On 20 Sep 2005 22:27:10 -0700, "Bernard Arnest"
wrote:

Hi,
This is my first year in college. I've been buying a lot of fruit as
it is relatively inexpensive, delicious, healthy, and takes no
preparation time. I've also noticed some gnat-like insects buzzing
around my fruit, for the firs time ever (never saw them at home). I've
never seen them before. But, only around my fruit, and I do recall
having read about fruit flies as food for baby pet tarantulas and the
like, available in wingless form at petsmart, so making the connection
I dare to call these pesky gnats fruit flies.

Are they only found around overripe/rotting fruit? If I eat my fruit
fast enough, I won't see them...? Or vice versa, do these flies
themselves cause fruit to go overripe and/or rotten? Which comes
first, the chicken or the egg (overripe fruit or the flies)? Are they
an issue to be concerned about?


thanks for your advice!
-Bernard Arnest


IIRC, adult fruit flies lay their eggs on the fruit's surface, and
what you're seeing are the flies that hatch a few days after you buy
your fruit. If you rinse fruit off with water (no soap needed) as
soon as you bring them home from the store, that should remove the
eggs and eliminate the problem.

Jacqueline