a new fly in the kitchen
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 Instead, the harmless little fruit fly has been replaced by a frenzied cousin of similar size but with a predeliction for a much wider range of foods.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) |
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