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Types of Small Flies
Are you noticing small black flies around the kitchen or dining area of your food service facility? There are several common types of small black fly that impact food facilities, and different actions may be required for treatment and elimination depending on the small fly species.
Fruit (Vinegar Fly)
- Two common types of fruit fly:
- Red-eyed: smaller, tan or light brown with red eyes
- Dark-eyed: larger, dark brown with dark eyes
- Adult fruit flies are approximately 1/16 to 1/8 inch long with clear or light gray wings
- Fruit fly breeding sites: Decaying fruits and vegetables, unrinsed bottles and cans, indoor and outdoor trash receptacles, used mops and rags, beverage dispensers, open foods, standing water, floor mats, drains, garbage disposals or damp laundry (e.g., linens).
Moth/Drain/ Filter/Sewage Fly
- Adult is 1/16"–1/4" (1.6–6.4mm) long and light gray to black with heart-shaped wings.
- Adult has a delicate, fuzzy appearance and flies only short distances, then crawls on surfaces.
- Breeds indoors and outdoors on gelatinous bacterial film of drains, filters, sewers, lift stations, pits and sump pumps.
Phorid Flies
- Adult is 1/64" - 1/4" (.4–6.4mm) long and is black, brown or yellowish.
- Has a humpbacked profile and erratic movements, particularly when running.
- Breeds indoors and outdoors in moist, decaying matter; may be a sign of a plumbing or structural problem.
More Pest Resources
Although the fruit fly, also known as a small fly, has historically been considered a nuisance pest, recent research proves that small flies can contaminate food with bacteria carried from unsanitary surfaces such as trash, drains and mops.
You’re enjoying a meal with friends at a restaurant and mid-sentence, you notice a fruit fly buzzing around in front of you. While you probably find this to be a nuisance, did you know it is also a sign of sanitation issues in the restaurant?
Small flies can live in your facility year-round. Harbored in small, tough-to-get-at areas like drains and beverage machines, these types of flies can quickly multiply into an infestation, drawing the attention of health inspectors.
Because of cockroaches' ability to spread disease, they present significant food-safety risks for restaurants and food retail establishments. In fact, a single sighting of a cockroach by a health inspector can result in a shutdown.
