(WHTM) – We have all dealt with them. You will be sitting down and watching TV and something tiny whizzes past you. You go to the kitchen to see if the insect came from there, and you find that a few fruit flies have decided to call your bowl of fruit their new home.

For many, fruit flies are some of the most annoying creatures on this planet (along with mosquitoes). So, do they serve a purpose? Why do these tiny little bugs exist?

According to Terro, the primary thing fruit flies love is just that: fruit. Terro says the bugs are attracted to fruits as well as vegetables. They can also breed on drains, garbage disposals, trash containers, empty drink containers, and even soapy water buckets.

The main thing fruit flies need to survive is a moist film of organic material to breed and thrive.

But, Gardener’s Supply says that these little bugs can actually be considered beneficial, but only in some cases.

The gardening site says that the decaying matter they eat can turn into a source of fungal or bacterial infections or even cause bigger pests to infiltrate your living space, such as rats or bigger bugs.

So how can you control these pests? There are a few things you can do.

• Consume ripened fruit immediately or store it in the fridge.
• If you do start seeing fruit flies, try to find the source. It could be in cupboards where potatoes and onions may be. It can also be even in your garbage disposal, where some of the organic material may still be present.

You can also make a fruit fly trap using apple cider vinegar in a bottle with a drop or two of dish soap. Put a piece of plastic wrap on top of a container of vinegar and soap and make sure it’s tightened with a rubber band. Then poke many small holes so the fruit flies go into and not fly out of.

If you find the source of the fruit flies and remove it, they should disappear in a few days.