I've seen no vinegar flies hovering over the fruit bowl these past
two years. Instead, the harmless little fruit fly has been replaced
by a frenzied cousin of similar size but with a predeliction for a
much wider range of foods. Two most notable characteristics of this
newcomer are its restless jerky way of walking, and it's refusal to
be chased. Put out a slice of bread and a fly will be onto it in the
blink of an eye, walking everywhere in a random pattern. No amount
of handwaving will drive it off; I end up having to pick it off.
Pour a glass of milk, and in no time a fly will drop in to walk all
over the liquid's surface. If left alone the fly will usually lose
interest and leave, try to chase it and I end up having to fish it
out of the drink.

They fly too fast to be seen "on the wing" -- they simply leave one
spot and reappear at another. I can't figure out where they breed,
but if left unchecked their number just keeps increasing. They don't
congregate near fruit, or anything that I can see. Not wishing to
spray insecticide around, I hung up a couple of those old-fashioned
sticky fly strips and soaked up hundreds of flies in just one week.

These flies could easily be mistaken for a sandfly, same size, same
colour. Where have the vinegar flies gone, and where do these pesky
gatecrashers hail from? Maybe these are an exotic import?

Anyone else have them?
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)