Www how to get rid of fruit flies?
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve recently discovered an unwelcome visitor in your home – the fruit fly. These tiny pests are attracted to ripe or decaying fruits and vegetables, making them a common nuisance in kitchens everywhere. But fear not! With a bit of knowledge and effort, you can get rid of fruit flies for good.
Understanding Fruit Flies
Before we dive into how to eliminate fruit flies from your home, let’s take a moment to understand these pesky critters. Fruit flies (Drosophilidae) are small insects that measure only 1/8 inch long. They have red eyes and tan-brown bodies with black rings on their abdomens.
Despite their name, fruit flies aren’t solely attracted to fruits. They also enjoy other sugary substances like juices and syrups as well as alcohol-based products like beer and wine. However, they primarily breed on rotting or fermented fruits which is why they seem to congregate near kitchen areas.
Fruit flies reproduce rapidly; females can lay up to 500 eggs at a time which hatch within 24-30 hours after being laid depending upon temperature conditions (yikes!). It just takes one rotten piece of produce left out too long for these guys start swarming around!
Prevention is Key!
As the old adage goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This certainly applies when it comes to getting rid of fruit flies since preventing an infestation from happening is much easier than trying to eradicate one that has already taken hold.
Cover your Food
One wayto keep those little buggers away from your food sources altogetheris by making sure any ripening or over-ripe produce isn’t exposed unnecessarily.Allow suchfoodsensespecially bananasand berries coveredwith cheeseclothwhile still allowingair circulation.You may also want tokeep a lid onalcohol beveragesand other sweet liquids too.
Proper Storage of Produce
Keeping ripe fruits and vegetables wrapped in newspaper inthe refrigerator will help protect them from fruit flies. Storing vegetables like onions, garlic and potatoes inside cabinets or pantry areas also helps prevent contamination.
Cleanliness is Key!
Fruit flies are drawn to both organic matter as well as moist environments.Which means if not kept clean,your kitchen could end up being an all-you-can-eat buffet for theseflying insects.Make sure your dishes are always washedand not left sitting aroundin the sink.Also wipe down counters, stovetops, tables,and floors regularly.And lastly take outgarbage at least once dailyto get rid of anypotential sources offlies that may be lingering.
Bring Out The Traps: How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies?
Okay, so you’ve followed our guide so far but still spotted a couple of those tiny pests fluttering around. Don’t fret–there’sstill hope! With some simple traps, you can catch fruit flies before they become bigger problems.Some common trapsthatcan really makeasignificant dentinclude:
-Apple Cider Vinegar Trap (aka The Poor-Man’s Solution)
This involves filling a bowl with vinegar and covering it tightly with plastic wrap,tied securely with arubber band.The idea here isthatfruitflies will go into thebowl which containsvinegar(they love)but then beunable toenervate asthey’vebecome trapped between theplastic wrap/rubberband cover.
-Red Wine Tra p(Sophisticated choice)
Similar to using apple cider vinegar except replacewithred wineto enticefruitfliesinsidethe trap. There’s just something aboutthis high brow vinothatthese bugsloooove!
The Quick-Fix wine bottle trap
Speakingofwine,bottles providean excellent environmentfor trapping fruitflies by leaving just a few ounces of your favorite vintage at the bottom.Dig into your recycling pile,trickling apple cider vinegarsolution,red wine or grapefruitjuiceinto for addedeffectiveness.
-An Overripe Fruit Trap (Zero Waste)
Take that overripebananaor peachrotting awayand put itsomeplace faraway fromyour kitchen.The rotten produce willdrawthefruit flies out ofyour home and trap them ina nearby location,away fromliving areas.Quick pro tip: Seal the overflowing aroma with someplastic wrap/zip lock bag in case an unwelcome breeze wafts through (not nice).
-Glass jar/bowl trap(Scientific option)
Catch fruit flies buy pouring malt/Dragonfly vinegar to a glass jar/bowl and add about 50-100ml warm soapy water, slowly swirl it around.This results in breaking the surface tension which keeps those buggers stranded as soon as they touch down similar to The Poor-Man’s Solution but way more professional.
-Paper Funnel Trap
Inserting tall funnels intomason jars filledwith redwine , beer,and honey works wellalongside conicalpapers rolled upstuffed inside.Grishcomate three smallholesatthe narrowend ofthe funnel ensuringtheyare big enoughtofitseamlesslyinthespacebetweenconicalpaper roll.Close offthe mouth afunnel with maskingtapeonceyou”ve pouredinany desirableliquid for extraattraction.A penny sized holeadded here shouldautomaticallyeliminatefliesnow kept locked within (celebrate the win!).
Make Your Own Vinegar-Based Trap
If you have left over white vinegar lying aroundchances are,youalready have everythingyou needto make this very simple yeteffective recipe.Addwhite wine orapple cider vinegarplus afew dropsdydish soap toawide-mouthed mason jaryorpitcher.Cover it withplastic wrapsecurely andtightly,make afew holesto atthe top of cover toallowaccess.Popthesolution intothemicrowavefor 8-10 seconds.Thecombinationof vinegarwith dish soapactuallyattractsfruitflies; theyget in but can’t get out.While yourest eating a hearty meal (food for human consumption),this mixture will be readyto work on itsown behalf.
Conclusion
Fruit flies are definitely not our favorite houseguests. But by using proactive prevention methods like proper produce storageand cleanliness,you’re least likely to have a fruit fly problemin the first place.If one does arise,don’t fret -you now armed with arsenal,traps of assorted shapes and designs.Even if this seems overwhelming just remember,it isn’trocket science .(good luck!).