Can You Drink Fruit Fly Juice From a Wine Glass?

Scientists are trying to understand why fruit flies are so resistant to alcohol. This unusual trait is caused by their ability to metabolize large amounts of alcohol. The insects feed on fruit that is decaying and is rich in ethanol. So if you drink fruit juice from a wine glass, you may be inadvertently drowning the flies.

The most important way to get rid of fruit flies is to keep them out of your fruit. Avoid rotten fruit and store it in the refrigerator. The flies will lay their eggs and larvae in the produce. You can also kill fruit flies by washing fruit thoroughly before consuming it. Also, be sure to empty your trash can regularly. You must also be sure to clean up any spills, especially fruit juices.

In one study, students compared the alcohol tolerance of fruit flies with that of two kinds of wasps. One wasp species is a specialist in catching fruit flies. The other one does not, and students predicted that it would be less able to deal with alcohol.

This experiment shows that the behavior associated with alcohol addiction is present in fruit flies. Scientists have long questioned the biology behind this behavior, but recently, researchers from UC Merced identified a protein in a specific type of brain cell that is essential for the development of alcohol tolerance.