Fruit flies at your bar – why you need to get rid of them and how

There are roughly 7,000 types of fly species throughout the UK. Yet the three most common flies affecting pubs, bars, restaurants and other food establishments are house flies, bluebottle and the most irritating of all fruit flies.

An unwelcome guest at any bar, the tiny fruit fly can be a nuisance all year round. Warmer weather and the abundance of summer fruits and vegetables provide greater opportunities for them to thrive.

What are fruit flies?

Fruit flies are very small, black and tan coloured insects with red eyes. Adult flies are approximately 3 – 4 mm in size. They have a slow ‘lazy’ flight and tend to hover, particularly around overripe fruits, hence the name – fruit fly.

Why do fruit flies hang around bars?

Fruit flies feed on overripe fruit and vegetables, and are attracted to the fermenting sugars within alcoholic drinks, including spillages, dregs left in the bottom of glasses and residue in sinks and drains.

So bar areas are always going tempt fruit flies from the maraschino cherries, pineapple wedges and fruit garnishes prepared for exotic cocktails to beer and cider soaked bar mats and drip trays. Fruit flies will take advantage of any fermenting or sugary substance. Surprisingly there are non-food items that can also attract the attention of fruit flies, for example residues on damp mops, sponges and cleaning clothes, or wastewater in ice wells and sinks.

Why do hospitality businesses need to eliminate fruit flies?

Although these insects are primarily seen as a nuisance pest, they have the potential to cross contaminate food and drink with bacteria and pathogens (organisms that can cause disease). Fruit flies visit unsanitary locations such as rubbish bins, fermenting fruit, decaying vegetation and drains, from which they can transfer pathogens.

Also the tiny fruit fly lays its eggs in ripening fruit and sweet fermenting liquids – for example open liquor and syrup bottles (even with pour spouts) and fruit garnishes. Once hatched the larvae will feed directly on the over ripened food or sugary liquids. If you inadvertently consume the fly larvae they can cause discomfort and diarrhea. Health & Safety and Environmental Health inspectors will raise concerns if fruit flies are found infesting areas where food is prepared, processed or served.

What helps prevent a fruit fly infestation?

Fruit flies will breed quickly (up to 500 eggs laid at a time which can fully develop in as little as seven days in conditions around 15 ⁰C), which can lead to a rapid infestation within a very short time period. Getting rid of fruit flies in a hospitality environment, especially a bar area is challenging, as a single rotten slice of cucumber at the bottom of a bin or a small spillage of mixer syrup under a refrigerator could breed hundreds of fruit flies.

There is however some steps you can take to help to make things less inviting for these unwanted guests:

1) Keep your bar area clean

I know it sounds obvious, but flies are attracted to unhygienic areas and fruit flies only need a moist film of fermenting organic material in which to breed. Make sure all bar staff know the cleaning regime they must follow, making sure this cleaning schedule includes a regular clean of walls, floors, ceilings and windows, as well as bar mats and beer drip trays. It’s also important that equipment is routinely cleaned and fridges and freezers are wiped down inside and out. Think beyond the bar as well, tables, chairs and bar stools will need to be wiped down to remove any sticky spillages.

2) Limit access to liquids

Make sure there is no standing water left overnight, by ensuring sinks are drained and wiped dry and ice wells cleared out. Also make sure that drains are cleaned with sanitizer every evening, as the remnants of juices, mixers and liquors can still attract fruit flies to your drains even if they have been swilled with water.

3) Cover bottles and beer taps

At the end of every evening ensure syrup and liquor bottles are sealed. If you use pour spouts on your bottles you can buy spout caps or screened top pourers. Otherwise, fruit flies will crawl inside the bottles and lay eggs, and when the larvae hatch they will feed on the liquid. Get bar staff to wipe down beer taps and even soft drinks guns and cover them, so that nothing can drip into trays for fruit flies to feed on and breed in overnight.

4) Dispose of rubbish frequently

Food waste in bins needs to be collected and removed frequently, so it does not have time to decompose and fester within the premises. Fruit flies are sensitive to the smell of decaying food stuffs and will quickly be attracted to the bins and any organic residue lurking at the bottom.

 How do you get rid of a fruit fly infestation?

All potential fruit fly breeding sites must be located and eliminated, otherwise the problem will continue no matter how often you try to control the adult flies.

We have effective solutions to fruit fly issues, which help to control the volume of fruit flies on your premises. Rentokil’s Mini Fruit Fly Box has been uniquely designed as a discreet but highly effective fruit fly trap. It contains a formulated pesticide which attracts and rapidly eliminates fruit flies. Combining this innovation with our fruit fly riddance programme – which includes insecticidal spot and space treatments, expert advice and hygiene recommendations – will help protect your premises and reputation from fruit flies.

However, effective fruit fly control can only be maintained if any housekeeping issues that are identified are resolved.