i am the exterminator

You may call them fruit flies. Others may refer to them as Drosophila melanogaster, a model organism in genetics. Regardless, these annoying creatures have profoundly impacted my life. This begs the question- why a blog devoted to such a seemingly insignificant insect?

My journey began a long time ago. It all began as my mother insisted on leaving fruit on the dining room table for  its aesthetic value to our kitchen. Little did she know the nightmare that would ensue. Our home became a breeding grounds for these insects and it was impossible for one to perform basic biological functions such as eating, using the restroom, and sleeping without being disturbed. However, I happened to have a yellow room and bathroom, which attracts these insects, making my room the colloquial "mother board" for breeding. 

After a summer filled with mornings where I would wake up with a dead fly against my cheek (face), I was off to college continuing in Biology. I wound up in the smelly basement of Rockwell breeding fruit flies for 8 weeks and writing a comprehensive lab report on the crosses. Little did I know a trend was beginning....

Just when I thought I had experienced the worst in my genetics class, I began my senior year at Grove City. This time, I was living in the apartments - where my fellow roommates and I did not change our trash can with fruit remains in it. Thanks to the rapid breeding ability of these insects, we were officially infested. In the course of a 48 hour period I killed 34 fruit flies in my room alone. (yes, I counted)

One night, it seemed the battle could not get much worse. I killed many more flies out in our kitchen as I frantically cleaned. I thought to myself "I wish there was an bug exterminator specialized soley for fruit flies."

But this is when a stunning reality sank in.

I AM THE BEST EXTERMINATOR I KNOW. 

So my journey began, a bit of a craze, to find practical ways to rid my life of these nuisances. 

The next morning, I found myself sitting in Entomology at 8 in the morning studying the external anatomy of fruit flies. Oh the irony! 

This blog is my quest and experiments against fruit flies. I will attempt, through personal experience and research, to show the best ways to rid one's life of these terrible flies. Watch and learn.