Life expectancy of fruit flies Drosophila in an apartment

When will the midge end? This question arises for many people who have been attacked by these small blood-sucking insects. Midges can live both in the natural environment and in a private house or city apartment.

They cause significant discomfort to humans and are carriers of many dangerous diseases. That is why the question of when the midges will disappear is of particular relevance.

Midges are small blood-sucking insects that look like miniature, hunched-over mosquitoes. In total, there are more than 4,000 species of midges; at least 200 species live in Russia. The blood-sucking insect has a body measuring 1-5 mm, black or dark gray. It consists of a rounded abdomen, head and thorax.

Female midges are larger in size, have a pointed abdomen and the presence of wide antennae. The question of when midges will disappear is of interest to people who have been attacked by small blood-sucking insects.

Single midge bites do not pose a serious danger to humans. But at the time of the bite, the midge injects a specific toxic substance into the human blood, which can cause pain, redness of the skin, and swelling at the site of injury.

Insects have transparent wings and differ from mosquitoes by shortened legs and a short proboscis

Numerous midge bites can cause a severe allergic reaction, accompanied by itching, burning, dangerous complications including angioedema and anaphylactic shock.

Features of midges

It is customary to call a midge a humpbacked mosquito, but unlike it, a mosquito has a proboscis and shorter legs. Midges are a type of fruit fly. They can appear at home at any time of the year. The body length of the insect varies from 1 to 6 mm, the color is black or speckled gray. The body consists of 3 parts:

• abdomen;
• breasts;
• heads.

You can distinguish a female from a male by size and body structure. Female individuals are larger, have a pointed abdomen, and a wide forehead. There are short, thick antennae on the head. The abdomen of males is rounded. The wings of insects of both sexes are transparent and tuberous. When the midge is at rest, the wings fold, one on top of the other. Types of kitchen midges:

1. Drosophila. Most midges feed on spoiled, rotten fruits and vegetables. This is the type of midge that is most often found in the kitchen. They also love sweet, fermented alcoholic drinks, which is why they are also called wine midges. They are not indifferent to wet fabrics and trash cans. The size of Drosophila is 1-3 mm, the color can be any shade from yellow to brown.
2. Sewer. They are carriers of various bacteria and enter the house through sewer systems. The color of the insects is black, the wings are shaggy.

Note! A few insect bites do not pose a threat to humans, but if there are many of them it can become dangerous. When attacked, the midge injects an anesthetic liquid that is poisonous. A small wound remains. Itching and swelling appear.

Habitat

Midges live in similar conditions to mosquitoes, since they are close relatives. For the development of larvae, the insect requires an aquatic environment, a reservoir or a pond. They firmly grasp the stems of aquatic plants or rocky surfaces, descend under the water, and lay eggs there. A small incubator is formed. Where else do insects live:

1. In southern countries you can find huge concentrations of midges in vineyards and orchards.
2. The ideal habitat for fruit flies is in a human home. It's always warm there, there's a lot of food.
3. They often settle in fruit warehouses, wine and juice factories.

There are many midges throughout the planet, only in Antarctica and the Sahara they are absent.

Interesting! Midges occupy a significant place in the natural world, since most birds and mammals feed on them.

Development process

One female can lay up to 400 eggs in her life, from which larvae emerge. This happens after 24 hours if the conditions for their reproduction and growth are suitable. Drosophila goes through 4 developmental phases: egg, larva, pupa, imago.

1. One laid clutch contains 50-100 eggs. The shape of each egg is oval, the size does not exceed 0.5 mm. It takes 5-7 days to ripen.
2. The hatched larvae look like worms. Their body length is 3.5 mm, color is white. The larva moves with the help of a special hook located in the thoracic region and fixing the location of the suction cup. Until the moment of pupation, they live in a semi-liquid mass of rotten fruits, actively eating their juice and microorganisms.
3. On the 5th day, the pupation period begins, lasting 5 days. The shape of the cocoons can be different; their surface is covered with hairs.
4. 24 hours after birth, the young midge reaches sexual maturity and is ready to reproduce. On the 2nd day she is able to lay eggs.

