Overview Are there extra guests in your kitchen that you didn’t invite? Are they buzzing around your fresh fruit and vegetables, or even your trash can? Maybe you left out some empty beer bottles and they’re flying around those, too? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a fruit fly infestation in your home. Here are seven things you can do to help get rid of these pests. The first thing you need do is figure out where the flies are coming from. If they’re hanging out around any open food items, throw the food out and scrub the area clean. You can use any type of cleaner to disinfect the area. In some cases, removing their “home” can be enough to drive the fruit flies away. After you’ve found the source of the problem, check out the drain in your kitchen sink. If it’s clogged or in need of a good cleaning, now’s the time to take care of it. Fruit flies like to live and breed in warm, damp spaces. Don’t forget to check your trash cans for any signs of fruit fly activity. Fruit flies have been known to lay their eggs in trash cans, worsening the infestation. If they’re swarming around your trash can or if you’d like to prevent such a situation, take out the trash and wipe down the can using a heavy duty cleaner such as bleach. Make sure the cans are completely dry before using them again. If you still spot fruit flies hanging around, you can set a trap using things that you may already have in your kitchen. This includes any rotten or open food that attracts fruit flies. Follow these steps:
The flies should swarm to the inside of the trap. You can then dispose of them how you see fit. Repeat this process until all of the fruit flies are gone. Have leftover red wine that you don’t plan on finishing? Use it to create a swimming pool trap for the fruit flies. Here’s how:
The wine should attract the fruit flies, and the combination of wine and dish detergent will make it difficult for trapped flies to fly and will drown them. You can repeat this process until you no longer see any more fruit flies. You can also try to attract fruit flies by making a vinegar trap. Here’s how:
After mixing your solution, place the container wherever the fruit flies congregate. They should be attracted to this solution and will drown once they touch the water. Continue this method until you no longer see any fruit flies. If homemade traps aren’t working for you, visit your local hardware store and purchase a sticky fly trap. These traps work on common flies and fruit flies. Place the trap in the problem area and dispose of it once the sticky area is full. You can replace the trap as necessary. Hiring an exterminator should be your last resort. Although this is usually effective, it can be costly. You or your pets may also experience adverse reactions to the chemicals used to get rid of the fruit flies. If the fruit flies return after your house has been treated, the company may treat your home again for a free or reduced rate. Learn more: Fruit and vegetable safety » If left untreated, a fruit fly infestation can pose potential health risks. Fruit flies are known to fly around and pick up bacteria that they then deposit onto fresh foods. They’re particularly drawn to manure and other feces that can contain bacteria such as E. coli. They then carry the bacteria with them. Additionally, after mating, female fruit flies inject batches of eggs into fresh fruit. This contaminates the fruit. To prevent future infestation, be sure keep food storage areas clean and dry. Don’t leave out fresh food once it’s been opened or after you’ve taken a bite out of it. Be sure to take out your garbage regularly and clean up any spills inside or on your trash bins. Once you have a fruit fly infestation, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get rid of the nuisance. By taking proactive steps in cleaning and trash disposal, you can save yourself the time and hassle. Keep reading: The 9 dirtiest spots in your home »
Fruit flies are the worst. One day, you have a perfectly lovely banana sitting on your counter, and the next, you’re hosting a bed and breakfast for a colony of vermin, and they are overstaying their welcome. Fruit flies can pop up at any time of year, but they are especially common in the summer months when there are generally more fruits and vegetables ripening. They lay eggs on rotting or fermenting food, which hatch into hundreds of larvae. Then those larvae lay eggs, and then those larvae lay eggs, and before you know it you have to move and surrender your home over to the flies. Luckily, before you give up your keys, there are a few things you can do to get rid of the little suckers. If you follow these steps, you’ll significantly reduce the numbers of these little tyrants and take back your kitchen. PreventionIt’s much easier to stop the fruit flies from settling down in your space if your kitchen is clean and tidy. Start by cleaning up any areas where food might collect and break down. That means keeping your garbage outside or in a container with a well-fitting lid. Throw your food scraps in a compost bag and keep that in the freezer, rather than letting it sit out at room temperature. Flush out the drains of your sink in case old food has collected there. If you normally keep fruits and veggies on the counter, try moving them to cooler spots or covering them, especially fruits with a high sugar content that ripen quickly. Try keeping your bananas and tomatoes in a cool drawer or under a dome. Yes, tomato drawers are a thing. How to Trap Fruit FliesIf fruit flies do make your kitchen their hangout spot, there are ways to trap them. They like fermented fruit, so mix a bit of dish soap with old beer, wine or apple cider vinegar. Pour water into the mixture until it bubbles, and leave the glass or bowl on the counter where you spot the flies. They’ll come to the glass because of the fruit sugar, but get trapped in the soap bubbles. You can also fit plastic wrap over the top of a beer bottle or glass of vinegar, and poke a few holes in it. Fruit flies can get in, but they can’t fly out. If you’re looking for a solution with alcohol, there are commercial traps available, or you can make your own spray by mixing isopropyl alcohol and water. That should kill the flies on contact. If All Else Fails…Wait them out. Fruit flies only live for about two weeks, and when temperatures get cooler, they don’t survive long. You can have the sweet satisfaction of watching them drop off as summer turns to fall. Sip your pumpkin spice latte and grin, knowing you’ve outlasted the beasts for another season. Who’s in charge now, fly? The gross reality is that fruit flies are mostly just annoying, but they do pose slight health risks. They can transport bacteria or germs as they land on food and surfaces in your home, which can occasionally lead to health issues. If you clean up an area with a lot of flies, you should wash your hands well afterwards, and wash any fruits and vegetables that are still on your counters before eating them. Medically Reviewed by Neha Pathak, MD on September 15, 2021 Those tiny "gnats" you see circling an overripe banana on your kitchen counter? They aren’t gnats at all. They're fruit flies. Not only are they annoying, they can also be bad for your health. But there are plenty of ways to make them go away for good. No matter where in the U.S. you live, fruit flies can show up on your kitchen counters or inside your trash can. They can turn up any time of year but are most common in the late summer and early fall. That's because they're attracted to ripe and rotting food. Fruits and vegetables -- especially bananas, melon, tomatoes, squash, and apples -- are their favorites. Rotten onions and potatoes are also a big draw for these tiny, 1/8-inch-long creatures. An adult female fruit fly can lay up to 2,000 eggs on the surface of anything that's moist and rotting. Within 30 hours, tiny maggots hatch and start to eat the decayed food. Within 2 days, they're all grown up and ready to mate, too. While that transition may seem quick, a fruit fly only lives 8 to 15 days. Research shows that fruit flies can transfer germs from a dirty surface onto a clean one. Some of the bacteria they may carry include salmonella, E. coli, and listeria. These three germs each cause food poisoning. Severe cases may put you in the hospital and can even be life-threatening. If you have a fruit fly problem, insect sprays will kill the adult insects but won't stop eggs from hatching. To get rid of all the fruit files in your home, you'll need to: To prevent fruit flies from getting too comfortable in your house again: |