Getting Rid Of Fruit Flies
We eat a ton of fruit around here, especially in the summer. We up our green smoothie game with all the wonderful fruit available. The past 2 weeks I’ve noticed our fruit attracting fruit flies, and I had to do something about it! Fruit flies are harmless but a nuisance. It was time to get rid of them!
I asked my followers on Facebook for some tips, and used their suggestions & some ideas on Pinterest to decide what would be the most simple, easy and effective way to get rid of fruit flies.
Here is what I did and it worked!
How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With a Trap
You simply need a jar, balsamic vinegar, a drop of dish soap & some plastic wrap. Put some balsamic vinegar in a jar, add a drop of dish detergent, top with a piece of plastic wrap, screw jar ring to keep it in place & poke holes in the wrap. Set it out where you have seen the most flies & in time you will see less and less flying around and more floating in the jar.
I like using balsamic vinegar because the sweetness really seems to attract them, and the soap will reduce the surface tension so the flies sink to the bottom. Apple Cider vinegar works too, but I like how the dark color of the balsamic vinegar hides the flies so I don’t have to look at them! It gives me the shivers!! I tried just plain vinegar and it did not work.
How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies Before They Enter Your Home
I hate to be there bearer of the MOST gross news, but often fruit flies come into your home because their eggs and larvae are already on the fruit you buy. Then, once in your kitchen, they thrive because the have a beautiful place to breed–your kitchen sink drain. I know…yuck!
If you want to get ahead of the battle and make sure your fruit is clean, when you bring it home fill a bowl with water & add 2 Tablespoons of vinegar. Place fruit in this solution & gently scrub with your hands. Rinse with cool water. You could also use a store-bought solution made especially for cleaning fruit.
How To Keep Fruit Flies From Hatching In Your Drain
I have not done anything to my drains except pour a bit of vinegar down and then chased it with a pot of very hot water from my electric tea kettle. I have read that filling the sink up with bleach water, letting it soak, then emptying the drain is also a way to deal with drains as breeding grounds, but I don’t like dealing with harsh bleach. I find that keeping my counters clean & the dishes in my sink rinsed and free from fruit or anything sweet is key to keeping fruit flies away from my sink area.
How To Keep Your Home Fruit Fly Free
The above methods work! Less than 3 days ago I created a trap and today I have not seen one fruit fly, but there are at least 30 floating in my trap if I look closely through the dark vinegar. I’ve made sure our kitchen is clean and been vigilant with my teen girls about keeping food put away and rinsing their dirty dishes right away.
Once your infestation is under control using the above methods, the best thing to do is keep it that way by keeping a clean kitchen, so don’t let food sit out, especially sweet food and bruised fruit. Bruised fruit is like a magnet, the flies will find it, will breed and swarm! I’ve been vigilant with my teen girls about having them keep the food put away and rinsing their dishes right away, especially when they make fruit smoothies! Teen girls are very grossed out by any type of bug, so they have been quick to oblige!
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{for your pinning pleasure}
Do you struggle with fruit flies?
What are your tried and true methods for getting rid of them?
