How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies, not hallucinations, are the small dots fluttering around haphazardly in your kitchen. They do not bite, but they can transport bacteria from one location to another and proliferate quickly. A single female can lay up to 50 eggs every day, each of which takes a week to develop from larvae to adult. With these strategies, you can get rid of them once and for all.

What exactly are fruit flies, and where do they come from?

Fruit flies have the appearance of small reddish-brown flies. They’ll most likely be flying around your kitchen, perhaps near the fruit dish. Fruit flies can enter through open windows, although they’re usually brought in on fruit and vegetables from the grocery store. They lay their eggs in rotting produce and sugary surfaces, and they penetrate grocery store fruit through any knicks or cuts on the surface.

To get rid of an infestation, start by getting rid of everything that attracts them.

The first step in getting rid of fruit flies is to get rid of everything where they might lay their eggs. Toss any ripe fruit veggies that have been sitting in your kitchen for a while (after hatching, fruit fly larvae will tunnel their way into the food and begin feeding). Keep new produce refrigerated until the pest has been eradicated. Take out the trash and clean all containers and surfaces, including the trash can’s bottom- spillage and food leftovers, which could be feeding the bugs. Don’t forget about the drain: it’s a damp environment where fermenting garbage could be found. Finally, because fruit flies like warm environments (they commonly infest during the summer), turn up the air conditioner to produce adverse dwelling circumstances.

After that, catch those fruit flies.

Depending on your preferences and the supplies you have on hand, there are various viable ways to catch fruit flies.

Trap with a Jar and a Funnel 

1. Fill a glass jar with bait, such as overripe fruit, ketchup, or a fermented drink like apple cider vinegar, beer, or wine.
2. Then, with the spout pointing down, place a funnel over the jar’s opening to create a tiny entrance that is easy for the flies to enter but nearly impossible for them to depart. (A paper cone can be used in place of the funnel.)
3. You can either wait for the flies to die before emptying the jar, or you can put it in the freezer to hasten the process.

Trap for Bottles and Plastic Wrap

1. If you have an almost empty bottle of vinegar, beer, or wine, this method is great. Securely seal the opening with plastic wrap and poke a hole or two in it.
2. Fruit flies will be able to get in through the holes, just like with the funnel approach, but they will not be able to get out. Before throwing the empty container (no need to remove the plastic wrap), wait until they’re no longer moving — floating on the liquid’s surface.

Soap Trap and Bowl

1. This is the way to go for extra-tough cases. Combine apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a microwave-safe basin.
2. Microwave the bowl to make the mixture even more fragrant.
3. Leave the bowl out in the open to attract fruit flies. Any fruit fly that falls on the surface will drown as the surface tension is reduced by the soap.

Take these procedures to avoid a future fruit fly infestation.

Fruit flies can be avoided by meticulously inspecting the goods you buy to ensure there are no cracks or nicks in which fruit flies could hide. To eliminate any eggs on the surface of unrefrigerated vegetables, wash and dry it as soon as you get them home. Fruit flies deposit their eggs on anything sugary or fermented, so clean up spills, take out the trash, and clean your sink drain on a regular basis.