Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster)

We have had oodles of fruit on our counter ever since the farmer’s market opened in late June. And, with fruit comes fruit flies. Or, as one entomologist wrote, “time flies like the wind and fruit flies like bananas.” Although not a particularly felicitous piece of writing, it’s undeniable that the little creatures do like bananas, as well as tomatoes, raspberries, melons, and anything else that’s ripe and tasty. Even though their swarms can be unappetizing, to me they do not have the connotations of filth that houseflies have for me. In fact, I have a hard time taking them seriously, perhaps because they are so small. Also, their ability to appear out of nowhere amuses me. Now you see them, now you don’t. Or vice versa, once you put out a deliquescent pear. Although a nuisance pest, they can purportedly contaminate fruit with bacteria. Fruitflies.org, which I would have presumed to be a pro-fruit fly site promoting understanding and tolerance, has the tagline, “Fruit flies are nasty … learn how to get rid of them.” But, how to control them short of tossing anything that’s ripe or reducing the flavor of a peach by refrigeration? The Purdue extension author quoted above estimates that within a week, 500 fruit flies can mature, mate, and reproduce, with each of the resulting females laying 500 eggs of her own. All I can say is that I’ve never known anyone to get an illness attributable to a fruit fly, but I’m open to the possibility. In the meantime, I’ll take my chances, knowing that any fruit they find delectable, I will too.