It will be difficult to destroy small insects if the nest is not found and removed in time.

Note! Depending on the environmental conditions, the period of development of the larva into a young individual is 10-20 days.

Lifespan

The lifespan of fruit flies depends on their living conditions and diet. Males prefer to feed on flower nectar, and females prefer to feed on the blood of birds, animals, and humans. Drosophila that consume plant sap live no more than 7 days. Blood-sucking midges can live from 1 to 3 months. Life expectancy of domestic animals:

1. If the room is well heated in winter, then indoor midges can live for about 3 months. At the same time, they reproduce well.
2. The lifespan is reduced to 20 days if the air temperature does not rise above 18 °C.
3. Drosophila live for about 10 days at temperatures above 25 °C.

The peak activity of midges occurs in the autumn-spring period, as they do not tolerate heat and extreme cold. If they live in nature, then the parasites survive the cold months in the egg stage. Wintering in regions with a hot climate takes place in the larval stage; in the summer, the adult moves to a reservoir.

Note! In order for the midges to die within 24 hours, you need to lower the air temperature in the house. If the weather is cool outside, it is enough to ventilate the room at night.

Ways to get into the apartment

To quickly get rid of fruit flies, you need to understand how they got into the apartment. This can happen in several ways:

• through street clothes;
• with soil for indoor plants;
• from neighbors, through ventilation and sewer openings;
• with dirty fruits and vegetables;
• from a trash can that hasn’t been taken out for a long time.

Interesting! The most favorite place in the kitchen for fruit flies is the filter under the sink. It gradually becomes clogged with food debris, which rots and becomes a source of insect spread.

All about the life of a mosquito and its longevity

It is unlikely that you will meet a person who has no experience of meeting a mosquito, but the thought of meeting one is unlikely to make anyone happy, so we often wonder how long this annoying random acquaintance lives and stays awake?

Sometimes it even seems that he is a close relative of the notorious Koshchei the Immortal, because no matter how much effort you make in exterminating the tormentor, it seems that he comes to life again and again and multiplies with incredible power. To understand this issue, let's consider some features of the common mosquito, the most common in our country.

planet out of 3 thousand species of mosquitoes existing in nature. Despite its inconspicuous appearance (a small elongated body of a gray-yellow color with several pairs of long legs and transparent wings), the mosquito owes its universal fame to the long proboscis located on its head, with the help of which it feeds.

It should be noted that mosquitoes of both sexes usually feed on plant juices and nectar. But as soon as the time comes to breed, the female adds animal or human blood to her diet, while the male adheres to his usual diet. A pregnant female chooses her meal based on the heat and carbon dioxide released by the victim’s body.

Having overtaken her, the mosquito pierces the skin with its proboscis and injects a special substance into the victim’s wound that prevents the blood from clotting. The site of the bite can be identified by a swollen reddish spot that may itch for several days. Mosquitoes usually live in places where there is enough moisture - in forests, river valleys, and lakes.

But it just so happens that these are the places that attract us as a place to relax, to merge with our mother nature. And here, contrary to our wishes, a very close acquaintance with mosquitoes is inevitable.

And for those who do not need nature or simply cannot afford to go there, there is news: scientists recently discovered a new species of common mosquito - the urban one. Such mosquitoes live mainly in flooded basements of houses.

How long does a mosquito live after biting a person?

It is a common belief that mosquitoes die immediately after biting their victim, however, this statement is erroneous (unless you take into account the fact of death at our hands, slamming the torturer at the crime scene). A sexually mature female can feed on blood about 8 times in a few hours, while remaining in a joyful mood.

It turns out that the presence of a constant source of food, on the contrary, prolongs the life of the female and gives her the opportunity to reproduce full-fledged offspring, ready to “delight” us with their bites for at least 3 months.

How long can mosquitoes live in an apartment?

When winged “friends” find themselves in an apartment, many do not attach much importance to this, being confident that mosquitoes will not last longer than two days there. However, this is not at all true, because most likely females came to visit you for a cup of blood.

