Can You Drink Wine With Fruit Flies in It?
WouterFortunately, there are several solutions that can keep fruit flies from ruining your drink. One of them is to use a natural cork in your wine. It can help slow the ripening process by absorbing moisture from the air around the fruit. Unfortunately, this method isn’t effective with easy-opening twist-cap wines. Plastic corks are much less effective in keeping fruit flies out of wine.
In a study conducted in Baden, Germany, eight expert wine tasters tested several different types of wine. Some had previously been contaminated with a female fruit fly for five minutes, while others had no fruit fly contact at all. The experts rated the female-fly-infested wines as stronger than the other samples.
The researchers studied two species of fruit flies. One species was a specialist in controlling fruit flies, while the other was unspecialized in the insect. The researchers predicted that the non-specialist wasp would have a lower tolerance to alcohol. The researchers also observed that flies with multiple females tended to reject the males’ courtship advances.
Another method is to use fermented fruit. The flies lay their eggs on the fermenting fruit. The larvae will then swim in the alcoholic liquid. While a generalist wasp might have a difficult time dealing with the fruit flies, the specialist wasps can cope with the high levels of alcohol without harming the fruit flies.
