While they may not necessarily be a health hazard in and of themselves, fruit flies are undoubtedly annoying, and sometimes, we simply can’t seem to get rid of them.
Common but pesky, fruit flies are small and often found hovering over fruit, drains and garbage disposals. Light or dark brown in color, their eyes are red and the female of the species can lay many hundreds of eggs in just a few hours! What’s even more alarming is that once they’re born, fruit flies start reproducing within a matter of days, making it even more difficult to eradicate them once found in your home.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to get rid of fruit flies in your home, and they all involve cheap, pantry items, such as apple cider vinegar and dish soap:
Fruit fly elimination method number one:
Apple cider vinegar is irresistible to fruit flies, and all you need to do is place a cup of vinegar out on a surface (most likely in your kitchen), and wait for them to immerse themselves in the liquid, and inevitably, die. Then, when you’re satisfied you’ve trapped them all, simply pour the substance down the drain.
If you want an even more foolproof method of trapping fruit flies using apple cider vinegar, pour it into a glass or bowl and use plastic wrap to cover it, then poke a few small holes into it to allow the flies to enter.
Additionally, you can try placing a piece of very ripe fruit in a glass or jar with some vinegar poured onto it, and place a paper cone into it. Once they’ve entered through the wide end of the cone, the flies won’t be able to get back out again.
Finally, you can fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar, add a few drops of dish soap, and leave it out to attract the flies. A cover isn’t needed for this method, as the dish soap will suck the flies to the bottom of the bowl.
You may need to repeat these methods a couple of times until all of the fruit flies are gone.
What can you do if you don’t have apple cider vinegar?
Fruit flies are also attracted to alcohol, and if you have a beer or wine bottle with just a little of the liquid left in the bottom, you can leave this out and the flies will enter through the narrow neck, and not be able to get back out.
Or, you can use a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol to kill the flies directly. Just take care not to spray the liquid on any food items when doing so.
How best to keep fruit flies at bay?
It’s easy enough to prevent fruit flies from taking up residence in your kitchen by getting rid of over-ripe fruit promptly, or placing it in the refrigerator where the flies can’t get to it.
Take out the trash as soon as it starts to smell or the can begins to overflow, as this can be a haven for fruit flies.
Clean up spillages as soon as they occur, especially if they involve anything sweet and sticky, or contain alcohol.
The cleaner your home, the less likely you are to experience an influx of fruit flies. So, aside from storing fruit and veg in a closed pantry or refrigerator, try to keep your garbage disposal clean, take the trash out regularly, and wipe up spillages quickly. If these tips are too late for you and you do have a fruit fly infestation, simply grab some apple cider vinegar and you’ll be rid of the problem within a matter of hours, if not minutes!
