Fruit Flies on My Aloe Plant

Causes

• Fruit flies are 1/8 inch long flying insects with red eyes. They are attracted to rotting food products. The adult flies feed and breed rotting vegetable material. Injured aloe seep sap and fluid from their leaves and this fluid attracts fruit flies. More attractive to fruit flies would be any rotting portions. Check you aloe plant's leaves and base for root rot, soft leaves, brown spots or any other decay symptoms.

Treatments

• Check areas of your kitchen for fruit flies. Fruit flies congregate near a food service and many adult colonies find a home in garbage disposals, sinks and drains. Place a plastic bag over these areas overnight. If the bag contains adult fruit flies by the morning, you know that your aloe plant is not the source of the fruit fly problem. Check other areas of your kitchen for rotting food and thoroughly clean the area. Inspect your aloe plant for damage. Cut back rotted leaves and injured vegetation with a sharp knife. Cover the cuts with a light, cotton cloth until the wounds scab over. Check the base of the plant for root rot and weak stems. The plant may need replacement if the base is injured.

Prevention

• Healthy aloe plants do not attract fruit flies. Keep your aloe plant healthy by watering it deeply throughout the summer, but allow the soil to dry between waterings during the cooler months. Root rot occurs when aloe is planted in heavy soil. Choose gritty potting soils that contain extra perlite, coarse sand or granite grit. Pot aloe in containers with large draining holes.

Considerations

• Fruit flies feed on damaged aloe portions, but other insects actually damage the plant. Check your aloe for evidence of scales, mites and other bugs. These insects suck fluid from leaves and shoots. Quarantine infested plants. Spray them down with household grade pesticides. Place severely infested plants in a plastic bag and discard them.