The most commonly encountered insect at home is ‘Drosophila melanogaster’ commonly known as Fruit Fly. These pesky pests can be found throughout the world, in homes, gardens, warehouse, grocery stores, wineries, restaurants etc. As the name suggests fruit flies commonly feed on fruits and other sugary substances. The fruit fly is most often found hovering around overly ripe fruit, fermenting materials, such as leftover beer or soft drinks, also are a favorite food of fruit flies.
Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs at a time near the surface of fermenting (ripening) foods or other organic materials. The entire life cycle from egg to adult takes only about eight to ten days so they proliferate with great rapidity. They also breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. Hence they also cause various bacterial diseases.
There are several types of fruit flies some of them are:
Mexican fruit flies:
-found most commonly in Central America
-pose a potential threat to agriculture in North America
-attracted to all citrus, particularly mango and grapefruit crops
Citrus fruit flies:
-citrus fruit flies are an agricultural pest
-the Queensland and Mediterranean fruit flies are primary citrus pests
-most attracted to grapefruits and Meyer lemons
Olive fruit flies:
-most commonly present in areas near the Mediterranean basin
-including the Middle East, Southern Europe, the Canary Islands, many parts of Africa, India, Western Asia and Northwestern Pakistan
-olive fruit fly lives exclusively within the olive fruit
Caribbean fruit flies:
-damage tropical and subtropical fruits such as peaches, guava, citrus, papaya, Surinam cherries and loquat
-mostly found in West Indies and US
Mediterranean fruit flies:
-the world’s most harmful fruit pests
-considered a major pest of citrus fruits
-it is a more serious threat to short-lived fruits such as apples, pears and peaches
Western cherry fruit flies:
-prefer domestic and wild cherry trees as their hosts
-found throughout regions of the western United States that grow cherries
Oriental Fruit Flies:
–hosts include guava, mango, papaya, starfruit, passion fruit, citrus, fig, rose apple, tomato, and many more
-commonly found in Asia, Africa, Australia, and islands of the Pacific
Let us look at some evidence how fruit flies affect our life:
Fruit flies are a serious pest causing an estimated $300 million towards control and lost market costs for horticulture across Australia. Queensland fruit fly (QFF) is a significant pest which can infest many varieties of fruit and vegetables.
– Agriculture Victoria, Australia
Moroccan citrus banned over Medfly fears
By Andy Nelson, The Packer, January 27, 2016, US
Live Medfly or Medfly larvae were found in a bulk shipment of fresh Moroccan clementines at the Port of Philadelphia Jan. 13, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
As a result, Moroccan clementines, mandarins, tangerines and sweet oranges will be banned from the U.S. effective Feb. 8.
Pesky fruit flies in Idaho adapt to cold weather
By Shanon Quinn, Daily News staff writer, January 9, 2016, Moscow, Russia
Entomologists find spotted wing drosophila still evident in November
Entomologist Stephen Cook, also a faculty member at the UI, has been trapping the red-eyed insects on a regular basis and was surprised to find mid-November’s cold weather – with temperatures dropping into the teens – didn’t leave his traps empty.
Cook said researchers have recently discovered the pesticide commercial orchardists use on their trees is effective against the damaging flies, but they aren’t sure whether the flies are simply relocating while the spray is in effect and returning to reinfest later.
Asian fruit fly a threat to food security
By The Monitor, 13 January 2016, Africa
With extreme weather patterns due to global warming, threatening not only the health of the nation, but food security, threat of crop disease is the last thing in the farmers’ minds. And the talk of the deadly Asian fruit fly in the last years is the worst nightmare for the fruit and vegetable farmers.
In 2014, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sponsored a 24-months project to the tune of P1.7 million i.e. USD 150747.84. But, were the funds and the time enough to fight a huge and incurring problem as this? Protecting and securing food for the nation is an expensive and long-term exercise, which needs adequate resources.
Gascoyne chilli crop to be destroyed, due to Mediterranean fruit fly infestation
By Lucie Bell, ABC Rural, 15 Sep 2015, Australia
A chilli crop in Western Australia’s Gascoyne food bowl region is set to be destroyed, after it was found to be riddled with Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly).
Work is underway across the horticultural town of Carnarvon to eradicate Medfly, through use of trapping and baiting, with plans to release millions of sterile male fruit flies next year.
This particular infestation was found after nearby Medfly traps recorded more than 500 insects per week.
Fruit fly infestation hits San Pedro
By Donna Littlejohn, Daily Breeze, 9 October 2015, California,
The adult oriental fruit fly is somewhat larger than a housefly, about 8 mm in length. The body color is variable but generally bright yellow with a dark “T” shaped marking on the abdomen. The wings are clear. (Photo courtesy California Department of Food and Agriculture)
A fruit fly invasion has landed in San Pedro, but state agriculture authorities are hoping they can stop the insects in the early stages.
Three Oriental fruit flies — which harm fruits, vegetables and plants — have been found since July 22 near the intersection of North Gaffey Street and West Capital Drive, in the 1200 block of North Meyler Street and in the 500 block of MacArthur Avenue.
To prevent and control fruit fly infestation use of pesticides and insecticides is not beneficial because their effect stays only for certain period of time. The toxic chemicals present in them can cause harm to beneficial insects and microorganisms. The evaporated toxic fumes from them are hazardous to human health.
Termirepel™ anti-insect additive a C Tech Corporation product is the best solution for the prevention and control of fruit fly infestation. Termirepel™ masterbatch can be incorporated in agricultural films, mulches, etc during processing. It can also be incorporated in silage bags and packaging films to protect the crops in the post-harvest stage from pest damage.
Termirepel™ lacquer can be added to paints which can then be applied to fencing, garbage cans etc. It follows 6 pronged strategy which is extremely effective on fruit flies as well as insects like ants, beetles, grasshopper, termites etc.
Termirepel™ is a non-toxic and non-hazardous anti-insect additive. It is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.