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

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

In article .com,
"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


They will lay eggs on your fruit and cause it to rot faster.
Keep all fruit (except bannanas) in the refrigerator.

I make fruit fly traps that work REALLY well using an old wine bottle
and a mix of orange juice with a little fruit wine in the bottom of the
bottle. Add water to 3" or so. They fly in there and drown.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

I hate fruit flies and this is the time of year for them. wash your fruit as
soon as you bring it home and for the next month stay away from bananas (
they seem to be the worse for flies) and only buy what you can eat in a day
or two.

They are just a nuisance and will be gone soon enough.
try making a catcher for the ones you already have. take a small bottle put
in a small piece of banana peel in, and cover with clear wrap with a small
hole poked into the middle. they will fly in but can't get out.

--
Lynn
"Bernard Arnest" wrote in message
oups.com...
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

Get rid of all the old beer bottles too... or just use one as a trap.
Well, he is in college!

John!

In article .com,
"GA Pinhead" wrote:

Get rid of all the old beer bottles too... or just use one as a trap.
Well, he is in college!

John!


Bottle traps for fruit flies work very, very well!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

"Bernard Arnest" writes:
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

They sound like vinegar flies. They are attracted by decaying fruit, but
then stay around for the season. They are harmless. You can try getting
rid of them using the hoover. They usually hang out on the ceiling, or
under a ledge, etc., so hoover them up where ever you see them roosting.
They are probably Drosophila. Do they have big red eyes? ISTM that their
most alluring attractant is ripe banana or rotting apple or plum.

But as I said, they are harmless and don't affect the fresh fruit. I'd
say they probably breed in discarded or decaying peel, so don't keep it
around.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

Do you know the detial information about Navel Orange?

It will be supprise to you.

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