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Fruit Fly Feeding Habits

Fruit Fly Close Up Feeding
Fruit Fly Feeding

Fruit flies consume yeast resulting from the initial decomposition of plant materials. Sap flows, overripe produce and mushrooms are also foods of choice for fruit flies. The common fruit fly attacks and punctures the skin of overripe fruit and vegetables in order to lay eggs and feed.

Adult flies are most active during warm, bright days and feed upon the surfaces of fruits, leaves, plant secretions and honeydew produced by aphids. During the preoviposition feeding stage, adult fruit flies spend approximately ten days feeding on fruits, vegetables and other decaying materials. 

Following this phase, the female fruit fly places her eggs beneath the skins of fruits. This egg laying can cause disfiguration in fruit crops. Fruit fly larvae feed on the surface of decaying masses within which they are laid. Larvae are often present in the blemished and over-ripened areas of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Fruit Flies in Bananas

Fruit Fly Food