yellow-brown or dark flies, often with red eyes. Larvae are pale, legless maggots found in fermenting fruit or residues.
Damage and symptoms
Ordinary fruit flies mainly breed in damaged produce. Their presence indicates sanitation problems and can contaminate harvested crops or packing areas.
Lifecycle and favourable conditions
Warm temperatures, ripe fruit, juice residues, waste bins and drains favour rapid breeding.
Monitoring
Use bait traps to locate activity and inspect drains, waste containers, fallen fruit and damaged produce.
Management
Remove breeding material, clean spills, manage waste frequently and keep harvested produce cool. Distinguish ordinary fruit flies from spotted wing drosophila.
Biological control and natural enemies
Biological control is rarely the principal measure. Sanitation and removal of breeding sites are usually most effective.
Biological control should be selected only after the pest has been identified and the crop, temperature, growing environment and pest pressure have been considered.
Related BioWiki pages
This page provides general integrated pest-management information. Identification and control decisions should be confirmed for the crop and local situation.