There may be nothing worse than walking into your kitchen to find your fruit bowl aswarm with tiny flying bugs. These little pests aren’t just a small annoyance—if you don’t know how to get rid of fruit flies fast,each lady fly can lay up to 500 eggs at a time!Which is why they can be so prevalent. Any piece of fruit you bring into the house could already have an egg or two on it ready to hatch and begin a full-scale invasion. So, you definitely want to know how to get rid of fruit flies in the house!
What Are Fruit Flies and What Causes Fruit Flies in the House
The Difference Between Fruit Flies and Gnats
Similar in size and look,fungus gnatsare another household pest that can easily be mistaken for fruit flies, but these are more likely coming from your houseplants and not your fruit bowl. The gnats, like the fruit flies, are drawn to rotting plant matter, but unlike fruit flies which prefer the sweet stuff, are more attracted to that umami of the nearest fern. Luckily, once you know how to get rid of gnats and fruit flies, many of the treatment options are interchangeable, and both pests will succumb.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies for Good
For starters, the best way to get rid of fruit flies is to act before you have a problem. When at the store, if you spot fruit flies buzzing about the apples, maybe pivot to the citrus section or grab a melon. Just because the piece of fruit you put in the basket is free of flies, that doesn’t mean it is free of eggs.
Once you get your fruit home, you can give it a wash with awhite vinegar solutionor a produce washing spray, which may deal with any eggs. And make sure you keep your kitchen clean of drips, spills and crumbs. Cover your garbage can and/or compost bucket, and take it out frequently if you have discarded fruits or vegetables. If you have a disposal in your sink, be sure to run it daily with plenty of water and check that there’s no leftover food matter hanging around the bottom. (And if it’s been a minute since you’vecleaned your garbage disposal, consider this your reminder to do so!)
Methods for Getting Rid of Fruit Flies
Alternatively, you can place a piece of fruit that’s starting to go bad in the bottom of a jar with a splash of vinegar. Make a paper cone that will fit snugly in the jar, with a small opening at the bottom. The cone will funnel the flies into the jar and trap them there.
Can I Use Bleach to Kill Fruit Flies?
While bleach is terrific at killing tiny germs, it is actually less effective than the other methods mentioned here for getting rid of fruit flies. And as it is a serious chemical, using it near foods is not really recommended. And if you fruit flies in your drain and think a quick dousing with bleach will be a quick fix, experts disagree. Apparently, while you might kill off some of the eggs or larvae in your drain, the bleach actually doesn’t stay in the drain long enough for a complete eradication, and as we know, with those fruit flies laying 500 eggs at a time, you’re better off with a method that really has greater impact.
Bottom Line
Fruit flies in the kitchen can be a serious headache. But if you keep tabs on your produce and keep your kitchen clean, your encounters with them should be minimal. And if you do find yourself with a fruit fly infestation, homemade fruit fly traps are easy to make, using things you likely already have at home.
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