Fruit flies, in my opinion, are one of the most annoying flying pests I must regularly put up with.
For some reason (it might be my scent), they head straight for my face and won’t let up until I’ve killed it. They are frustrating outside my house, and it is frustrating when they get inside my house too!
But how do fruit flies get in your house? In this post, we are going to give you 7 common ways.
What you will learn in this post:
- How do fruit flies get in your house? 7 common ways they gain entry
- What causes fruit flies
- Frequently asked questions
How Do Fruit Flies Get In Your House – 7 Ways
Let’s look at the 7 most common ways a fruit fly will get into your house.
1. Window
The window has to be at the number 1 spot on this list! It is the most common reason you get ANY fly into your house, not just fruit flies.
To combat this, you could either:
- Keep windows closed
- Buy an insect zapper
- Get a covering for the window to stop insects from getting in
Keeping windows closed during hot days is a challenge. Fresh air is very welcome, right?
Flies can still get into your home when the windows are closed, though!
2. Doors
Like the window, doors are regularly opened to let visitors in or to let yourself in. When your door opens, you expose your home to a fruit fly.
The best way to combat this is to either:
- Buy a bug zapper
- Set up fly traps outside your door so they are attracted to them instead.
3. Drains
Fruit flies lay eggs in drain systems. If you did not notice a fruit fly in your home, you would have missed it laying eggs in your drain system!
3 to 4 days later, the larvae are now fruit flies. Each one of the eggs could hatch within minutes of each other, and you will notice a huge influx of fruit flies into your house.
4. Fruit
Fruit fly loves to lay their eggs inside your fruit. It gives the larvae something to eat as soon as they are born 1 day later.
You may have purchased the fruit earlier in the day, and when you bought the fruit into your home, you welcomed the fruit flies too! How do fruit flies get in your house… you may have bought them in!
It takes 2-3 days for the larvae to develop into a fruit fly. Suddenly, you will notice a large influx of fruit flies… probably in your kitchen!
5. Vegetables
Not only do fruit flies like laying eggs in your fruit, but they also lay eggs in your vegetables! Why? Because once they hatch, the larvae will immediately begin eating whatever food it is in.
Let’s say you picked up some vegetables from a store earlier in the day and have now transported them into your home. If any fruit fly eggs are in the fruit, they will hatch into larvae within 1 day.
After 2-3 days, they will develop fully into fruit flies. That is when you will notice their presence!
6. Entry Points
If a fruit fly gets the scent of fruit in your home, it will use any way necessary to get in. Fruit flies can use small cracks and holes in the structure of your home to gain entry.
You should perform regular inspections around your home to seal up any gaps, paying particular attention to door and window frames.
7. Larvae
Flies may have laid eggs outside your house, and the larvae have entered the building through a gap in the brickwork, a window, or a door.
Fruit fly larvae are tiny and white… so you may not have noticed them get into your house until it was too late.
After 2-3 days, they will progress to become fruit flies.
What Causes Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are attracted to many things in your home. Mostly, fruit, vegetables, and a water supply (standing water attracts fruit flies).
If you suffer from a regular fruit fly invasion, you should consider keeping fruit in a container, away from windows, doors, and other areas that fruit flies use to get into your house.
Also – you can buy traps or even make homemade traps to catch fruit flies. I like to use a bug zapper. All flying insects are attracted to this, and it stops them from flying toward my face, which is a bonus!
Prevention It is the Best Way
First things first, let’s talk prevention.
The key to keeping fruit flies out of your home is eliminating their main source of attraction: ripe or rotting fruits and vegetables. So, before your next grocery run, look in your fridge and pantry and get rid of any product that’s past its prime. And speaking of produce, store it properly in sealed containers or the fridge. This will prevent the fruit flies from smelling it and coming to visit.
Another way to keep them out is to keep windows and doors closed, especially during summer. Fruit flies are attracted to light and warmth, so shutting them out makes it harder for them to find their way in. And if you have a lot of plants in your home, make sure to regularly check for fruit fly infestations, as they love to lay their eggs in moist soil.
Let’s say you’ve been a little lax with your prevention measures, and the fruit flies have managed to sneak in.
Don’t panic!
There are still ways to get rid of them. One of the most effective ways is by using traps. You can make your own by filling a jar with apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap. The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar and stuck in the soap, unable to escape. You can also buy pre-made traps from your local hardware store.
Another option is to use pesticides, but we recommend using natural alternatives like diatomaceous earth or neem oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do fruit flies lay eggs in fruit?
Yes – fruit flies lay their eggs in fruit, which is one of the most common reasons you may have a sudden influx of fruit flies in your house. Fruit flies lay their eggs in food because it gives the larvae something to feast on when they are born, around 1 day after the eggs are laid.
Do fruit flies live in fruit?
Fruit flies do lay eggs in fruit however, the actual fruit fly does not live in fruit. The fruit fly larvae will spend their first 2 or 3 days inside the fruit, feasting on the flesh of the fruit.
How do fruit flies appear out of nowhere?
It may seem as if fruit flies appear from nowhere, but it is more likely to be that lots of them have appeared suddenly. This is usually the case because you have had a fruit fly lay eggs in a piece of fruit, a vegetable, or maybe even in your drain system, which is the most common reason you get fruit flies in the bathroom.
Conclusion
How do fruit flies get in your house? By using one of the 7 most common ways identified in this post! Now you know the most common ways you can protect against it.
Always check fruit and vegetables when you buy them, especially if they have been sold in a store when you notice several flies or other flying insects. Seal up those fly entry points fast too!
Now that you know the most common ways, you can reduce the chances of it happening again.
After all, fruit flies can carry bacteria to your food preparation surfaces, so you do not want them in your kitchen.
Good luck!