At a temperature of 25 degrees, the female will live happily next to you for about 43 days. If the temperature drops, the life expectancy of the blood-sucking guest increases and can reach up to 120 days.

Moreover, if the female considers you a hospitable host (that is, you do not allow yourself the impudence to attempt on her life), your apartment may well serve as a maternity hospital for the young offspring of the uninvited guest.

She will lay her eggs in a dark, damp place - a bathroom, toilet, hallway or closet, and you'll soon have a new one waiting for you. Therefore, you should not neglect insect control products if your apartment is easily accessible to mosquitoes.

Types of midges

In the apartment you can find the following types of midges: fruit flies, sciarids, butterflies, whiteflies. They are safe for humans, but can spoil plants and infect food with larvae.

Drosophila are small red midges that fly slowly, changing direction chaotically (moving in a straight line with sharp turns). Rotten, overripe vegetables and fruits are their habitat and reproduction.

They appear mainly in the kitchen near the sink, bucket, and vegetable drawers. They can reproduce on the rotting pulp of cacti.

Sciarids (detritus, fungus gnats) are translucent midges with a black body. They live in the top layer of soil of flower pots in rotten plant debris.

These midges breed especially actively on waterlogged, acidified soil under Saintpaulias (violets), orchids, and chrysanthemums. There are two ways to get into the apartment: with purchased soil or from the street (through open windows).

They multiply especially actively during cold weather, when the evaporation of moisture from the soil slows down.

Sewer midges (butterflies) are small butterflies resembling moths that live in rooms with high humidity. They often appear in houses with faulty sewerage, old pipelines, and damp basements.

They enter the apartments through ventilation ducts and pipes. Eggs are laid on rotting plant debris. They fly slowly and over short distances.

They are usually seated on ceilings and walls. Some information sources contain information that butterflies carry dangerous diseases, but there is no official confirmation of this.

Whitefly (aleiroda) is a type of midge that parasitizes mainly greenhouse crops.

In apartments it appears with soil purchased for flowers or seedlings, with house plants or seedlings. Such midges rarely come in from the street through windows.

Are fruit flies dangerous?

The flies themselves are not dangerous to humans: they do not bite, since their jaws are simply unable to bite through even the thinnest skin.

Flies are annoying with their flickering, they constantly come to hand.

However, this is not the most unpleasant consequence that an insect invasion leads to; the danger of fruit flies lies elsewhere. Pests feed on organic matter, including waste from landfills and animal feces, and their sweat. They can contain dangerous bacteria, which flies carry on their legs or proboscis and then leave on food.

Thus, a pathogenic bacterium can enter the human body, which, if the immune system is weakened, will lead to intestinal infections. In addition, eating food with fruit fly eggs on the surface causes diarrhea and nausea, accompanied by a rise in temperature.

What do midges and their larvae eat?

Midges are small insects that resemble humpback mosquitoes in appearance. Their size does not exceed six millimeters, and some species can be even smaller. Before talking about what midges eat, it is necessary to understand the features of their structure and habitat.

Characteristic features of the insect and its nutrition

Despite the fact that flies belong to the family of small mosquitoes, they have some distinctive features. The structure of the midge has its own individual characteristics. They are distinguished by strong short legs and a short proboscis, the structure of which allows them to easily bite through the skin. Midge bites are painful and fraught with unpleasant consequences.

The female midge is an excellent diver. In order to lay eggs, it dives into the water, clinging to the stems of algae or stones. Some individuals prefer to leave their clutches in the coastal strip or simply drop their eggs while flying over a flowing stream.

The hatched midge larva is immediately attached to the nutrient substrate with the rear end of its body using special hooks. Since females lay eggs in groups and always in running water, huge colonies consisting of larvae form in this place of the stream. Their number can reach up to 200 pieces per square centimeter. Periodically contracting “fans” located near the mouth indicate that midge larvae begin to feed immediately from the moment of their appearance.

The special structure of hairs and bristles, which serve to trap food, allows organic residues to be extracted from water. This is the main nutrition of the developing individual. The larva can feed fully only when there is a strong current in the reservoir. In stagnant waters they die immediately. Adult flies emerge from the pupa after two weeks. They rise to the surface of the reservoir and fly out of the water.

