Key Features of Fruit Flies
Fruit Flies are very small flies and measure approximately 3mm in length. They have characteristic red eyes and travel by using a slow hovering flight in which their abdomen hangs down.
Biology
All Fruit Flies are associated with vegetables, rotting fruit and fermenting liquids. One specific variation of Fruit Fly breeds in sour milk.
If granted ideal conditions, the life cycle of the Fruit Fly, from egg to fully mature adult can take as short a period of time as just 8 days. Fruit Flies will lay their eggs on top of or near rotting fruit or vegetable matter. The larvae will then emerge from the eggs and will start to feed somewhere close to the surface of the fermenting material for a period of 5-6 days. The Fruit Fly larvae will then either move to a drier area on the food source or away from the food source altogether to pupate.
Because of the unsanitary areas that are frequented by Fruit Flies, they can quite easily pass disease causing bacteria onto food products.
