How to Avoid and Get Rid of those Annoying Fruit Flies

It goes without sating that seeing fruit flies around your kitchen and other parts of your house can be irritating. The worst thing about these tiny creatures is that they come in large masses and don’t go away easily.

Therefore, you have to find the best possible solution to get rid of fruit flies. So, it would be best if you understood what brought the fruit flies in the first place.

Often, fruit flies love places where there are fermenting fruits. That’s why fruit flies hang out around your kitchen trash can.

Thus, emptying and cleaning your kitchen bin goes a long way in preventing and eradicating fruit flies. Besides, it is essential to observe maximum kitchen hygiene.

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First, make sure those little creatures are fruit flies

To get rid of fruit flies, you have to make sure that you are not trying to eliminate any other types of flying insects. Most homeowners actually confuse fruit flies for bugs. Once you do this, you can try finding and getting rid of the cause of fruit flies.

What are the main causes of fruit flies?

As their name suggests, fruit flies are attracted mainly by fruits that are becoming rotten. The female fruit flies tend to settle on the exterior layer of the fruit and lay eggs. You often spot many fruit flies because one fruit fly lays 500 eggs at a time.

So, when you see one fruit fly, get rid of it immediately. Like most insects, the eggs proceed to the larvae stage. Larvae survive by eating the fruit and then become full adults in two days.

More often than not, kitchen fruit flies hang around dirty kitchen surfaces. So, keep your kitchen countertops and cabinets free from any food and beverage spillovers. Clean food spills immediately. Don’t let them stick on the kitchen surfaces.

Additionally, do not leave your unwashed kitchen utensils in the sink for too long. Clear up the sink drains as well and throw all residues in the kitchen trash can. Otherwise, you would have fruit flies flying over your sink.

As mentioned earlier, fruit flies love overripe fruits. But also note that they love staying in dirty kitchen garbage bins, draining points, cleaning mops, and dirty containers and bowls. So, ensure all your cleaning equipment and drains are clean.

Take note that  it would help if you washed your kitchen trash can at least once a week. Of course, the frequency in washing your trash can depends on the usage of the kitchen bin.

Always disinfect these areas with proper sanitizing agents. Also, ensure that all your kitchen towels and rags are clean. They can be an attractive point for fruit flies, especially if you constantly use them to wipe fruit spills.

Occasionally, when you buy overripe fruits, you would bring these fruits to your home. So, always check the condition of the fruit before purchase. There may have been fruit flies larvae on the fruit.

Avoid buying overripe fruits. Besides, they won’t last long since they will become rancid within no time.

Eliminating fruit flies from your kitchen

The best way to eliminate fruit flies is to get rid of the fruit fly attractions. If you have a clean kitchen and are still spotting fruit flies, it might be time to try other procedures for getting rid of these insects.

Fruit flies catchers/traps or fly repellents

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You can use options such as fly catchers or the sticky fly traps to catch the fruit flies thus eliminating them.

The fly catchers may require a greater initial investment but will serve you for a long time. The sticky fly traps on the other hand may not last long but they are affordable. The choice of solution you go for depends on your needs and how much you are willing to spend.

Consider using apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is useful in getting rid of fruit flies. All you have to do is take a container and pour apple cider inside. You can find apple cider in any retail store at an affordable price. You don’t have to spend much when using apple cider vinegar to eliminate fruit flies.

Once you pour the apple cider into the container, cover the top with a plastic bag tightly. Consider using staples or rubber bands to hold the plastic bag in place. Then, take a needle and create small holes on the plastic wrapping.

Fruit flies often get attracted to vinegar and will naturally enter the container. Then, they will find it hard to escape the bowl with apple cider vinegar. Once all of them get trapped, you can dispose of them off appropriately and clear them off the kitchen surface.

Do this process repeatedly until you stop spotting fruit flies.

Using a mixture of dish soap and apple cider vinegar

Take a container and pour in apple cider vinegar. Then, add a suitable amount of utensil detergent. Fruit flies will get attracted to apple cider vinegar. On the flip side, the dishwashing soap reduces the surface tension of the mixture. Thus, once fruit flies get in the bowl, there won’t be any escape point.

Use an old beer bottle to trap fruit flies

Do you have a bottle of beer stored in your upper kitchen cabinet? Well, it can come in handy when getting rid of fruit flies. All you have to do is place the old beer bottle around the area where there are fruit flies.

Fruit flies will naturally get attracted to the smell of the old beer. So, they will get inside the bottle. Coming out of the bottle will be challenging for them since the bottle has a tiny neck.

Is it possible to use chemicals to wipe out all your fruit flies?

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If you don’t prefer using the above natural methods to get rid of your fruit flies, you can opt for chemicals.

There are several chemical sprays for eliminating fruit flies. You can find them in local stores or insecticide stores. Always ask your manufacturer for the best chemical spray you can use.

This is to ensure that you go for products are that environmentally friendly and are not too harsh in terms of smells or the corrosive effects on items.

The bottom line with fruit flies

Fruit flies can be a nuisance in our homes. I mean, these insects tend to stay in large masses around kitchen counters and bins constantly. As a homeowner, you should get rid of fruit flies as early as possible. They tend to reproduce quickly.

Whenever you spot one fruit fly, act immediately. Use apple cider vinegar and old beer cans to get rid of fruit flies. Alternatively, you can keep your kitchen surfaces clean to prevent fruit flies.

When you throw any fruit remains or seeds, wrap them in a plastic bag to make sure they do not entertain fruit flies. All in all, the best way to get rid of fruit flies is to prevent them.