Interesting! The adult midge eats only on hot sunny days. The rest of the day or in bad weather it is not active. Mainly females feed on blood, while males prefer nectar from flowers.

What do midges like to eat?

Fruit insects living in kitchen conditions do not overeat their food. It is not difficult to see what midges eat by observing their behavior. They give particular preference to the following “food sets”:

1. Spoiled vegetables and fruits. Fruit and onion midges can eat them all the time. They also need them for reproduction, since larvae develop from laid eggs in the rot.
2. Home canning. Open cans are an excellent bait for omnivorous insects
3. Pet food.
4. Flower midges, such as sciarids, feed on underground parts of plants.
5. Residues of animal products containing blood.

Knowing who midges are, what the peculiarities of their life and nutrition are, you can get involved in an active fight against insects.

Interesting Facts

Reproduction is impossible without saturating the females with human blood. Therefore, mosquitoes are spread over almost all areas of land where humans live. They stay close to settlements so that they can drink the blood of people at any time.

Each species has its own preferences in temperature and lighting conditions. Some people like shady ponds, others like well-lit ones. Biologists have calculated that the larvae are able to develop when the water temperature is 10–35 °C, but between 25 °C and 30 °C is considered most comfortable.

Mosquitoes rarely lay eggs in large bodies of water where many fish live, because they readily feed on eggs.

The larva will die if the water is contaminated with oil products: they form a film on the surface through which the worms cannot breathe. But some species show enviable adaptation, having adapted to use oxygen dissolved in water for breathing.

The process of how mosquitoes appear has been sufficiently studied by science. These insects are characterized by high fertility and feeding on human blood. Both of these traits are directly dependent on each other.

What do fruit midges eat?

Such insects feed on absolutely all types of fruits, or rather, on their rotten remains and other naturally processed products. Young individuals prefer to eat fresh fruit juice. It helps them grow faster and produce healthy larvae.

A common question is how long midges live in the summer. During the warm season, the average lifespan of a fruit fly is one month. In nature, due to the lack of fruits in the cold season, the fly can feed on the sap of trees, grass, flowers and leaves.

The insect lives in countries with warm tropical, subtropical or temperate climates. Some species of fruit flies can drink the blood of people or animals to support their life cycle.

How long do midges that feed on blood live? Approximately 20 days. The most common place for them to live is in vineyard plantations, because no one will fight the influx of such insects over vast areas. Plus, midges really love grapes.

Reproduction and stages of insect development

Male mosquitoes are not capable of biting humans; their main role is to mate with the female. To maintain strength, they feed on the nectar of flowers. Within a few days, the males mate, at which point their life cycle is exhausted and they will soon disappear. Insects breed in the warm season, but not in the hottest months.

There is a simple explanation for why mosquitoes drink blood. After fertilization, female mosquitoes need biological fluid to form offspring. If they fail to find a blood source, the mosquito eggs will still mature. During blood sucking, the insect absorbs nutritious blood rich in protein. The number of times a mosquito bites depends on its saturation level. The amount of blood absorbed directly affects how many eggs an individual lays. A female mosquito can bite up to 8 times a day. She herself determines how much blood she needs to receive. After each digestion of blood, a certain number of eggs are formed in it.

Mosquito breeding

Every 2-3 days, a female mosquito lays eggs by shaking them into a pond or a regular puddle. At one time she is able to lay from 20 to 200 eggs. You can watch how mosquitoes are born yourself. The insect flies chaotically over the water surface to spread eggs throughout the body of water.

Once in the water, the eggs, in the form of elongated sticks, remain on the algae. The birth of a mosquito begins in stages:

1. The egg has a small bubble filled with air, which prevents it from sinking to the bottom of the reservoir. After 3-7 days, a larva emerges from it.
2. The larva looks like a small worm, which, with the help of brushes in its mouth, is capable of filtering up to a liter of water per day in search of food. Mosquito larvae can feed on small pieces of algae, microorganisms, and bacteria. To breathe, the young individual must expose the lower edge of its abdomen to the surface of the water, where the simplified respiratory organ is located. The life of the larva lasts 2-3 weeks, then it molts and pupates.
3. The pupa is a cross between a worm and an adult. The body, curved in the shape of a comma, looks like a tadpole. The mosquito pupa is not able to feed; it stays near the surface of the water to breathe. After a few days, limbs and wings appear, and a fully formed mosquito flies off from the water surface.

