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Fruit Fly (Drosophila species)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
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What Is a Fruit Fly?
Fruit flies are small flies attracted to anything fermenting: overripe bananas and mangoes, spilled juice, beer, wine, soda cans and the film inside drains. A female lays her eggs right on the surface of that moist material, and the tiny larvae feed there. Because the cycle is short in warm weather, a single forgotten potato or onion can keep a kitchen full of flies.
How to Identify Them
Fruit flies are tiny, light tan and slow, and they hover around the counter in a loose cloud. Most have obvious red eyes. Drain flies are about the same size but gray, fuzzy and moth-like; see drain fly. Fungus gnats are thin and dark and hang around overwatered houseplants.
Life Cycle
Females lay tiny eggs on the surface of fermenting food or the moist film in drains. The larvae feed in that thin wet layer, then move to a slightly drier spot to pupate. In a warm kitchen the whole cycle is short, so a small problem can turn into a cloud of flies within a couple of weeks.
Look-alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Drain flies: gray, fuzzy and moth-like, resting flat on bathroom walls.
- Fungus gnats: slender and dark with long legs, hovering around houseplant soil rather than fruit.
- Phorid flies: small, humpbacked flies that run in quick, jerky bursts; often tied to drains, broken pipes or decaying material, and harder to get rid of than fruit flies.
- No-see-ums: tiny biters outdoors near water; fruit flies never bite.
Where They Hide in South Florida Homes
Check the fruit bowl, under the sink, the garbage disposal, recycling bins, the bottom of the trash can under the bag liner, pantry bins with potatoes or onions, and the area under the refrigerator where spills collect. Bars, ice machines and floor drains are common sources in restaurants.
When to Call a Pro
If you've removed ripe produce and cleaned drains and the flies are still there after a week or two, there's probably a hidden source. Small humpbacked flies that run rather than hover can point to phorid flies and a plumbing issue, which is worth having inspected.
Signs of Fruit Flies
- Small flies around the fruit bowl, trash or recycling
- Flies rising out of the sink drain or garbage disposal
- Flies gathering at the rim of wine glasses or open drinks
- Larvae (tiny white "worms") in rotten produce or under bin liners
Is it dangerous?
- Contamination
A nuisance that contaminates food; very common in kitchens, bars and restaurants.
Prevention Tips
- Refrigerate ripe fruit, or eat it quickly; don't leave peels on the counter.
- Rinse cans and bottles before putting them in recycling.
- Clean drains and the disposal with a brush, not just bleach poured down.
- Empty and dry mop buckets and rags.
- Check pantry bins for rotting potatoes and onions.
How Pro-Spray Helps With Fruit Flies
Sprays alone don't fix fruit flies; the source has to go. We inspect kitchens, drains, bars and storage areas to find the breeding material, show you what to clean out, and apply targeted treatments such as drain treatments or baits labeled for flies where they help. Commercial kitchens often benefit from regular service. Our Bug Free Guarantee: If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do fruit flies come from?
Do apple cider vinegar traps work?
Why do fruit flies keep coming back after I throw out the fruit?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
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