When the weather warms, fruit flies just appear.

天氣暖和的時候，果蠅就會出現。

Out of nowhere.

不知從哪裡冒出來的。

Next to the fruit bowl, near the trash, everywhere.

果盤旁邊，垃圾桶附近，到處都是。

And once they arrive, they are determined to stay

他們一到，就決心要留下來

no matter how many you swat, squash, or seize.

不管你打了多少，壓了多少，或者抓了多少。

Now as far as we know, fruit flies can't teleport

現在據我們所知，果蠅是不能傳送的。

into our homes from another grosser dimension.

從另一個更大的維度進入我們的家。

So where do they come from, and why are they so hard

那麼，它們從哪裡來，為什麼這麼硬？

to get rid of?

擺脫？

Meet Drosophila melanogaster:

測量黑腹果蠅。

your standard fruit fly.

你的標準果蠅。

It can smell a meal from more than a kilometer away

它能在一公里外聞到飯菜的味道。

all thanks to the tiny antennae on top of its head.

這都要歸功於它頭頂上的小天線。

These antennae are specially attuned to

這些天線特別適應於

sniff out chemicals like acetic acid

嗅出醋酸等化學物

let off by rotting fruit,

腐爛的果實放掉。

and once they're locked on to the scent,

而一旦他們被鎖定在氣味上。

it's nearly impossible to keep them out of your home.

幾乎不可能把它們趕出家門。

That's because fruit flies are about

這是因為果蠅是關於

the size of a sesame seed,

芝麻大小。

so they can slip through almost any crack,

所以它們幾乎可以從任何縫隙中溜走。

screen, or gap.

屏風，或縫隙。

But contrary to popular belief,

但與大眾的看法相反。

it's not just the smelly fruit they're after.

他們要的不僅僅是臭味熏天的水果。

They're also hunting for the source of that rotting stench,

他們也在尋找那股腐臭的來源。

specifically, fungi and other microorganisms.

具體來說，就是真菌和其他微生物。

Yum!

好吃！

And once they land for the feast, things turn even nastier.

而一旦他們登陸參加宴會，事情就會變得更加惡劣。

You know how you never see just one fruit fly?

你知道你永遠不會只看到一隻果蠅嗎？

That's because they have incredibly fast life cycles.

那是因為它們的生命週期非常快。

A single female fruit fly can

一隻雌性果蠅可以

lay up to 100 eggs a day, which hatch in less than 24 hours.

每天最多產卵100枚，孵化時間不到24小時。

The maggots then tunnel under the fruit skin,

蛆蟲就會在果皮下挖隧道。

feeding on the microbial rot.

以微生物腐爛為食。

In just a few days later, they pupate

幾天後，它們就化蛹了

into fully fledged fruit flies.

變成成熟的果蠅。

By the time day 11 or 12 rolls around,

到了第11、12天的時候。

they're ready to have little maggots of their own.

他們已經準備好有自己的小蛆。

Aww.

啊

That's why your home can go from fruit-fly free

這就是為什麼你的家可以從沒有果蠅的原因

to infested in under two weeks.

在兩個星期內就會被侵襲。

Now, by this point you might start

現在，在這一點上，你可能會開始

swatting them down one by one.

把他們一個個打倒。

But it's not so easy, right?

但也不是那麼容易的吧？

Perhaps even...fruitless?

甚至可能......沒有結果？

Well, scientists have discovered why.

好吧，科學家已經發現了原因。

Turns out fruit flies are mathematical wizards of escape.

原來果蠅是數學上的逃學生奇才。

For starters, they have around 270-degree vision,

首先，他們擁有270度左右的視野。

so they can see you coming from almost any angle:

所以他們可以看到你從任何角度來。

front, back, or side to side,

前面、後面或側面。

and they will actually calculate the angle

他們會實際計算出角度

of your attack and plan their escape accordingly

兵來將擋，水來土掩

all in as little as 100 milliseconds.

都在短短的100毫秒內完成。

Scientists figured this out because

科學家們發現這一點是因為

of how a resting fruit fly will reposition

歇息的果蠅會如何重新定位？

its legs when it senses an attack.

當它感覺到攻擊時，它的腿。

If your hand's coming from the front, for example,

比如說，如果你的手是從前面伸過來的。

fruit flies move their middle legs forward,

果蠅的中腿向前移動。

lean back, and raise their legs, allowing for

向後傾斜，並抬起他們的腿，讓

a fast backwards takeoff.

快速後退起飛。

Once in midair, killing them isn't much easier.

一旦到了半空中，殺他們就沒那麼容易了。

They can change directions within

他們可以在內部改變方向

one one-hundredth of a second and quickly accelerate

百分之一秒，並迅速加速。

by flapping their wings 200 times per second.

通過每秒200次扇動翅膀。

Not bad for a brain that's even smaller

腦子再小，也不差錢啊

than a house fly's.

比房子飛的。

So then, how do you get rid of them?

那麼，那麼，如何擺脫它們呢？

Some experts suggest making a trap.

有專家建議做一個陷阱。

Fill a container with 2 centimeters of cider vinegar,

在容器中注入2釐米的蘋果醋。

cap it with a funnel, and then tape around the perimeter

用漏斗蓋住，然後用膠帶圍住它。

so that no flies can crawl out.

以便沒有蒼蠅能爬出來。

You see, fruit flies are smart enough to find fruit

你看，果蠅很聰明，能找到水果。

but not the hole they entered.

但不是他們進入的那個洞。

But here's the thing.

但事情是這樣的

Even if you trap every last fly,

即使你把每一隻蒼蠅都抓起來

they will come back as long as there's something to eat.

只要有東西吃，他們就會回來。

And unfortunately for you, fruit flies aren't picky.

而不幸的是，果蠅並不挑剔。

They love rotten fruit, sure,

他們喜歡爛水果，當然。

but wine and other fermented liquids,

但酒和其他發酵液體。

which are chock-full of those microbes they adore,

其中充滿了他們所喜愛的微生物。

are also tasty,

也是好吃的。

as is the slime that builds up in your kitchen sink.

如同廚房水槽裡積攢的粘液一樣。

So really, the only thing you can do

所以，你唯一能做的就是

to get rid of them is to,

擺脫它們是為了。

well, clean up.

好了，清理。