Methods for getting rid of fruit gnats

Midges appear in our apartments along with southern fruits; they can live in trash cans or bags of fruit. Midges can appear even if nothing has gone bad at home and there is no fruit. The thing is that eggs can be laid in advance.

Absolutely fresh store-bought products may already contain fruit fly eggs. They are not dangerous to the human body, but it is still quite unpleasant to realize the presence of fly larvae on food.

20 days is the answer to the question of how long midges live on the street. It’s quite easy for them to find something to eat in garbage dumps. However, strong winds and other weather factors significantly shorten their life outdoors.

In order to destroy the maximum number of midges and their larvae, follow these tips:

1. Find and destroy their main habitat in your home.
2. Place traps in other places where they may accumulate.
3. Regularly take preventive measures that will not allow fruit flies to appear indoors in large quantities.

Prevention

In order to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the house, regular prevention should be carried out against long-lived fruit flies. How long do midges live in the kitchen? 35-45 days. Such a long period of residence is explained by a sufficient amount of food and a warm, well-lit room.

Rinse your trash can even if you use bags. Don't put vegetables in cabinets. Take inventory of your refrigerator and pantries regularly.

By following all the simple instructions described in this article, you will forget about such a pest as the small fruit midge.

How long do midges live?

Midges appear most often in old housing stock, but such insects can also be found in new apartments. Their lifespan is short, but the size of the colony does not decrease due to high fertility.

The fight against midges is often delayed due to the fact that adult individuals mature quickly and manage to lay a large number of eggs in a short time. They do not bite people, they annoy people solely with their presence.

Homemade

How long midges live in apartments depends on several factors:

Description and life cycle of onion fly

This is a very small, but very nasty insect, at first glance it resembles a common housefly. It reaches only 6-8 mm in length, has a yellowish-gray color, and in males there is a clear dark stripe on the abdomen. At the edges of the wings there is a fringe of thin hairs of different lengths.

The onion fly (Delia antiqua) is distributed throughout Russia, Asia, Europe and North America.

The pest wakes up in the first month of spring and flies out of the soil at the end of May. Adults lay eggs either in the ground or directly on vegetables. At a time - from 4 to 30 white oblong eggs, and after 5-10 days legless larvae appear. Having emerged from the pupae, the offspring begin to actively search for food and first eat the husks and then the pulp of vegetables. After 3-4 weeks, the larvae lay their offspring and pupate, then adult flies emerge. In seasons with moderately warm weather and sufficient rainfall, the garden may be subject to not just one pest attack, but 3-4. The onion fly goes into the ground for the winter.

How does life expectancy change at different times of the year?

Insects appear after the air warms up; midges can remain in the egg or pupal stage for a long time. In the summer, when the air temperature reaches 25 degrees or higher, insects reduce their activity and may disappear completely.

At the end of summer, midges can appear in large numbers. Especially during the ripening period of grapes and other fruits.

In autumn, after the air temperature drops below 18 degrees, insects reduce their activity.

Bite process

Midge bite

When bitten, a substance that acts as a painkiller gets into the wound with the saliva of the midge. Therefore, the very moment of biting and absorbing blood remains invisible to humans. The pain occurs only after some time, when it has already flown away.

Redness and swelling occurs at the site of the bite. The wound is very itchy. These phenomena are caused by the fact that midge saliva is poisonous.

If there are a large number of bites, swelling may occur not only on the surface of the wound, but also on the internal organs. In some cases, hemorrhage occurs and symptoms of severe poisoning appear. This situation requires immediate medical attention and emergency assistance.

On the territory of Russia, the largest number of midges is represented in the taiga zone. How many species and who pose a threat to life? The following species pose the greatest danger to humans:

Consequences of a midge bite

• tundra midge;
• Kholodkovsky midge;
• decorated midge.

