F13 · Flying Insect
Fruit Fly
Drosophila melanogaster
Tiny tan flies with red eyes that swarm around ripe fruit and bins. Explode in numbers in 7–10 days.
- Size
- 2–4 mm
- Habitat
- Kitchens, fruit bowls, bins, compost, bar areas
- Activity
- Year-round indoors, peaks late summer/autumn
Overview
Vinegar flies (Drosophila) are not the same as Queensland fruit fly — these are the small household nuisance, not the orchard pest. They lay eggs on the skin of ripening fruit and in any fermenting liquid: wine drips, kombucha, beer dregs, juice spills, even damp dishcloths. The lifecycle is just 7–10 days, so what looks like a clean kitchen can host hundreds within a week.
How to identify
- Very small (2–4 mm), tan or yellow-brown body
- Bright red eyes
- Slow, hovering flight around fruit, bins and recycling
- Often appears 'from nowhere' on over-ripe bananas, tomatoes or onions
Pro Tip
No source = no fruit flies. Find the fermenting thing (often a forgotten potato or onion) and you've won.
General guidance only. Information on Home Pest Defence is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. For termites, venomous spider bites, wasp nests in walls, or protected wildlife, contact a licensed pest controller, your GP, or the relevant state wildlife authority. In emergencies call 000; for poisoning call 13 11 26.