Ripe, juicy fruits are a must for summer. Unfortunately, so are fruit flies. These pests are the last thing you want in your face while preparing a nice lunch with your family or having friends over for a garden soiree.
These extremely tiny flies are annoying and will not go away by themselves. They can reproduce super fast, laying hundreds of eggs in short periods. They usually do that on moist, overripe fruits and vegetables. Within 24-30 hours, the eggs hatch into larvae or maggots and start feeding on the source of food that happens to be their home. Within a week those larvae become active and start the cycle over again.
Do not worry. There are many effective ways in which you can easily get rid of fruit flies.
Even though this is not possible in an instant, you will certainly succeed overnight. You can do that by using DIY fruit fly traps at home. These are easy to make and only require simple supplies, you probably already have at home. You can also go to the shop and buy yourself a commercial fly trap if you are too busy to bother with making one.
In this article, we will talk about what causes fruit fly infestation, what fruit fly traps you can use, and what to do to prevent the flies from coming back.
What causes fruit fly infestation?
There are many things in the kitchen that may attract fruit flies and create the perfect conditions for their reproduction and living. Your kitchen is one of the best places around the house. They enjoy moist, overripe fruits and vegetables, garbage bins and sink drains.
First, it is important that you identify the critters correctly. Fruit flies are dark or light brown tiny flies with bright red eyes. Be careful not to confuse them with drain flies or fungus gnats.
How to clean your kitchen?
If you are struggling with fruit fly infestations, you should make sure to properly clean your kitchen. You can give it a good deep cleaning, and remove all old food, fruits, and vegetables in order to cut the flies from all food sources. Here is what you can do to keep fruit flies at bay for longer:
- throw overripe produce away, and do not keep any old fruits/vegetables
- store fruits and vegetables in the fridge
- wash the produce as soon as you get home in order to remove larvae and eggs
- take out your garbage regularly
- make sure you clean up alcohol and juice spills as soon as they occur
Here are some easy fly traps you can make in order to get rid of fruit flies:
- Apple cider vinegar and plastic wrap – use sweet apple cider vinegar instead of white distilled one. They can’t resist the scent of vinegar and they will not be able to leave once they are in. You can make a few traps and place them in different areas of your kitchen.
– pour a little apple cider vinegar into a glass
– cover with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band
– poke a few small holes - Paper cone, vinegar, and old fruit
They love the smell of old fruit and vinegar. Once they enter, they will not be able to find their way out.
– place vinegar and very ripe/rotten fruit in a glass
– roll on a paper cone and place it with the narrow end down - Vinegar and dish soap
Add a few drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar and leave it uncovered. This solution will attract a lot of flies and the soap will cut the surface tension and make it impossible for the flies to escape. They will simply sink and die.
- Old wine/beer
You can leave out a bottle of wine with a bit of liquid left on the bottom. Stale beer will work as well. You can add a few drops of dish soap in either to make them more effective. The flies will go in and will not be able to escape because of the narrow neck of the bottle.
Bleach for fruit flies?
Even though it seems convenient and a good solution to a fruit fly problem, bleach is actually not the best thing to do. If you flush it down the drain, bleach will go down too fast and not be able to do a thorough job. Here is what to do if your kitchen sink drain is infested with fruit flies:
- Avoid throwing fruit peels and food leftovers in the sink/drain. Make sure you rinse your drain thoroughly every time you are washing dishes/cooking/chopping vegetables or anything that may cause food to enter your drain.
- Pour baking soda, vinegar/lemon juice, and bleach down your sink once a week. Flush with cold water. That will prevent drain flies from constantly appearing.