The Fruit Fly Epidemic at Hills West

Both students and faculty have witnessed fruit flies swarming in various locations all over the school, even in the locker rooms. This is not just annoying for students in gym, but also for students in sports, since they spend more time in the locker room changing into their team uniforms and setting up equipment.

Some causes for this epidemic have been hypothesized, such as the possibility of students eating in the classroom, and people not cleaning up after they eat. When asked how it can be stopped, junior Jessica Lea answered, “It’s gross, but there’s not much of a way it can be stopped, since people still eat in class.” Many students do not have a lunch period, so they have no choice but to eat during class.

However, senior Tina Ranjbar suggested, “As a school, we should enforce food regulations more.” A possible reinforcement could be that certain fly-attracting foods should not be permitted. “People need to be more cautious of themselves and things they leave behind,” says freshman Johnny DiGorgio. If students are not remembering to do this, teachers should encourage them to clean up crumbs, spills, and food that is left on the desk or the floor to make sure that no more flies can enter the room.

Besides students having opinions on the matter, teachers also have been affected by this epidemic. “They attract around my coffee every morning,”  said English teacher Mrs. Crowe. This can cause disgust and make people lose their appetite when they see that flies are around their food and beverages. Math teacher Mrs. Finley also reported, “A lot of teachers complain about the flies.” This invasion of flies can make the workplace dreadful.

According to chief custodian Mr. John Carolan, the fruit flies first became noticeable on February 8th. They appeared in the cafeteria’s recycling bins, potted plants, and on food in classrooms:

“The custodial staff started to remove anything that would attract them by emptying all recycling bins every night, changing all trash liners every night, and washing every trash can in the building. Infested plants were thrown out. Over the February break, the fruit flies disappeared, but came back when students returned. An exterminator was called on or about February 27th and Apple Cider Vinegar traps were installed. As of today, teachers said one or two fruit flies are occasionally present but not a problem anymore.”

In order to prevent another sweeping of fruit flies or any other pests in this school, students and faculty must make sure to keep up the sanitary conditions of the classrooms that they work in by cleaning up after they eat or drink. The fact that an exterminator had to be called in shows how serious the infestation was, and how hygienic we must keep the school.