The Fruit Fly Life Cycle

Know thy enemy! Common household fruit flies grow from egg to adult in just 8-10 days. There are four stages in this growth process; egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Following is a (very) brief description of each of them.

Stage 1: Egg - Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime of less than two weeks! They will only lay their eggs in the surface of moist, organic material. They prefer fermenting and rotting fruits and vegetables. This is the weak point that we will use to eradicate them.

Stage 2: Larva - Approximately 24 hours after an egg is laid, the fruit fly will emerge as a larva. This is where the fruit fly starts to take shape.

Stage 3: Pupa - This final formative stage gives the fruit flies their wings and color. This is the final stage of metamorphosis. Soon they'll be buzzing around your house and crashing into your face as you walk into the kitchen! They may be the best at reproducing, but they sure can't fly very well.

Stage 4: Adult - Once the fly is fully formed, it emerges as an adult and can begin reproducing in less than 2 days!