Fruit Fly
Drosophila melanogaster
The tiny flies over a fruit bowl or a bar drip tray. They breed in a film of fermenting residue no thicker than a sheet of paper, which is why cleaning the visible surfaces never gets rid of them.
Where it lives in Maltese properties
Fermenting fruit and vegetables, drink dispensers, beer lines, drip trays, mop heads, recycling bins, drains and the residue under bar equipment.
Signs of an infestation
You will usually notice the evidence long before you see the pest itself. Look for:
- Small flies hovering around fruit, bins, bars and drains
- Numbers building through the day in food and drink service areas
- Larvae in drip trays, drain slime or the base of recycling bins
Why it matters
The risks associated with fruit fly in Malta:
- Transfers bacteria and yeasts from drains and waste to food and glassware
- Serious complaint source in bars, restaurants and hotels
- Contaminates open food, wine and fresh produce displays
How to prevent it
Prevention is always cheaper than treatment, and for this species it is genuinely effective:
- Empty and wash drip trays and bottle bins daily
- Refrigerate ripe fruit and remove overripe produce
- Clean drains and the floor junction beneath bar units weekly
How we treat fruit fly
We locate the breeding residue with a survey of drains, voids and equipment bases, apply a bio-enzyme drain treatment that digests the organic film, and support with targeted fogging and monitoring traps until the population collapses. In hospitality we also review cleaning schedules with the team, because sanitation is the permanent fix.
Fly Control & Drain Treatment — from €95 per property
Breeding source investigation, bio-enzyme drain treatment and adult knockdown, the only way to stop flies returning.
- Breeding source survey of drains and voids
- Bio-enzyme drain and gully treatment
- Residual treatment of resting surfaces
- Monitoring traps
- Sanitation report
Often confused with, or found alongside
House Fly
Musca domesticaA fly can move from refuse to a dinner plate in seconds, and it feeds by regurgitating onto food before drinking the liquid.
Drain Fly (Moth Fly)
Clogmia albipunctataFuzzy grey flies sitting on the tiles just above a drain.
Asian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes albopictusEstablished across Malta since 2010 and now the dominant biting mosquito.
Common House Mosquito
Culex pipiensThe one that whines around the bedroom at night, bred in stagnant, organically rich water: blocked drains, cesspits, neglected wells.
Dealing with fruit fly?
Book a treatment online at a fixed price, or request an inspection if you would rather have it confirmed first. Either way you will know the cost before anyone starts work.