How to get rid of fruit flies in your home
Where do fruit flies come from, and how do you deal with a fruit fly infestation? Here’s everything you need to know to rid your home of these pesky pests.
Updated By Cleanipedia Team
Are you wondering how to get rid of fruit flies? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. These little critters get into kitchens all the time and are pretty annoying house guests. Here’s everything you need to know when it comes to the how-to catch fruit flies and how to prevent them from coming back in the future.
Home-made fruit fly traps
Often the best way to get rid of fruit flies is with a home-made trap. There are lots of different options, but most involve using a common household product to attract the flies, then trapping them. Here are a few different ideas:
Put apple cider vinegar in an open jar. Take a piece of kitchen towel, fold it into a funnel and place it in the neck of the jar. This will attract the fruit flies in, then stop them from getting out.
Alternatively, if you don’t have apple cider vinegar to hand, use stale wine instead.
Put a candle in a dark room in a tray of water. Flies will head towards the light and then sink into the water (just be sure to always supervise a lit candle!).
Use fly catching tape. Hang it from the ceiling and near any food.
Get yourself a carnivorous plant such as a venous fly trap.
How to prevent fruit flies
So you know how to get rid of fruit flies, but you might be wondering, where do fruit flies come from in the first place? The answer is that they are attracted from the outdoors to people’s homes by certain chemicals that are released by food and germs. Here’s how to prevent them from coming your way again.
Maintain food hygiene
Be sure not to store any food openly and get rid of rotting or mouldy food as soon as possible.
Don’t leave dirty dishes out
Clean up any dirty dishes as soon as you're finished using them.
Wash fruit and vegetables before you put them away
Washing fruit and vegetables can help remove the chemicals fruit flies are attracted to.
Keep a secure lid on the rubbish bin
This goes for preventing any bug infestation - make sure there is no entry for them.
Avoid standing pools of water
Remove any pools of water in the kitchen – such as the sink.
Don’t leave damp cloths lying around
Damp cloths can attract fruits flies through the moisture.
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Those are our top tips to get rid of fruit flies. Remember: a clean kitchen is a fly-free kitchen, so clean regularly and you’ll be able to enjoy your home without these unwanted little guests.
Originally published