Fruit Fly Problem in Red Bank, NJ

Challenge

As the owner of a convenience store in Red Bank, NJ was getting ready to open up, he discovered a heavy infestation of fruit flies throughout his storeroom, so he called Cowleys and I was immediately sent out to inspect and get rid of these pests. 

As I began inspecting the storeroom I noticed a few fruit flies hovering on the wall and, after a closer look, I was able to identify them as dark-eyed fruit flies. Dark-eyed fruit flies develop in decaying organic matter, such as fruit, vegetables, alcohol, and sugary drinks, and breed underneath kitchen equipment, near drains, sinks, and beverage taps.

A majority of the time, fruit flies will hover around the main infestation area. Knowing this, I inspected underneath the cabinet area and found a floor drain that was filled with gunk and food debris. I also noticed near the employee soda foundation there was a bucket filled with soda syrup and other sugary liquids, as well as fruit flies. Apparently, the closing staff was cleaning the dispensers and forgot to empty this bucket out, which contributed to the infestation.

Solution

I brought these sanitation issues to the owner who immediately spoke to his staff and began cleaning. As they were cleaning, I scrubbed out all the drains in the area and applied a liquid application that kills the bad bacteria in the drain, which is what the fruit flies breed in.

Lastly, I treated the drains with a bio-foam solution that eliminates the fruit fly larvae and the organic build-up, odors, and scum in the drains. With our heavy-duty treatment and a new cleaning protocol instituted, this store will no longer have an issue with fruit flies!