Fruit and Drain Flies Live in Harmony in Manalapan, NJ

Challenge

I went out on a service call for one of Cowleys commercial accounts, a convenience store in Manalapan, NJ. The general manager and the employees were complaining about small flies in the kitchen area. As soon as I began inspecting the kitchen area, I found an abundance of fruit flies near a garbage can. I took a closer look we found a build-up of syrups and discarded fruit that leaked thru the bag.

Fruit flies are about 1/8 inch long and usually have red eyes. The front portion of the body is tan and the rear portion. When fruit starts to go bad it begins to ferment and produces alcohol, which attracts fruit flies. The fruit flies will begin to gobble up the fermenting fruit and lay hundreds of eggs, which will hatch into larvae in a few hours.

Continuing my inspection I found several discarded food and beverage containers underneath a prep table. I moved the table and found a sink drain the was loaded with muck and drain flies. Drain flies are about 1/8-inch in size and are usually black but can also be brown in color. They will breed and thrive in areas that are prone to a build-up of decaying organic matter. Some of the target areas are floor drains and floor areas under appliances where poor cleaning leads to food and garbage debris build-up. 

Solution

For treatment, I treated all the drains with a bio-foam solution that eliminates all the organic build-up, odors, and scum. Next, I sanitized all the trash cans in the store. Once finished, I spoke to the manager and the staff about the trouble areas, how to prevent them, and proper sanitation techniques to prevent future pest intrusions.