Fruit Fly Don’t Bother Me

Many Encinitas residents have reported invasions of fruit flies in their kitchens and pantries. Perhaps better known as Drosophila melanogaster, fruit flies are attracted to unrefrigerated produce. They enter homes as undetected adults or eggs on store-bought or homegrown produce.

Fruit flies look like miniature versions of house flies. Although not as quick as house flies at evading swats, their life cycle is shorter, and their reproduction is faster and more abundant. Fruit flies also hide better than house flies because they’re so small. These factors help fruit flies persist. 

Any victim of a fruit fly invasion who thinks he or she has rid the kitchen and pantry environment of the flies will usually find lingering specimens.

Scientists use fruit flies for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and life history evolution. The flies are used in research due to their rapid life cycle, relatively simple genetics (only four pairs of chromosomes), and large number of offspring per generation. Through 2017, five Nobel Prizes have been awarded to drosophilists for their work with fruit flies.

Although seen as pests, fruit flies have made significant contributions to humankind.

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