We call them generically fruit flies, but there are several species and some even prefer vegetables, in fact, these are usually the origin of the small infestation in your home (but let’s get to the point).
The researcher at the University of Lisbon (UL) dedicated to these insects, Margarida Matos, says that there is no reason to worry: neither with the eggs or larvae that we swallow without realizing it, nor with the adults themselves. An exception is made for the “spotted-winged” species, Drosophila suzukiithat attacks healthy fruits and has become a pest in orchards, with real damage to agricultural production.
On the other hand, the species that appear at home —some more in the mild seasons (spring and autumn), others with the heat of summer and another even in winter— don’t spoil the fruit, don’t worry. If you see them in the fruit bowl it is because the fruits were already too ripe or crushed and the little insects are simply enjoying a good meal.
In fact, explains Margarida Matos, often the fruit flies we tried to keep away at home came with the potatoes and onions. The fruit spends less time in the baskets before being consumed or goes to the garbage as soon as we realize that it is rotten, and that solves the problem. Potatoes and onions, on the other hand, sometimes spoil “inside” and spend much more time in some hidden corner of the kitchen, which gives more time for the larvae to develop and for the adults to go in. search for food.
Researcher at the Faculty of Sciences of the UL I don’t know if there were more fruit flies this year or not — You would have had to make these measurements in field experiments (which you didn’t), but find some explanation for the perception that you may have had more of these insects flying around the house than usual.
To begin with, the spring was warmer than usual, which may have motivated the early appearance of summer species, says Margarida Matos, except that only field work could have confirmed it. And even with the end of summer and the beginning of fall, temperatures are still high.
Also, with high temperatures, the generation time is shorter, which means that we can have a house full of these little flyers faster. The majority, in the heat, the fruit rots easily and food for fruit flies is available.
Contrary to this idea of an exaggerated aftershock, Margarida Matos recalls that the temperatures reached during the heat waves are excessive even for summer fruit flies like the Drosophila melanogasterwhich may well have decreased at that time (again, the researcher warns that she does not have quantitative data).
That said, the only advice we can give you is common sense: eat the oldest fruits and vegetables first and don’t let the fruits age in the bowl or the fruit flies will eat them.
Source: Observadora
