Drain Flies, Scuttle Flies and Fruit Flies the Menace Around the Kitchens

2 0 0 9 | I ss U E 5 PESTWEST ENVIRONMENTAL IN THIS ISSUE DRAIN FLIES, SCUTTLE FLIES AND FRUIT FLIES 01 CHALLENGING SITUATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS 03 SMALL DUNG FLIES - SPHAEROCERID 03 CDS - CERTIFIED DIPTERAN SPECIALIST 04 PESTWESTNEWSLETTER 411 DID YOU KNOW... 80% of all animals Drain flies, Scuttle flies and Fruit Flies are insects. The menace around the kitchens When a housefly is flying its wings beat in the key of F. Dr Moray Anderson BSc(Hons), PhD, FRES, CBiol, FIBiol Before a housefly is able to fly it jumps in the air using the output from its More than just a nuisance? The fruit fly, Drosophila, is a fly which is distributed world tergotrochanteral muscles. Pest control practices are changing. In recent years there wide and, from the details of its life-cycle given below, has been a significant change in the way many pest it can be seen that it inhabits areas during its breeding control operators control pests, in particular cockroaches cycle where bacteria, fungi and viruses are likely to be and other crawling insects. located. Before the advent of gel baits routine spraying of Likewise the “drain” flies breeding habits are extremely areas where cockroaches had been sited or even where similar to the fruit fly. cockroaches would be likely to be found was normal The fruit fly adults are small yellowish/brown flies with practice. darkly striped abdomen. The prominent compound Gel baits have transformed cockroach control. They are eyes are generally red in colour, although darker variants effective, targeted and easy to use. They can be applied occur. The wings have 2 clear notches in the front border, where the cockroaches are likely to be found and they which can clearly be seen with a hand lens. have the additional advantage that if a cockroach dies The eggs are white and 0.5 - 1mm long. Each females through being poisoned by such gels and the body is lays between 400 and 900 eggs in batches of 15 - 25 at eaten by other cockroaches, they die also. a time. The eggs hatch generally within 24 - 30 hours. This has clearly led to a reduction in the application of The larvae which emerge feed on the decaying organic surface spray chemical insecticides. material. The areas where such food can be found When the surface spray compounds were applied for can be extremely varied ranging from large areas of the control of cockroaches and other crawling insects accumulated rubbish to small collections of debris they also had a significant controlling effect on the between the cracks of floor tiles, ceramic wall tiles or flying insects in the environment. Such treatments were work surfaces. Even what appear to be insignificant particularly effective in the control of the immature accumulations of debris can sustain substantial stages, the eggs, larvae and pupae, of many fly species. populations of Drosophila since the dietary requirements of the larvae are extremely limited. A crack of around Amongst the fly species which were routinely controlled 1 mm in depth and a few millimetres long can have a by such techniques were fruit flies, fungus gnats, owl sufficient quantity of organic matter in it to provide midges, scuttle flies and lesser dung flies, collectively sufficient food for a significant number of larvae. often referred to as drain flies. The larval lifespan is between 5 and 6 days. Pupation Disease carrying potential occurs out of the feeding medium and lasts between 2 and 5 days. of small flies. There has been increasing concern over the role played The life cycle is rapid in warm conditions with by fruit flies and the other so-called “drain flies”, (scuttle development from egg to adult taking less than two flies, fungus flies, owl midges, etc.) in the spread of weeks. pathogenic micro-organisms to humans. The fruit fly is distributed Worldwide. and frequently associated with human food preparation and leading margin of the wings, there are only four storage areas. Additionally it is also often found veins leading from the hindmost of the veins in bars, hotels and clubs. It is the alcohol within on the leading edge to the hind margin of the these premises which attracts the flies. wing. Challenging Situations and Environments: These flies are a source of annoyance in many Each female fly lays approximately 40 eggs, one kitchens, restaurants etc. Attraction to alcohol at a time over a period of around 12 hours, on and waste fruit means they are frequently found decaying organic matter. The larvae will emerge in such areas and can build up to very large from the egg after approximately 24 hrs and Sphaerocerid Flies numbers. These flies are, in general, harmless feed for between 8 and 16 days depending to man and do not bite but recently there is upon environmental factors. evidence that fruit flies can carry pathogenic It is often the case then for the larvae to crawl As pest management and environmental dumpsters and other sites combining nutrient