Overview Show Are there extra guests in your kitchen that you didn’t invite? Are they buzzing around your fresh fruit and vegetables, or even your trash can? Maybe you left out some empty beer bottles and they’re flying around those, too? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a fruit fly infestation in your home. Here are seven things you can do to help get rid of these pests. The first thing you need do is figure out where the flies are coming from. If they’re hanging out around any open food items, throw the food out and scrub the area clean. You can use any type of cleaner to disinfect the area. In some cases, removing their “home” can be enough to drive the fruit flies away. After you’ve found the source of the problem, check out the drain in your kitchen sink. If it’s clogged or in need of a good cleaning, now’s the time to take care of it. Fruit flies like to live and breed in warm, damp spaces. Don’t forget to check your trash cans for any signs of fruit fly activity. Fruit flies have been known to lay their eggs in trash cans, worsening the infestation. If they’re swarming around your trash can or if you’d like to prevent such a situation, take out the trash and wipe down the can using a heavy duty cleaner such as bleach. Make sure the cans are completely dry before using them again. If you still spot fruit flies hanging around, you can set a trap using things that you may already have in your kitchen. This includes any rotten or open food that attracts fruit flies. Follow these steps:
The flies should swarm to the inside of the trap. You can then dispose of them how you see fit. Repeat this process until all of the fruit flies are gone. Have leftover red wine that you don’t plan on finishing? Use it to create a swimming pool trap for the fruit flies. Here’s how:
The wine should attract the fruit flies, and the combination of wine and dish detergent will make it difficult for trapped flies to fly and will drown them. You can repeat this process until you no longer see any more fruit flies. You can also try to attract fruit flies by making a vinegar trap. Here’s how:
After mixing your solution, place the container wherever the fruit flies congregate. They should be attracted to this solution and will drown once they touch the water. Continue this method until you no longer see any fruit flies. If homemade traps aren’t working for you, visit your local hardware store and purchase a sticky fly trap. These traps work on common flies and fruit flies. Place the trap in the problem area and dispose of it once the sticky area is full. You can replace the trap as necessary. Hiring an exterminator should be your last resort. Although this is usually effective, it can be costly. You or your pets may also experience adverse reactions to the chemicals used to get rid of the fruit flies. If the fruit flies return after your house has been treated, the company may treat your home again for a free or reduced rate. Learn more: Fruit and vegetable safety » If left untreated, a fruit fly infestation can pose potential health risks. Fruit flies are known to fly around and pick up bacteria that they then deposit onto fresh foods. They’re particularly drawn to manure and other feces that can contain bacteria such as E. coli. They then carry the bacteria with them. Additionally, after mating, female fruit flies inject batches of eggs into fresh fruit. This contaminates the fruit. To prevent future infestation, be sure keep food storage areas clean and dry. Don’t leave out fresh food once it’s been opened or after you’ve taken a bite out of it. Be sure to take out your garbage regularly and clean up any spills inside or on your trash bins. Once you have a fruit fly infestation, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get rid of the nuisance. By taking proactive steps in cleaning and trash disposal, you can save yourself the time and hassle. Keep reading: The 9 dirtiest spots in your home » Wednesday, 24 August 2022 2:56 PM Here are some easy ways to keep fruit flies at bay. Fruit flies can be an annoying problem year-round, but they're most common in the summer and fall, because they love ripened fruits and veggies. Here are six ways to keep them away. 1. CLEAN FREQUENTLYFruit flies aren't a fan of clean surfaces, so make sure to wipe away crumbs and residue from sugary drinks right away. Fruit flies will also gravitate towards food particles left behind in the sink. Females lay their eggs inside fruit or on surfaces that contain residue that's overripe or rotting. A female can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, and they hatch a day or so later. Once you've spotted your first fruit fly, it's a good sign to start cleaning. Some other tips related to this include:
2. MAKE AN APPLE CIDER VINEGAR TRAPFruit flies are attracted to the smell of vinegar. You can make a DIY trap by pouring a small amount of apple cider vinegar into a glass and covering the opening with plastic wrap, kept in place with a rubber band. Poke small holes in the plastic cover. The flies will be able to enter the glass but they won't be able to get out. File photo: Getty Images.3. YOU CAN ACHIEVE THE SAME RESULT WITH DISH SOAPIf you don't use plastic wrap in your home, you can make a similar trap by adding a few drops of dish soap to the vinegar, and leaving it in an uncovered jar on your counter. When the flies land on the concoction, the soap will weigh them down and they will drown. 4. ADOPT A CARNIVOROUS PLANTExperts say a carnivorous plant like a pitcher plant, venus fly trap, or a sundew will help keep fruit files and other insects out of your kitchen. A Venus fly trap. Courtesy: Getty Images.5. USE RUBBING ALOCHOLFilling a bottle with rubbing alcohol and spraying the flies can be just as effective as a pesticide. The mist will kill them, and they can then be wiped away with a damp cloth. RELATED VIDEO: HERE'S HOW TO GET RID OF SILVERFISH6. REPEL FRUIT FLIES WITH HERBSFruit flies dislike strong smells and you can repel them by grinding up, or hanging, fresh herbs in your kitchen. Lavender, basil, mint, and rosemary are said to be effective. Medically Reviewed by Neha Pathak, MD on September 15, 2021 Those tiny "gnats" you see circling an overripe banana on your kitchen counter? They aren’t gnats at all. They're fruit flies. Not only are they annoying, they can also be bad for your health. But there are plenty of ways to make them go away for good. No matter where in the U.S. you live, fruit flies can show up on your kitchen counters or inside your trash can. They can turn up any time of year but are most common in the late summer and early fall. That's because they're attracted to ripe and rotting food. Fruits and vegetables -- especially bananas, melon, tomatoes, squash, and apples -- are their favorites. Rotten onions and potatoes are also a big draw for these tiny, 1/8-inch-long creatures. An adult female fruit fly can lay up to 2,000 eggs on the surface of anything that's moist and rotting. Within 30 hours, tiny maggots hatch and start to eat the decayed food. Within 2 days, they're all grown up and ready to mate, too. While that transition may seem quick, a fruit fly only lives 8 to 15 days. Research shows that fruit flies can transfer germs from a dirty surface onto a clean one. Some of the bacteria they may carry include salmonella, E. coli, and listeria. These three germs each cause food poisoning. Severe cases may put you in the hospital and can even be life-threatening. If you have a fruit fly problem, insect sprays will kill the adult insects but won't stop eggs from hatching. To get rid of all the fruit files in your home, you'll need to: To prevent fruit flies from getting too comfortable in your house again: |