Articles Reflecting a Vegan Lifestyle From All-Creatures.org

My buddy the fruit fly

From PAUW Project [Post Animal Use World]
October 2023

I am reminded that years ago I might have mindlessly squashed the bug. I would have gotten rid of what I considered a nuisance. I would not have recognized I’d just extinguished a life. I am surprised at what I now consider callousness. I denied myself the pleasure I get from saving a life.

I’ve had a fruit fly in my kitchen for a few weeks. I can’t say if it’s the same fruit fly or different ones substituting one another.

The fly appears at different times. I don’t see her or him (for ease of writing, I’m going to refer to the fly as her) everytime I’m in the kitchen. It’s gotten to the point where I look for her if I don’t notice her. I realize I’ve gotten somewhat attached to seeing her flying around, or resting on a utensil or ledge.

I am reminded that years ago I might have mindlessly squashed the bug. I would have gotten rid of what I considered a nuisance. I would not have recognized I’d just extinguished a life. I am surprised at what I now consider callousness. I denied myself the pleasure I get from saving a life.

I live in an apartment so there isn’t much wildlife that gets into my space, mostly spiders, ladybugs, and centipedes. I have a phobia about centipedes, so I remove them from the apartment and put them outside. I happily coexist with the spiders and ladybugs. I get spider bites from time to time, which can be nasty, but I’m not bothered to live with them.

When I see the fruit fly—which I have again this morning, I have a feeling of warmth. I don’t know if my feeling of pleasure is transmitted to the fruit fly. I don’t think anyone knows. I tend to believe - with no proof - that in the future we will learn that our thoughts and feelings are communicated in ways we didn’t realize. The feeling is automatic, but I’m aware of it and hope the fruit fly experiences it. It’s my way of having a relationship with her.

I do the same when I’m out walking and see a squirrel or other animal. I let them know they are safe with me. Or, when I see a squirrel crossing the road I say a prayer - ‘stay safe’ - ‘don’t do anything silly, like stopping in the middle of the road’ which I so often see them do.

I say a prayer when I see an animal lying in or on the side of the road. I’ve heard about people who travel with shovels and other gear to properly bury ‘roadkill’. (I don’t like that expression, it seems antiseptic and dismissive of the life that’s been lost.) I bury deceased birds or chipmunks if I find them while walking. Sometimes it’s as simple as lifting them with sticks and putting them under a bed of leaves. I feel a twinge of sadness assuming that the animal was inadvertently killed by a car. I feel some pleasure that I can acknowledge the sanctity of their lives by burying them with a simple prayer.

I have researched a bit about fruit flies. They are of the drosophilidae family, of which: ‘The average lifespan of a fruit fly is about 40 to 50 days. The fruit fly life cycle is made up of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Most of the fly's life is spent as an adult, with development usually taking less than two weeks’.

I was surprised to learn of the length of the fruit flies lifespan. I guess I expected the life span to be shorter, given how tiny they are. Perhaps I also assumed short longevity because I had so easily disposed of them in the past. Given this information, I’m figuring the fruit fly living in my kitchen is one that’s been with me for a few weeks.

Not surprisingly, as I researched the fly, right below the short description about lifespan were link after link about what to do with an infestation—how to get rid of fruit flies. This is the world we live in. And, I, too, was guilty. They were considered pests until I realized the pleasure in saving and appreciating a life.

For now, my little fruit fly happily coexists with me in the kitchen, although she has visited me at my desk. I know she will likely disappear in the coming days/weeks. I am amazed at the relationships that develop given awareness and interest.

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