• Question: do you think fruit flies should be killed during the summer? As their Populations tend to increase during the summer. Furthermore, Fruit flies eat ripened fruit and vegetables and fermenting products, wouldn't this affect farmer's crops?

    Asked by Cabbagelife to Carrie, Cedric, Ellen, Ines, Rupert on 8 Mar 2017.
    • Photo: Carrie Ijichi

      Carrie Ijichi answered on 8 Mar 2017:

      I generally don’t really support the killing of animals because they are inconvenient. Each species is just trying to survive and were here long before we developed our farms, crops and hobbies that they disturb. On the other hand, I can understand that farmers frustration if his hard work is impacted by an animal.

    • Photo: Ines Goncalves

      Ines Goncalves answered on 8 Mar 2017:

      hmm, this is an interesting question and not one I had thought about before. Fruit flies can be a bit annoying but they don’t do that much harm do they? I mean, they’re entitled to eat too aren’t they? I think there needs to be a balance between successful farming and maintaining the ecosystems around farms. Green houses go a long way towards growing fruit and vegetables whilst keeping the impact of animals like fruit flies down to a minimum, do they?

    • Photo: Ellen Williams

      Ellen Williams answered on 9 Mar 2017:

      I don’t think any animal should be killed just because it is in the way. I don’t think fruit flies should be killed for eating crops and i don’t think foxes should be killed for eating chickens. I think the onus should be on the farmers to protect their crops/livestock etc. I know that can be hard with something as small as a fruit fly but I would imagine that greenhouses could be made secure in some manner. I appreciate farmers need to make a successful livelihood too but i don’t think the solution is simply killing pests.

    • Photo: Rupert Marshall

      Rupert Marshall answered on 9 Mar 2017:

      Fruit flies may be annoying for us, but they are food for lots of other animals – so if kill them we might be killing others too. Better to keep your fruit covered up at home. Fruit flies are more attracted to rotting fruit so if old fruit is collected the flies should be less of a problem. As for the farmers, I’m afraid I don’t know whether it effects them much or how they cope.

    • Photo: Cedric Tan

      Cedric Tan answered on 14 Mar 2017:

      Great question!

      It is difficult to decide as I studied them for 3 years and found them really fascinating. Although I had not hesitation about killing them for research.

      I think as the problem is related to crops and our food supply, I would think a better solution would be to prevent them from breeding to much. In Guatemala, they have a fruit farm area free of fruit flies, simply by preventing anyone from bringing in fruits to that farm area.

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