Fruit Fly vs Gnat Know the Difference?
You may have noticed small flying insects in your home or workplace at some time. They can indeed be bothersome, and visitors may also feel that your house is unclean. These pests are either fruit flies or gnats.
What is the difference between fungus gnats and fruit flies, and why should you care? First, you need to grasp the difference to get rid of it successfully and prevent it from reoccurring.
How do you tell them apart? Find out here some differences between gnats and fruit flies.
Are Fungus Gnats And Fruit Flies The Same Thing?
While both fruit flies and fungus gnats seem similar and are equally irritating, they are not the same sort of bug.
Each has its distinct life cycle and feeding preferences. Unfortunately, this means that you must apply completely different treatment procedures to kill them.
How Fungus Gnats and Fruit Flies Differ:
Fruit flies and fungus gnats are both frequent household pests. Unfortunately, they generate so many of the same problems that homeowners often confuse them. While fruit flies and gnats have similar habits and appearances, they are very distinct.
What Does The Appearance Of Gnats And Fruit Flies Look Like?
While fruit flies and gnats may appear to be similar at first glance, they do not. Adult fruit flies measure approximately 1⁄8 inches in length and are tan, brown-yellow, or brown-black. In addition, they usually have red eyes, and their antennas are shorter than gnat antennas.
Gnats are often brown, black, or yellow in appearance, although they can also be brightly colored. They can have legs that are longer than those of fruit flies. The black gnat wings are excessively huge compared to the little bodies around 1⁄4 to 3⁄4 inch in length.
Consider fruit flies or gnats in contrast to other pests to assist in their identification. Fruit flies, like a smaller variant of the house fly, have a rounded appearance. By contrast, fungus gnats have dangling legs and a large body, giving them the appearance of a little mosquito.
Fruit flies are easily identifiable by their large, red eyes, but the eyes of gnats are so small that are difficult to spot.
Habitat:
Another distinction between fruit flies and gnat infestations is the habitat of the pests. Fungus gnats feed on organic substances in garden soil or indoor potted plants. Adult fruit flies consume overripe fruits and rotting food in trashcans, whereas fruit flies larvae consume slime found in filthy drains.
The Life Cycle of the Gnat versus the Fruit Fly:
A gnat’s lifespan differs from that of a fruit fly. While fungus gnats have a life span of approximately four weeks, fruit flies have a life span of 30 days but can stay up to three months under the appropriate conditions.
Fly eggs are placed in fruit and vegetable fermentation or in rotten vegetables and fruit containers that are not well secured. They can even lay eggs in a garbage bin if there is one nearby.
Larvae emerge from the eggs and go through several molts. Then, they go through a pupa stage before becoming adults. They mate as soon as they have completed that stage.
The fungus gnat is a sort of insect that you may come across. After laying their eggs, these gnats hatch and go through larval, pupae, and adult stages. They mature faster in warmer weather.
What Are The Origins Of Gnats And Fruit Flies?
It’s undoubtedly inconvenient to encounter small flying pests when relaxing at home or running a business at a commercial site. However, flying insects may potentially startle you if you have not taken preventative measures. So, where did fruit bugs and gnats originate?
Fruit flies are found in homes, restaurants, bars, and other locations containing fruits and vegetables. Additionally, they can infest beer tapping spigots or soda drains, so restaurant owners should keep an eye out for them as well. Fruit fly larvae consume fungus found on the objects they infest.
Gnats are mostly found outside, but they can also be found in filthy drains or beneath a refrigerator unit in a drip pan. Gnat larvae feed on a fungus found in the soil.
Apples, pears, and bananas are all sources of fruit flies. Please don’t allow these flies an opportunity to complete their life cycle on your property. A potato bag in your pantry, or even a mop, can serve as a breeding place for them.
When picking fruits or veggies from your garden, check them well before bringing them into the house. Bringing a couple into the house creates the possibility of a fruit fly infestation.
Gnats can enter a structure through a potted plant or by opening a door. They are drawn to light; thus, they want to enter the source.
How Do I Identify Whether Or Not I Have Fruit Flies Or Fungus Gnats?
Making the distinction between gnats and fruit flies may help you identify yours. However, if you’re still hesitant, here are a few simple ways to get identification.
- If little gnats are found in a residence or kitchen without indoor plants, they are almost certainly fruit flies.
- If little gnats are found in a residence or kitchen without indoor plants, they are almost certainly fruit flies.
How to Protect Yourself against Fruit Flies and Gnats:
While fruit flies and gnats are an annoyance, you can take steps to prevent them. To keep gnats away, ensure that your windows have holes-free screens and replace your white porch light with a yellow light.
Take rotten vegetables outside and remove them to prevent a nuisance of the fruit fly. Check the cans’ seals before putting veggies or fruit in them. Have you ever dropped a glass of fruit juice or a glass of wine? Remove the mess as quickly as possible.
Method for Getting Rid Of the Flies and Gnats:
Because gnats and fruit flies are two distinct types of bugs, there is no one unique approach to eliminate them simultaneously.
Get Rid Of Fruit Flies –
- The foremost step is to determine the source of the fruit flies and destroy their food source (s). Check the disposal, garbage, cabinet, or any other possible food sources.
- The effective method of getting rid of fruit flies is to trap them after removing their primary food sources.
- Instead of leaving your fruit out on the counter, try storing it in the refrigerator. Also, make sure you often empty your garbage to avoid it from returning.
Get Rid Of Gnats –
- Because gnats are found on houseplants, you must identify which one has them to treat appropriately (s).
- They breed and live on moist soil. Overwatering houseplants causes fungus gnats. Always ensure that the top inch of soil dries between water resources.
- To capture the adults, you can set up yellow sticky traps around the area. To keep them away, replace the top inch of soil with gnat shield top dressing, an all-natural surface cover.
