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Fruit Fly Identification
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What’s a Fruit Fly?
There are two families of fruit flies
Fruit flies can contaminate food
Common Fruit Fly – There are two species of fruit fly that appear most often, the Red Eyed Fruit Fly and the Dark Eyed Fruit Fly. The dark-eyed species is larger than its’ red-eyed cousin and is becoming more common in commercial kitchens. Where the red-eyed species prefers to congregate and breed in rotting fruits and vegetables the dark-eyed variety prefers floor drains, beer taps, under cracked floor tiles, under tiles at wall edges, and have been found in the dirty feet of kitchen equipment.
Appearance: Adults are about 1/8th to 1/6th of an inch long and usually have bright to dark red eyes. The dark-eyed species eyes are red, but are so dark they appear black. The front portion of the body is tan and the rear portion is black.
Life Cycle:
Fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic materials. Upon emerging from an egg, the tiny larvae continue to feed near the surface of the fermenting mass. One female will lay about 500 eggs. The entire life cycle from egg to adult can be completed in less than two weeks.
Health Concerns:
Fruit flies cause contamination of fruit and fruit products. They can carry disease that can be transferred to food.