Fruit Fly

Near ripening or fermenting fruit, vegetables, and other organic matter in homes, restaurants, and food processing plants.

Larvae and adults feed on yeast and microorganisms found in fermenting fruit and organic sludge.

Attracted to the smell of fermentation; they have a very rapid life cycle (egg to adult in about 8-10 days) and are most active in the daytime.

Primarily a nuisance pest that can contaminate food with bacteria (like salmonella or E. coli), though they are invaluable in genetic and biological research.