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Natural
Catch® controls fruitflies with a safe,
easy-to-use, non-toxic, patented design. Made of FDA
approved food grade material, Natural Catch Plus is
effective for 30 days.
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Convenient
and Versatile.....
Natural Catch® works anywhere
fruitflies are a problem. The patented design allows
easy use within displays or stands freely on countertops
or in display cases. One trap covers 10 sq. feet.
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Effective....
Natural Catch® works! It is simple,
safe, and economical
MSDS
Fruit
Fly Control Information
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CUSTOMER
FEEDBACK
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Enhance your Fruit Fly Killing Program.
Use our new Wall Outlet Fly Traps & these
Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps at the same time.
This will double your catch ratio. This companion
item can be purchased in a KIT at check out. |
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APPLICATION
EXAMPLES
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| Typical use
in Produce Departments. |
Typical use
in Bakery Departments. |
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Fruit
(Small)/Vinegar Flies
COMMON NAME:
Fruit (small)/vinegar flies
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Drosophila spp.
CLASS/ORDER/FAMILY: Insecta/Diptera/Drosophilidae
METAMORPHOSIS: Complete
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INTRODUCTION.
The common name of small fruit fly comes from their small size
and fondness for fruits as egg laying and developmental sites.
The name of vinegar fly comes from the fact they develop in the
briny or vinegar like liquids at the top of imperfectly sealed
canned fruits and vegetables. Note that only flies of the family
Tephritidae can properly be called fruit flies. These are
nuisance pests but may act as disease vectors. The best known of
these flies is D. melanogaster Meigen which has been used
extensively in the study of heredity. They are worldwide in
distribution and are found throughout the United States.
RECOGNITION.
(Drosophila spp.) Adults about 1/8"
(3-4 mm) long, including the wings. Color dull, tan to
brownish yellow or brownish black; eyes usually bright red.
Antenna with feathery bristle (arista). Wing with
coastal vein (thickened front margin) broken twice,
near end of humeral cross vein (short vein perpendicular to
costa near wing base) and near end of vein R1 (1st
vein behind costa). First hind tarsal segment long and slender,
much longer than 2nd segment. Drosophila melanogaster adults
about 1/8" (3 mm) long, tan with abdomen blackish above and
grayish below, and bright red eyes.
Mature D. melanogaster
larvae are about 1/4-3/8" (7-8 mm) long, eyeless, legless,
and tapering towards head from large rounded rear segment, head
represented by 2 dark hooks. Color near white except mouth hooks
black and tips of posterior terminal abdominal spiracles
(breathing pores) yellowish. Posterior spiracles at end of short
stalks/fleshy tubes which are in contact or joined at their
bases. Other species may have posterior spiracle stalks dark
and/or have whorls of setae (hairs) at their ends, and/or have
the bottom side of abdomen with darkened cross bands (setulae).
SIMILAR GROUPS.
(1) Small dung flies (Sphaeroceridae) with 1st hind tarsal
segment broad and shorter than 2nd segment, wing with costar
vein (thickened front margin) broken 3 times (additionally
before humeral cross vein). (2) Humpbacked flies (Phoridae) with
humpback appearance, wing with strong/dark basal front veins
(costar area) and 4-5 weaker (less distinct) unbranched oblique
veins, hind femora flattened. (3) Moth/drain/sewage flies (Psychodidae)
have body and wing veins densely covered with hairs. (4) Fungus
gnats (Mycetophilidae) and darkwinged fungus gnats (Sciaridae)
are slender, long-legged, mosquitolike, with elongated coxae,
wing costa (front margin) unbroken, antenna lacks an arista/bristle.
(5) Other small flies either lack antenna with a feathery
bristle and/or wing with a twice broken costar vein.
BIOLOGY.
Adult females lay their eggs (average about 500) near the
surface of fermenting fruits and vegetables or near the cover
crack of imperfectly sealed containers of such materials. The
eggs hatch in about 30 hours. The larvae develop in the briny or
vinegarlike liquids of the fermenting materials where they feed
near the surface and primarily on the yeast, for about 5-6 days.
Prior to pupation, the larvae crawl to drier areas of the food
or elsewhere. The brown, seedlike sheath containing the pupa
(the puparium) is formed from the last larval skin/exoskeleton.
The newly emerged adults mate in about 2 days. The life cycle
(adult to adult) may be completed in 8-10 days at 85 degrees F
(29 degrees C). Their reproductive potential is enormous.
HABITS.
Small fruit flies are attracted primarily to fresh fruits and
vegetables and those fermenting because of yeast. Materials lose
their attractiveness when they begin to decay because of
bacteria and fungi. Materials commonly infested include bananas,
grapes, peaches, pineapples, tomatoes, mustard pickles,
potatoes, etc. and fermenting liquids such as beer, cider,
vinegar, and wine; some species are attracted to human and
animal excrement. The larvae develop primarily in liquids and
near the surface but seek drier areas for pupation. Newly
emerged adults are attracted to lights. Because of their short
life cycle of 8-10 days, they can exploit many temporarily
available developmental sites such as sour mop and broom heads,
fruit under a table or cabinet, fruit left out in a bowl, etc.
Dishwater and mop water full of food particles can accumulate on
surfaces and/or in crevices and ferment, providing ideal fly
breeding conditions.
Adults tend to
hover in small circles. Because of their small size, many
species are able to penetrate ordinary screens.
CONTROL.
The key to small fruit fly control is sanitation. Elimination of
larval food and developmental sites is mandatory. The presence
of adult flies usually means that larvae are developing in some
nearby fermenting material. If the flies are coming from
outdoors, reducing the screen mesh size can be helpful because
most species can penetrate ordinary screens. The number of
adults can be reduced through the use of insect electrocuters
(light traps), and/or better, the use of baited jar traps with
special tops which allow access but discourage escape. Adults
can be easily killed with an appropriately labeled aerosol, or
ULV application. However, such relief will only be temporary,
lasting only until new adults emerge, unless proper sanitation
has been practiced.
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