Fruit flies sometimes seem like they come out of nowhere, one minute you have a nice, yellow banana on your counter, and the next you’ve got fruit flies zooming around your kitchen. It happens so quickly because fruit flies lay their eggs in overripe fruit and considering one fruit fly can lay hundreds of eggs, getting rid of them quickly is key to avoiding a full-on fruit fly fiasco. But fear not, we’ll show you some easy ways you can get rid of fruit flies in your home in this simple guide.
There are 6 steps to completing this project:
Fruit flies can smell overripe fruit from miles away, so keeping them from easily getting inside your home is the first major step in preventing them from multiplying. Be sure to replace any torn or worn-out window or door screens to stop them from gaining access to your kitchen. If you don’t have window screens on your windows, you may want to add them for peace of mind.
To ensure that fruit flies don’t have a place to breed, you’ll need to make sure that there are no food scraps left over on your counters, sinks or in open trash cans or compost bins. Be sure to clean your countertops and sinks and take your food garbage out so that rotting food isn’t left sitting in your kitchen. Be sure to clean up any fruit juice spills immediately. If you compost in your kitchen, just make sure that the lid on your compost bin is tight and secure. You should also change your sponges, towels and cloths about once per week.
As fruit flies can start as larvae on the outside of fruit, washing your fruit is a key step in preventing them. Gently rubbing your fruit under clean, cold water is usually enough to remove any harmful bacteria or larvae. You can use a vegetable brush to clean harder fruits such as melons and cucumbers as well.
Consider storing your fruit and veggies in the fridge. It is fine for most fruits and veggies, and provided you use a sealed container, and cover bowls with either cling wrap or a moist towel, you’ll have a sealed-off spot that fruit flies can’t get in to.
If you’ve already got a fruit fly problem, your easiest solution is to invest in some fruit fly traps. They simply sit on the countertop and attract the flies, capturing them inside. You can get them in non-toxic solutions, so you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals in your cooking space.
If you’d like a more natural way to trap and get rid of fruit flies, why not try a homemade fruit fly trap? Here are a few ideas:
Hopefully with the help of this guide you’ve now gotten rid of your pesky fruit flies!
