Fruit Flies: Preferring “Soft” Over “Hard”
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), as the name suggests, are insects that love fruit, especially soft ones. Moreover, fruit flies are excellent materials for genetic research. Scientists have used them to confirm Mendelian inheritance laws and have discovered sex-linked inheritance through mutations like the white-eye trait. Today, let’s take a closer look at these creatures that prefer the “soft” over the “hard”!
Ⅰ.Biological Characteristics of Fruit Flies
1)Living Habits: Fruit flies typically inhabit decaying fruits, vegetables, and other fermented organic materials. Their life cycle includes four stages: egg, larva (maggot), pupa, and adult. Under warm conditions, the life cycle of a fruit fly can last only a few weeks, allowing them to reproduce rapidly. Each female fruit fly can lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, leading to a quick increase in fruit fly populations.
2)Sensory System: Fruit flies possess a well-developed sensory system, particularly in terms of smell and vision. Their compound eyes allow them to quickly detect changes in their surroundings, while their keen sense of smell helps them detect the odors released by rotting fruit. These features enable fruit flies to swiftly find food and breeding sites.
Ⅱ. A Preference for “Soft Fruits”
Fruit flies are less attracted to hard-skinned fruits like apples, citrus, and pomegranates. However, when the skins of these fruits begin to decay and soften, fruit flies will come drawn to them. In contrast, fruits with thin skins and juicy insides, such as cherries, blueberries, and grapes, see fruit flies arrive uninvited.
3. What Attracts Fruit Flies to Ripe or Decaying Fruits?
1)Odor Attraction: Ripe and rotting fruits release a variety of chemical substances, including alcohols, esters, and acids, which serve as food sources for fruit flies. They can keenly sense these odors and use them to locate food and breeding sites.
2)Rich Nutrition: Decaying fruits provide abundant nutrients, including sugars, amino acids, and trace elements. For fruit flies, these are ideal food sources that help in their growth and reproduction.
3)Suitable Environment: Ripe and decaying fruits offer a good living environment for fruit flies. In such settings, they can find ample food, and the fruit's soft tissue makes it easy for them to feed.
4)Breeding: Decaying fruits also provide suitable breeding grounds. Fruit flies typically lay their eggs on rotting fruits, and the hatched larvae can feed on the fruit, obtaining sufficient nutrition for their growth.
5)Less Competition: Ripe fruits are often the result of natural decline during plant growth, meaning fruit flies face less competition in these environments. Compared to fresh fruits, decaying ones are likely to attract fewer other insects, allowing fruit flies to monopolize the resources.
4. How Do Fruit Flies Enter Our Homes?
You might wonder, like I do, why fruit flies appear in our homes when the fruits we bring back are intact. This is because fruit flies lay their eggs on the surface of the fruit, preparing ample food for the larvae to grow. Therefore, many fruits bought from stores may carry fruit fly eggs, which hatch under suitable temperature conditions after a period, leading to fruit flies entering our homes. Additionally, some fruit flies may be attracted by the odors of decaying fruit, flying in through gaps in doors and windows.
5. How to Remove Fruit Flies?
The presence of fruit flies can be quite bothersome in our homes. So, how can we get rid of them? Fly Repellent Fan for Table can help address this issue.
The fly repellent fan works in two ways: First, it employs a flashing light technology that uses reflective blades to create discomfort for the fruit flies, effectively reducing their numbers. Second, the rotating blades bend and refract light, creating an 18-inch coverage area. The product also offers three different speed settings and four light modes to meet various needs and create different atmospheres, enhancing user flexibility and comfort. It is designed to be energy-efficient, ensuring comfortable lighting while reducing energy consumption. Additionally, the fan has a built-in 2500mAh large-capacity battery that provides 12 hours of continuous use, supporting quick charging for convenience. In summary, using this product allows you to enjoy a quiet, comfortable, energy-efficient, safe, and easy-to-use living environment.
Moreover, we can take the following measures to prevent fruit flies:
1)Maintain Cleanliness: Regularly clean the kitchen and dining areas, especially by removing decaying fruits and vegetables.
2)Store Food Properly: Keep food in sealed containers, particularly fruits that are likely to attract fruit flies.
3)Manage Waste: Dispose of garbage promptly and ensure that trash bins are covered to avoid creating an environment for fruit flies to thrive.
Quote：
https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef621
https://biology.ucdavis.edu/research/model-organisms/fruit-fly
https://www.orkin.com/pests/flies/fruit-flies/where-do-fruit-flies-come-from
https://www.arrowexterminators.com/learning-center/pest-library/flies/fruit-flies
https://mosalogic.com/products/mosalogic-fly-repellent-fan