Updated On

July 10, 2024

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    When the weather warms up and fruit goes on sale, you may be tempted to fill your kitchen with loads of fresh produce. However, fruits and veggies sitting out in the open can encourage fruit flies to take over your kitchen.

    Your first instinct is probably to start swatting and squishing them. After that, you may be left wondering if these small bugs can hurt you or if they’re just annoying. Thankfully, fruit flies won’t bite you and are completely harmless, but you still don’t want them in your home. Continue reading to learn more about fruit flies and how to get rid of them should they infest your indoor spaces.

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    So, Are Fruit Flies Harmful?

    Quick answer: yes and no.

    Fruit flies can be dangerous to humans, but not in the form of a bite (aka, no, they can’t “bite” you, as a mosquito or horsefly might bite you), but they can do other nasty stuff…

    What Do Fruit Flies Look Like?

    fruit flies on an orange
    Source: Canva.com

    First things first:

    It’s important to make sure that the insect you’re seeing is actually a fruit fly.

    There are a few different bugs that are consistently mistaken for fruit flies, as well as the inverse (but more on that later).

    Right now, we’ll concentrate on the fruit fly, which is very small (about 1/8 of an inch) with wings that make its flight pattern more of a flutter than a zoom.

    The physique of the fruit fly looks like someone dwarfed a common housefly, and its color is caramel brown. Perhaps the most widely-known feature of the fruit fly is its set of blood-red eyes.

    Do Fruit Flies Carry Disease?

    We’re glad you asked. Yes, fruit flies are essentially sponges for bacteria and disease.

    They feed on rotting materials, so their footprints are almost like a petri dish of all the bacteria swarming around a decaying piece of fruit. This is where humans can find themselves in danger with fruit flies.

    Did You Know

    While the risk is low, some fruit flies have been proven to be carriers of pathogenic bacteria, which have the ability to spread to humans via contact.

    Are Fruit Flies Harmful if Eaten?

    Most people actively avoid eating bugs (unless they’re contestants on Fear Factor). However, fruit flies (and their germs) often sneak into the bodies of human beings despite our best efforts to the contrary.

    Not only do these insects gloss the surface of fruits with bacteria when they land, but females also embed their eggs into the flesh of the produce, which can lead to human ingestion by accident.

    How can you fix this problem? Simple! Be sure to thoroughly wash all your produce before eating it.

    If you DO happen to accidentally eat a fruit fly, the acids in your stomach should be able to take care of any issues.

    Because these little bugs are full of nasty diseases, you should still take precautions!


    How Do Fruit Flies Eat?

    So, if fruit flies can’t bite anything, how do they get their food?

    At every step of their life cycle, there’s a way that they can feed themselves without ever needing to chomp anything.

    When a female fruit fly lays a sachet of eggs, the nutrients from the organic material they inhabit can seep into the egg and feed the developing larvae. After the larvae emerge from the eggs, they can extract the juices themselves. These larvae stock up on nutrients that they use in their next phase of life.

    Fruit fly larvae lock themselves away in dark, dry places (think cracks and crevices) while they’re in the pupae stage. This is important because this is where the main development occurs; the larvae transform from white splotches to fully-formed adult fruit flies.

    An interesting point to note here is that fruit fly pupae don’t eat. This time of development happens away from their food source and breeding ground, so the extra nutrients saved up in the larvae stage are used here to fuel their changing bodies.

    Once the fruit flies emerge from the cocoons they built for themselves in the pupae stage, they’re free to roam the world in search of a fresh (or not so fresh) new source of food.

    Fruit flies are mainly attracted to fruits and vegetables that have undergone fermentation, which refers to the chemical reaction that takes place in organic materials when glucose is broken down via anaerobic means.

    But how can the fruit flies get food without biting it?

    Well, they have a special apparatus on their mouths that act almost like a huge straw; sucking the fermented juices from decaying matter.


    What Looks Like a Fruit Fly, But Bites?

    There are many fruit fly imposters out there, causing a lot of people to think that a bite from a fruit fly not only exists but leaves a mark. Bites are a way to tell if you’re dealing with fruit flies or gnats. We’re here to dispel some of the rumors.

