Fruit Fly

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in kitchens, pantries, restaurants, and anywhere else where ripe or rotting fruits/vegetables are present. They are also found outdoors near decaying organic matter.

Diet & Feeding

Fermenting fruits and vegetables, sugary substances, yeasts, and sometimes other decaying organic matter.

Behavior Patterns

Fruit flies are attracted to ripe, fermenting, or rotting fruits and vegetables. They lay their eggs on these decaying materials, and the larvae feed on the yeast produced by the fermentation. They have a short life cycle, completing a generation in about 8-10 days at room temperature. They are often seen hovering around fruit bowls, garbage cans, or drains.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks include being a nuisance pest, contaminating food with bacteria and other microorganisms as they move between decaying matter and fresh food, and potentially spreading mold. They are generally not harmful to humans directly (do not bite or sting). Benefits are minimal in a human-centric view, but in nature, they play a role in decomposition.

Identified on: 8/13/2025