The air temperature (comfortable for midge life) at which an attack on a person occurs ranges from +6 to +23˚С.

How many diseases can this small insect carry? Particularly dangerous are midges that carry diseases such as:

• plague;
• leprosy;
• tularemia;
• glanders;
• anthrax.

Ways to get rid

The appearance of midges in the house is a problem that requires close attention. At first, their appearance may go unnoticed, but given their rapid reproduction, they will soon begin to cause serious harm. Some varieties of midges require an individual approach to destruction, but most can be exterminated using standard methods.

Classic methods

Classic methods are usually the most reliable. They can help get rid of insects in a short time, but they require certain precautions.

Most often used in the fight against midges:

• Aerosols against insects. The compositions “Dichlorvos”, “Kombat”, Raid still help cope well with pests. Use them strictly according to the instructions, not forgetting about protective equipment.
• Fumigator. Most often, the device is used against mosquitoes, but it is also effective in the fight against other insects. You just need to find plates or a special liquid against flies.
• Sticky traps. Unlike sticky tape, which is often used against flies, these traps are much easier to use.
• Light trap zappers. Devices based on electrical stimulation of insects are not very effective as the main weapon against midges, but can help as an auxiliary tool.

It is important to remember that the use of chemicals must be accompanied by precautionary measures.

Thus, surfaces must be treated strictly with gloves and, preferably, a respirator or mask to avoid exposure to toxic substances. Do not use sprays or other products near food or children's toys. There should be no children or pets in the apartment during treatment.

Use of folk remedies

Professional chemicals are considered the best way to get rid of small midges in a house or apartment. However, not everyone is ready to breathe in unknown substances, because their safety for people and pets remains in question for many. In this case, the owners prefer to use folk recipes, tested by people and time, which are guaranteed not to have any negative impact on the health of all residents of the house.

Help from essential oils

This is one option that will make the house unattractive to any type of insects, because they cannot tolerate many strong odors. For example, midges will definitely not like the aromas of the following essential oils:

• cedar, pine;
• vanilla, cloves, geranium;
• ylang-ylang, lavender, incense;
• lemon, tangerine, mint, tea tree;
• patchouli, wormwood, tansy, fir, juniper.

Oils are used in different ways. Some owners drip etherol onto lampshades or cold lamps, onto heating appliances, or spray solutions. Other owners prefer aroma lamps, while others place branches of fragrant plants or pieces of zest in their rooms.

It is believed that any method will bring results. However, this “essential” option can be used in one case: if there are no allergy sufferers in the house, small children or pets who are extremely sensitive to any strong aromas.

Making homemade traps

The most original method of dealing with tiny insects is using a vacuum cleaner. After such fishing, it is recommended to quickly clean the container or bag; it is better to do this outside. However, such an activity can hardly be called exciting, because if there are few midges, then the hunt will most likely end in nothing.

Traps, on the contrary, are a completely working option. Such containers, in which any bait is placed, become a trap from which insects cannot escape. There are several ways to create traps, as well as available materials (and baits).

Disposable glasses

This is the simplest option. To make a trap, not only a disposable cup is suitable, but also other small dishes: for example, leftover yogurt. Bait is placed at the bottom. This could be fermented juice, pieces of rotten fruit, jelly or compotes, beer, homemade kvass or wine. However, real apple cider vinegar is considered the most favorite treat for midges. You can buy it, or prepare it yourself.

The glass with the treat is covered with cling film, in which a small hole is made with a needle. Through a tiny hole, insects will be able to get inside, but will no longer be able to get out. When enough “victims” have collected in the trap, it is placed in a bag (or wrapped in film) and taken out of the house.

Glass jar and napkin

A similar method is used to catch cockroaches, so this option can also be tried on their smaller “colleagues”. One of the types of bait is placed or poured into the bottom of a glass jar (500 ml). Roll a funnel from a napkin or sheet of paper, the height of which is approximately 2/3 of the depth of the container. The hole is made small. The funnel is carefully inserted into the jar, then fixed motionless with tape.

