These bugs aren’t out to get you; they’re just opportunists. Fungus gnats thrive in overwatered potting soil, so if your fiddle-leaf fig looks sad, check the dirt. Fruit flies are drawn to fermenting fruit—that lone apple in the back of the fridge is a five-star restaurant for them. Drain flies love the organic slime in pipes, which is essentially a smoothie of soap scum and hair.
Even your trash can can become an airport lounge for these critters. They’re tiny, but their sense of smell is superhuman. A single forgotten potato peels can sustain a whole squadron.