bacteria, etc.. Outbreaks of infestation are to a drier spot to pupate and adults to emerge health professionals, we find ourselves in compounds and available water. often indicative of less than adequate hygiene after a few days. In ideal conditions the life many challenging situations. Especially or drainage problems. It is important to understand that larvae are cycle is complete in approximately 14 days challenging pests are small filth flies. moisture substrate dependent. Such areas Puparia of Drosophila species are frequently but when conditions are not perfect, in cooler Whether a Fruit fly,P horid fly,M oth fly, should be of focal importance during the found in milk bottles, where they are so firmly The flies transmitted this bacterium to temperatures, it may take nearer 40 days. Cheese Skipper, Fungus gnat, or Sphaerocerid inspection and investigation stage of the IPM stuck to the glass, they come through the uncontaminated apple wounds, resulting in fly, one must posses a unique understanding As mentioned above these flies are found in discovery process. washing process intact (though killed by it). a high incidence of contaminated wounds. of its biology and behavior to both mitigate association with moist decaying organic matter. Some puparial cases may float off into the milk Populations of the bacterium in apple wounds and prevent population pressures in and Elimination of infestations is directly related to They are often indicative of blocked or broken when bottles are refilled. increased significantly during the first 48 h after around facilities. locating and physically removing all existing drainage systems. The adult flies have a transmission. and potential breeding media. Both locating One recent study implicating fruit flies in the characteristic habit of, instead of immediately One of the more challenging species is the these sites and correct identification of the spread of disease is summarised below. These laboratory based studies are of significant taking wing when disturbed, scuttling in a fast Sphaerocerid fly, aka; Lesser Dung fly. These fly species are critical to the success of the importance and they will form the basis of a run hence their name “scuttle flies”. flies are quite small, measuring approximately The work was entitled the “Fate of Escherichia mitigation and prevention of infestations. field study to be carried out this summer where 1/8 of an inch in length. Their coloration is coli O157:H7 on fresh-cut apple tissue and its field populations of Drosophila will be sampled Conclusions darker with a lesser robust structure than the Equally important is the cooperation of the potential for transmission by fruit flies” and was to ascertain the levels of bacterial populations Because all these flies, the fruit flies, owl midges Fruit fly. Adults have long, stiff bristles dorsally facility operator whom is responsible for carried out by a group of workers in the U.S.D.A. they carry. and scuttle flies, frequent unsanitary sites there and the arista is several times longer than other removing and cleaning of resource sites. Laboratories in Beltsville, USA (Janisiewicz, is always the potential of these insects carrying antennial segments. Sanitation is also critical to prevent future et.al., 1999). Owl midges or bathroom flies which belong disease-causing bacteria. infestations. to the family Psychodidae are other small Taxonomically one can identify Sphaerocerid Pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7, as flies which occupy the same sort of breeding These bacteria could be spread onto food flies by the tarsi of the hind leg. Tarsi are the PestWest’s Intelligent Pest Management well as non- pathogenic strains, was found areas as fruit flies. They breed in decaying handling and serving sites within domestic distal five segments of the leg, with the first one will assure your success regardless of how to grow exponentially in wounds on Golden organic matter and require high humidity for kitchens, public houses, retail shops, bakeries enlarged. challenging the environment in which you find Delicious apple fruit. The exponential growth development. They also commonly occur on and any such premises. a pest pressure. Environmentally responsible occurred over a longer time period on fruit Sphaerocerid flies are classified within the the biological filters of sewage works. Their products should be used to achieve Biological inoculated with a lower concentration of the Recent studies carried out at the University large family Sphaeroceridae that contains continued presence in a domestic or industrial Source Reduction (BSR) safely and quickly. bacterium than on fruit inoculated with a of Birmingham, UK have highlighted the role more than 200 species in the United States premises is indicative of drainage problems, or Through using products that break down higher concentration. The bacterium reached of these “drain” flies in the possible spread of and 2500 species globally.

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