    This is a blanket term for bugs that can’t easily be seen with the naked eye. Of course, they’re not totally invisible like their name might lead you to believe.

    However, these are gnats that can bite and usually attack in such a way that is fast and effective, sneaking off rapidly after they’ve taken a bite.

    The street name is more of a slang term, of course. The general way to refer to “no-see-um bugs” is to call them by their more common name: sandflies.

    Biting gnats (also called biting midges) are tiny flies that thrive in warm climates around the world and can cause painful bites to humans and animals. While these insects don’t usually transmit disease, it’s not outside of the realm of possibility to pick up bacteria from the mouthpart of a biting gnat.

    Generally, all that humans need to worry about for themselves and their pets in the face of a bite from a biting gnat is a painful red fleck on the skin, which heals itself naturally in a matter of days.

    Generally, if you can visibly see a small insect hop around, you’re looking at a tick or a flea. These parasitic insects are unique in that they don’t have wings, but they DO have an uncanny ability to leap up to around 8 inches. For an insect that measures in at only around 2 millimeters, that’s no small feat.

    Also, ticks and fleas subsist on a diet of blood. While fruit flies also enjoy snacking on organic matter, the two food groups are totally different. Fleas and ticks get their nutrition from biting a living host and extracting the blood, but fruit flies slurp up fruit juice and live on the calories.


    How Do Fruit Flies Get in Your Home

    Fruit flies are love ripe, rotting, or decayed fruit and produce.

    They often hitch a ride into your home on fruits or vegetables you bring back from the store or garden.

    Once they get in, they can lay up to 500 eggs at a time on fermenting food sources. Their eggs hatch into larvae in mere hours and quickly reach adulthood.

    A few fruit flies can quickly turn into an infestation in a matter of days due to their rapid reproduction.


    How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

    The best way to remove fruit flies is to get rid of their food sources and breeding sites.

    Start by thoroughly cleaning your kitchen, especially areas where food residue accumulates, like your sink drain, garbage disposal, and trash cans.

    Store ripening fruit and produce in the fridge and toss out anything overripe.

    You can trap adult fruit flies with a bowl filled with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. For heavy fruit fly infestations, you may need to make a large fruit fly trap or use a pyrethrin-based insecticide labeled for flying insects.


    The Bottom Line

    If you see a fruit fly (or 30) in your kitchen, it’s not a huge cause for alarm — they will not bite you.

    These pests are disgusting for sure, but they’re probably not going to ravage disease through your home, and they most certainly won’t take a bite out of your skin.

    If you do experience a bite from what you thought was a fruit fly, you are now able to discern that it is a completely different species of insect.

    Fruit flies don’t have any teeth or laceration tools, so the worst thing they’ll do to you is annoy you.


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    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can fruit flies make you sick?

    Usually, they won’t make you sick. However, they can potentially spread food-borne illnesses like salmonella and E. coli if they land on your food after coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.


    Do fruit flies lay eggs in humans?

    No, fruit flies do not lay eggs in or on humans. They usually lay their eggs on fermenting fruit or other organic material.


    How long do fruit flies live?

    A fruit fly can live around 40 to 50 days, but they can lay hundreds of eggs in that time.


    Can fruit flies come from drains?

    Yes, fruit flies often breed in the residue in sink and floor drains. Keeping your drains clear and clean can help prevent infestations. I recommend cleaning them with a vinegar solution.


    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Ed Spicer

    Ed Spicer

    Ed has been working in the pest control industry for years helping 1,000's of homeowners navigate the world of insect and rodent management.

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    photo of Jonathon Jachura

    Jonathon Jachura

    Contributor

    Jonathon Jachura is a two-time homeowner with hands-on experience with HVAC, gutters, plumbing, lawn care, pest control, and other aspects of owning a home. He is passionate about home maintenance and finding the best services. His main goal is to educate others with crisp, concise descriptions that any homeowner can use. Jon uses his strong technical background to create engaging, easy-to-read, and informative guides. He does most of his home and lawn projects himself but hires professional companies for the “big things.” He knows what goes into finding the best service providers and contractors. Jon studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University in Indiana and worked in the HVAC industry for 12 years. Between his various home improvement projects, he enjoys the outdoors, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with his family.

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