The fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is a smaller than normal fruit fly recognized by its yellowish and gray colors and long hairs.
Attracted by the yellow and orange color, adult females are the only ones that lay eggs and attack many crops, depending on the time of year, including oranges, tangerines, apricots, grapes, peaches, pears and figs, among others. Therefore, fruits that are green or camouflaged by the white of calcium are not attacked.
Fruit fly bite
The female fly nails the ovipositor to the fruit, depositing about eight eggs, and then moves to another fruit and so on, laying 300 to 400 eggs. The bite made by the fruit fly makes a hole through which microorganisms enter and cause the fruit to rot. The eggs deposited take two days to hatch, giving way to the larvae, which burrow into the fruit, accelerating its decomposition and, finally, the fruit will fall to the ground.
After about 15 days, the larvae, which have been feeding on the fruit pulp, leave the fruit to bury themselves in the soil and pupate. And to finish the cycle, after about 13 days it culminates with the sprouting of another adult fly.
How to avoid fruit fly bites
We assume that pests caused by larval damage inside the fruit are very difficult to treat, since they are covered by any treatment. For example, the most widely used, especially for organic farming, are fly traps, a technique used for mass trapping of fruit flies, and when used well, they give very good results.
The fly traps are yellow containers (a color that attracts ceratitis capitata) that contain a diffuser on one side that emits a strong odor of ripe fruit that also attracts fruit flies, and on the other side contains a specific amount of insecticide. The fruit fly enters through the cylindrical holes in the fly trap and once inside it is difficult for them to find their way out, and it is at that moment when a small amount of insecticide comes into play.