The principle of operation of this trap is similar to a glass covered with film. A hungry and “thinner” insect flies to the smell and gets to the free treat. The feast begins: the midges eat to their fill (they get fat before our eyes), so they can no longer get out.

Dishes with “killer” bait

In this case, a dose of poison is added to the attractive food. There are two recipes that are considered quite effective in the fight against small midges.

How to prevent the reappearance of pests?

To prevent insects from settling in your house or apartment again, you need to take measures to repel them. Thus, onion midges cannot tolerate the smell of pine needles and basil. Therefore, you need to purchase essential oils of fir, pine, and basil, soak cotton wool in them and place them in places where vegetables are stored.

Insects do not like the smell of clove seasoning - it can be stuck into citrus fruits that are stored outside the refrigerator. Midges also react negatively to the aromas of ylang-ylang, patchouli, and verbena oils, so they can be dripped into aroma lamps and used regularly. Midges also cannot stand the smell of camphor, which, by the way, is absolutely not harmful to humans. Preventing the appearance of midges is not difficult, but it is effective, and an unpleasant neighborhood will most likely not happen to them.

See also: Methods for successfully combating onion midges

Midges are common insects that look harmless in appearance and appear suddenly in an apartment. They can be seen in indoor flowers or in the kitchen, when there are a lot of vegetables, berries and fruits. Annoying parasites cause a lot of discomfort to humans. They get into your eyes, mouth, and get into food and drinks on the table. Since midges breed quickly, after a few days a whole swarm of creatures appears.

How to deal with insects in the kitchen

Midges in a room where food is prepared daily are an undesirable event that requires urgent action. Flying insects worsen the mood of all people living in the house, fly into plates of food, and leave traces in all rooms. You can fight small midges using home and professional methods.

Thorough inspection

Identifying the factors that influenced the spread of midges is the most important task, since only the destruction of the source of active reproduction and development of insects will allow us to lose their company for a long time. Before getting rid of midges in the kitchen, you should carefully consider the food. It is important to make sure that there are no midges in the soil in which the flowers are planted, as well as in washbasins and drains not only in the kitchen, but also in the bathroom. It is a thorough inspection that will help identify the habitats of flies.

Homemade traps

The use of traps is a way to effectively combat flies. Types of devices that can be made at home:

• PET glass. Place a slice of rotten fruit and a couple of tablespoons of juice on the bottom of the container. The top of the glass is covered with polyethylene, holes are made in it through which midges can penetrate. They shouldn't be too big. At night, the glass should be placed in the kitchen, and in the morning a midge will be found in it, which climbed into the glass for the aroma of the bait, from where it was not able to get out.
• From glass containers. The bait is placed in the container in the same way. Then you need to twist the paper funnel and position it so that its widened side matches the circumference of the jar, and the narrow side does not reach the bottom. The flies will fly in, but they won’t be able to crawl out.
• From adhesive tape. Midges stick to the sticky layer and cannot detach.
• From a detergent-based solution. Juice or nectar is poured into any container, which acts as a bait for insects. You should also add a little dishwashing gel there. Midges that fly into the container will drown in the resulting solution.
• Made from paper soaked in a special liquid. This effective method causes some inconvenience, since sheets that are soaked in a special solution are hung everywhere. Preparation: 3 tbsp. sugar, 6 tbsp. Mix ground black pepper with 500 ml of milk. Midges will be attracted to this mixture, and then they will die.
• A mixture of milk and formaldehyde. 10 tbsp. sweetened water, 2 tbsp. formaldehyde and 6 tbsp. milk are mixed in a bowl, which is then placed in the room with the midges. Insects die from contact with such a solution.

Description of mechanical methods

If you have neither the time nor the desire to make traps, you can use mechanical methods:

• Through ventilation. Air currents will carry insects outside.
• Vacuum cleaner. Everywhere where insects sit needs to be vacuumed. They will end up in the bag and will not be able to fly back out. But the container with dust must be shaken out or thrown away, because it is also an ideal breeding ground for midges.
• Camphor. You should heat the frying pan and pour the crushed preparation onto it. The fumes will spread throughout the house and the midges will die. This product is absolutely safe for adults and children, as well as pets.
• Aromatic oils and incense. Most of all, insects cannot stand the smell of cloves, patchouli, and verbena.
• Installation of mosquito nets on windows.

