What is generally known under the name of fruit or fruit fly bears the melodious Latin name Drosophilidae and is also called under the term fruit fly. While the general name of the fruit or fruit fly comes from its preference, it mainly refers to rotting fruit or fermenting substances to settle down, the name fruit fly was created by the behavior of the small insect: It prefers to fly in the morning and in the evening when the dew falls forms. In Austria, like all two-winged birds, the small flies are called mosquitoes.
The habitats of fruit and fruit flies
Love fruit and fruit flies, as the name suggests, fruit and above all those that are already lightly pressed on. This happens quickly and just a touch of a finger is enough to start what is initially a minimal process of putrefaction. The nectar fermenting through this process attracts them To fly and ensures that they multiply at a record-breaking speed. But how do they multiply?
Even if the animals are so small, they mate and even use a courtship for this. This process is used to detect and identify virgin females whose attractant is being used by
- There are more than 3,000 species of fruit flies worldwide.
- Approx. 50 species.
- There are wild species that need the habitat of woody plants.
- There are cultural followers that can be found in the human habitat.
What living conditions do the fruit flies need?
With the fruit flies it is the same as with wasps and bees, they smell from a great distance where something rotten is standing or lying around. Especially in summer, when the ripe fruit can be found in abundance in the garden, they appear out of nowhere. But not only the garden fruit, but also the fruit bought in the supermarket or at the fruit dealer attracts the fruit fly. It can also be infested with fruit fly larvae, so you can bring them into your home. Considering that a female fruit fly can lay her eggs in a fruit bag, the damage is easy to imagine.
Fruit flies like it warm, like many other animals, to reproduce. They can hatch best at 25 ° C, because the fruit fly actually comes from the tropics. The most common types of culture followers are called:
- Drosophila melanogaster
- Sophophora simulans
- Drosophila funebris
Drosophila melanogaster is the most common fruit fly in our regions. It becomes up to three millimeters long, has a yellow-brown color and red eyes. It is the most widely researched subject in genetics. A pair of flies parents can quickly grow to 100,000 offspring in one month. One big mystery, however, has not yet been resolved: Where do the fruit flies go in winter?
Prevent the infestation of fruit with fruit and fruit flies
While fruit flies can be useful for research, they are not at all popular with consumers. Fruit and fruit flies not only ensure that the fruit rots faster, they also transmit germs and bacteria. The fruit fly not only stays on the fruit in the fruit bowl, it also flies on organic waste that is collected in kitchens or apartments. Just because of the transmission of germs, fruit or fruit juice should always be kept well covered and, in summer, best stored in the refrigerator.
Tip: Wash out fruit bowls more often in summer
There are small hoods made of mesh or fine mesh on the market that are placed over the fruit basket to keep the fruit flies away. But if the grating is too coarse, the little flies can easily crawl through it. This may be a solution for some housewives, but it is not very practical. These basic rules of conduct should help to reduce or even prevent infestation with fruit flies:
- Put used dishes and cutlery in the dishwasher or wash them immediately.
- Rinse open empties as well, fruit flies also like juice or lemonade.
- Empty garbage and compost bins regularly and keep them meticulously clean.
Fruit fly traps are very effective
With these basic rules of behavior one can reduce the ideal habitat for the fruit flies. If you still
ensures that the fruit does not stand around openly, the number of small pests will noticeably decrease. If there are already fruit flies in the apartment, so-called fruit can be usedfly traps Remedy to be created. These traps either work on the principle of a glue trap or are self-made.- Build your own trap
All you need is some sweet juice, preferably apple juice and a little washing-up liquid. Put some apple juice in a small bowl. The sweet smell attracts the fruit flies. But if a fruit fly goes to the juice, this does not mean that it has been successfully fought. The surface tension of the juice is often so great that the flies do not perish, but can escape the trap. If you put a few drops of washing-up liquid in the bowl, this reduces the surface tension and the fruit flies cannot escape the trap, but are immediately caught by the mixture.
Tip: Fruit fly traps for filling with vinegar are commercially available
If you do not want the animals to die by drowning in spite of the unpleasant presence, you can also ensure that they are caught in other ways. In this case a Bananastray placed in an open plastic bag. When a large number of animals have gathered on it, the closed bag is transported outside, where the flies are either released or go into the garbage can.
- Yellow stickers
Yellow stickers are yellow plastic sheets that are coated with an adhesive. The yellow color attracts the fruit flies and once touched, the fruit fly can no longer escape the glue. For aesthetic reasons, the blackboards should not be laid out in the middle of the kitchen table, but rather in niches and on the window sill and replaced with new ones more often.
