Most people don’t wash fruit or vegetables with peels. After all, peels are nature’s packaging that protects the food inside. However, some people online are encouraging others to begin washing their bananas after buying them. Unlike apples and tomatoes, the problem isn’t the possible presence of dirt and bacteria. Rather, fruit flies may be using fresh bananas to feed and lay eggs. Which leads to the question: Should you wash bananas?
Fruit Fly Magnets
Fruit flies are attracted to most fruits, as so named, in addition to vegetables, vinegar, dampness, etc. But bananas are particularly vulnerable because they are stored outside of the fridge and they ripen quicker than foods like melon and avocado. The rapid ripening indicates the fruit is beginning to decay, which is irresistible to fruit flies.
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Eggs on Banana Peels
Moreover, bananas serve more than just a potassium-filled meal. They also provide the perfect space for eggs. Although a stray fruit fly or two aren’t very bothersome, the trouble begins once they begin breeding. Within 24 hours of mating, a female can lay up to 500 eggs (thats a lot of eggs). But you can’t notice the nursery on the banana peel. “You would need a good hand lens or a microscope” to see the eggs, according to David Lowenstein, MS, PhD, a consumer horticulture educator at Michigan State University Extension to Self.
Hatching Problems
When the eggs hatch, the banana peel is covered with larvae, also called maggots. Once they develop, a swarm of fruit flies appear. “Once you get just a few fruit flies inside, their populations can explode really quickly,” said P.J. Liesch, MS, the director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab. “…You can even get overlapping generations, where you might have adults and eggs or larvae at the same time.”
Safe to Eat
Since the eggs are so small, you won’t be able to differentiate buggy banana peels from the rest. So whenever you buy a bunch, it may include eggs. Keep in mind, the existence of eggs doesn’t ruin the banana since they are on the peel with the actual fruit untouched. (Unless there’s a crack in the banana that could let pests inside.) Dr. Lowenstein reassures that the eggs won’t make you sick—although the idea of eating them might.
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Wash Banana Peels?
Therefore, the existence of eggs isn’t technically a problem; it’s the hatching that people want to avoid. So washing off bananas with water or produce wash (not soap or detergent) can help remove the eggs. But it may not be necessary. Since issues only arise once the eggs hatch, you have time to eat the bananas without bothering with any extra steps. Liesch estimates eggs hatch in about a week, depending on the season. So if you are going to eat the bananas within a few days, you’re probably safe to skip the wash.
How to Prevent Fruit Flies in the Kitchen
Bananas aren’t the only way fruit flies can infiltrate kitchens. There are many potential bug magnets around so here are a few important tips:
- All ripened produce should be refrigerated, discarded, or eaten.
- Keep an eye out for rot on potatoes, onions, and other produce kept outside the fridge.
- Take out trash regularly and clean the bins when you notice leaks or odors.
- Keep all food tightly sealed.
- Be on top of food spills
- Rinse out soda and beer cans before tossing them.
- Check under the fridge, oven, and other pieces of furniture for messes and spills.
- Put tight-fitting 16-mesh screens on windows and doors.
- Remember, the fruit flies are attracted to ripe and rotting food, in addition to wine, beer, and vinegar.
Check the Drains
Drains have moisture and sometimes sludge that attracts fruit flies. If you see insects around a particular drain, tap a plastic bag over it and leave it overnight. If the bag is full of fruit flies in the morning, it’s infested and should be cleaned and sanitized with boiling water. You may also need a brush and industrial drain cleaner, according to WebMD.
How to Trap Fruit Flies
If you already have a fruit fly problem, make some traps and place them in all of the hotspots. You will need some small jars, paper, and fly bait, according to a suggestion from Michigan State University Extension. Roll the paper into a cone and place it into the jar with the narrow side pointing down. Then add bait to the jar, which can be rotting fruit, juice, or vinegar. You can even use a banana slice (and you don’t need to wash it.) If you don’t have jars, you can use tall wine glasses. The flies will go for the bait and not be able to escape. Empty the trap and refill the bait everyday until the infestation is gone.
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