Chemicals

The fruit fly is the most common insect in our climate zone. Its size is a maximum of three and a half millimeters in length and 0.5 millimeters in width. Creatures live around fruits and vegetables that have spoiled or are simply in uncovered containers. The midge's body is brown in color and has small black wings on its back. A female insect lays 200 to 500 eggs throughout her life. How long do midges live? On average fifteen to twenty-five days. This indicator depends on climatic conditions and nutrition. In apartment conditions, the larvae turn into young individuals after 27 hours. On average, they take four to six days to mature.

The small larvae of these midges also feed on rotting fruits. They are attracted by the smell of wine and grapes. Each of us constantly sees these insects in the summer; they are everywhere: on the streets, in our apartments, shops. That is why the problem of getting rid of them becomes urgent. This is quite difficult to do, but in the article we will still look at several ways.

Their attack on our products continues as long as mosquitoes and midges live. Throughout their short lives, they feed on rot and other waste so that they can lay eggs and give birth to offspring.

Onion fly can be combated in a more radical way - using chemicals. They are more harmful than traditional ones, but more effective. There are a large number of preparations that can be used to spray onions.

Lifespan

Outdoor conditions differ from indoor conditions, so the life span of indoor and outdoor insects differs. Lifespan may end unexpectedly, especially if there are sudden changes in temperature and excessively humid conditions.

On the street

Street midges usually live near bodies of water and places where water accumulates. This accelerates the period of emergence of a new generation. In outdoor conditions, midges live no more than 2-3 weeks. At air temperatures above 25 degrees, the insect lives no more than 10 days. The life of an insect can end immediately after emerging from the egg; this is primarily due to lack of nutrition and cold.

In the apartment

The life of an insect in apartment conditions can be up to 1-1.5 months. This is due to optimal indoor conditions, which most often remain stable. However, if there is no power source in the room, the insect will live for a short time, no more than 1 week.

Indoor insects begin to reproduce 8 days after the larvae appear. An adult can lay up to 20 eggs at one time.

Traps

1. The most ordinary glass jar. Take a larger jar. Then put in it several pieces of slightly rotten or fresh fruit (it is worth noting that midges will fly to rotten fruits and vegetables faster). You can pour a little compote and put some sweet candies. Place the jar in a visible place or near the insects' habitat. Roll a funnel out of plain white paper. Insert it into the jar. This should be done with the tip down. This way, it will be easy for fruit flies to get into the jar, but they will never get back out. Wait until as many insects as possible are trapped and throw the contents of the jar outside. Never throw everything in the trash. There they will only continue to reproduce. How long do midges live in a trash can? Small colonies can live there for up to four months.
2. Take the most common plastic disposable cup. Put some sweet bait there. Even a used fruit aromatic tea bag will do. Cover the cup tightly with cling film. And make small holes in this film so that the midges can crawl through. Wait until a large number of midges (15-30 pieces) bite the bait.
3. Plastic bag. Take one garbage bag. Open it up as much as possible and place a few slices of fruit in the middle. Wait for the fruit flies to fly and close the bag quickly. Take it to an outdoor trash container.

Preventive recommendations

Although midges do not live long, in large numbers they are capable of clinging to all found products in a few minutes and contaminating horizontal and vertical surfaces. You can prevent the appearance of pests if you follow preventive measures:

1. There should be no food left on the table or plates. All leftover food must be thrown into the trash.
2. Fermented garbage in a bucket can become a source of insects, so it should be taken out more often. The kitchen bucket should always be covered.
3. An ideal place for insects to breed is drink bottles, cans, cups. All containers must be washed on time.
4. To prevent vegetables and fruits from spoiling, they are stored in a cool place. They are regularly checked for rotting and all spoiled food is thrown away.

The first thing to do if midges are already flying around the apartment is to find the source of their reproduction, remove and thoroughly wash everything around.