Those pesky fruit flies are the last thing you want in your house. These flies will land on almost anything in the house and feed on almost all overripe fruits, vegetables, and even plants. Fruit flies also reproduce at a very alarming rate. So getting rid of them is not exactly easy.
You need more than the best indoor fly traps to eliminate fruit flies. Nevertheless, there are other simple ways to get rid of these creatures from your house entirely.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your Home
You’ll find effective methods in this article if you want to know how to get rid of these pesky little creatures.
- Find the source
How can you solve a problem when you don’t know the cause? The first thing you should do is find out where the flies are coming from. You might want to check your kitchen or any corner where you keep fruits and vegetables.
Also, you might need to check your trash can. Fruit flies get attracted by fermented fruits and vegetables. Once you find the source, throw out the fruit or vegetables and wash the surface. Make use of any cleaner with a nice fragrance to clean the area. Destroying their home could bring a solution.
- Get Store-bought trap
If you don’t like the idea of using homemade traps to get rid of fruit flies, you may consider getting a sticky fly trap. You should find these traps in any local hardware store close to you.
These traps work well on fruit flies and other types of flies. Once you get the trap, place it in any area of the house where fruit flies congregate. When the sticky area is filled with trapped flies, you can dispose of it and replace it accordingly.
If you’re looking to avoid messes, you might want to get the KATCHY Indoor Insect and Flying Bugs Trap.
- Use a Wine trap
If you have some wine you can’t finish, or you don’t have plans to finish, you may use it for this method. Grab a dish detergent and a disposable container. Pour the leftover wine into the container with the dish detergent and stir together.
After this, cover the container with wrap; you can use cling film. Drill holes in the wrap. This method work just as perfectly as using rotten food and vegetable traps.
Place the wine trap in any area you feel has fruit flies in your house. Wait for the flies to find their way into the container after a while. The smell of red wine mixed with dish detergent will attract them. Once you have a container filled with fruit flies, you can dispose of them any way you like. Make sure they’re dead before disposal.
- Clean common areas
Fruit flies like to live and breed in damp and warm areas. After finding the source, take some time to clean your kitchen.
The first thing to do is check your kitchen sink. Look out for the drain and check if it needs some cleaning. Also, check the trash can in your house. Research has shown that fruit flies love to lay their eggs in an area filled with dirt and the smell of stench.
Take out your trash can and wash it thoroughly with a good cleaner. Bleach could come in handy. Ensure they are dry before using them again.
- Use the rotten fruit against them
If, after cleaning the house, you can still hear their buzzing noise in the house, you could use a trap to get them. To do this, you can use rotten fruits or vegetables in your kitchen.
You may put the rotten food or vegetables in a container. Cover the container with a wrap. Drill some holes in the wrap and place the container in the area where you can hear their buzzing sound.
In no time, these pesky flies will make their way into the container. You may wait until they are plenty in it before disposing of it. Repeat this method until you are rid of fruit flies.
DIY Fruit Fly Trap
- Mix a Vinegar Trap
You can use a mixture of vinegar and soap to make a trap for these pesky insects. Get a disposable container or jar. Fill it with a little water. Grab the vinegar, and get a teaspoon to measure it. Take a couple of tablespoons of vinegar and sugar, pour it into the water and stir thoroughly. Make use of apple cider vinegar, not white.
Get dish soap, and add a small drop of it into the solution. Stir thoroughly afterward. This method doesn’t need plastic wrap to cover the container. Rather, a funnel. You can use a plastic or DIY paper funnel. The idea is to drown the insect once they enter the water.
Afterward, place the container where you see fruit flies in your house. Wait for enough of them to drown in the solution. Dispose of them and repeat the process until your house is free from fruit flies.
Getting Rid of Fruit Flies in Drains
- Pour Boiling Water Down Your Drains
Boil lots of water and pour them all over the drains! Pour some of that water on other surfaces, then use an absorbent towel to wipe; be careful not to burn your hands! For extra precaution, mix apple cider vinegar with hot water before pouring it down the drain.
Don’t forget to do the same thing for the bathroom sink and the bathtub/shower drain – the flies might be in your kitchen, but they may have laid eggs in the other areas of the house.
- Hire an exterminator
This should be your last option. It is a fast and highly effective way of exterminating fruit flies from your house. Although this option is the best, it can be quite expensive. Also, you, members of your family, including your pets, may react negatively to the effects of the chemicals used to exterminate the fruit flies.
If the fruit flies invade your house again after an exterminator has worked on it, the company may offer to treat your house for free or at a discounted rate.
Getting Fruit Flies on Your Plants? Here’s how to fix it
The fruit flies in your home might not be coming from your drains, garbage, or rotten food; they might be from your plants! If you notice them coming and hanging out by the plants, your plant soil could be infected with millions of eggs. Overwatering plants can also attract fruit flies and provide a perfect breeding ground.
To solve this problem, you must change your plant’s soil and place a vinegar or wine trap close to the plant.
Now you know how to free your house from the attack of fruit flies. Use any of the above methods to eliminate fruit flies from your house.