![The most common species of fruit fly has red/orange eyes, but not all fruit flies have red/orange eyes. Fruit flies, typically just an eighth of an inch in size, often hover around and just above food (most often decomposing vegetable matter) prior to landing.
Habits: Feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, compost, rotting fruit, etc. Often found around salad bars and restaurants where vegetable matter and juices collect. Also called vinegar flies, since vinegar (acetic acid) is a decomposition product of some rotting vegetable matter.
Interventions: Find larval fly feeding site(s) and clean or otherwise throw away rotting fruit or vegetable matter. Remove garbage, including the plastic liner, and other refuse at least twice per week.
Might Be Confused With: humpbacked flies, fungus gnats, moth flies.](https://secure.caes.uga.edu/news/multimedia/images/2023/Fruit-flies-Suiter-et-al.jpg)
Fruit Flies
Fruit flies can be a problem year-round, but are especially common during late summer and fall because they are attracted to ripe or fermenting fruits and vegetables. The best way to avoid problems with fruit flies is to eliminate sources of attraction.