Learn The Difference Between Gnats and Fruit Flies

A lot of people mistakenly believe that gnats and fruits flies are simply different terms for the same bug; however this is actually not true. Gnats and fruit flies are very different from one another.

It’s easy to see how that mistake happens, since gnats and fruit flies often show up together, and are both tiny flying insects that look similar.

However, controlling pests in your home is much easier to do when you have an understanding of what you’re really dealing with, and knowing the difference between gnats and fruit flies is important if you want to get rid of either of them.

Let’s take a look at each creature separately, and then look at some of the most important differences between the two.

Gnats

The word gnat does not actually refer to a single species, but rather to a large group of small flying insects. In scientific terms, gnat usually refers to any insect in the biological suborder Nematocera, which is part of the larger order Dipterid (meaning 2 wings).

Gnats typically travel in large swarms, which can take on the appearance of a single entity at great distances. These swarms are sometimes called ghosts.

Most gnats like to lay their eggs in damp places, so your kitchen or bathroom sink is the perfect breeding ground for gnats.

Some gnats are carnivorous, although many feed on plants. Their love of plants is the reason that they are often associated with fruit flies, which also eat plants.

Fruit Flies

Like the word gnat, fruit fly does not refer to one specific species of fly, but rather most commonly to a biological family of insects called Drosophilidae, and more specifically to the genus Drosophila.

Fruit flies are small, winged insects although they are typically slightly larger than gnats.

Their colors range from pale yellow, to brown, to black, and always with red eyes.

Most species of fruit flies are between 2 and 4 millimeters in length, however some, such as certain Hawaiian fruit flies, can be much larger. Some species are even larger than typical house flies.

Like gnats, fruit flies prefer to lay their eggs in damp places. This preference for moisture, along with an abundance of food, is what makes kitchens the perfect environment for fruit flies to live.

Important Differences

One of the key differences between gnats and fruit flies is that certain species of gnat will bite humans, while fruit flies will not. The flies only eat plant matter, as opposed to certain carnivorous species of gnat which feed on blood. Still, gnat bites are very minor and are more of a nuisance than anything.

Gnats also travel in larger swarms than fruit flies, and a group of them will often look like a black cloud which is moving very swiftly.

You will rarely see fruit flies if you’re just sitting outside during the evening, however gnats will tend to swarm around you to feed on your blood.