Have you ever noticed very tiny insects hovering around the fruit basket or the trash can in your kitchen? Well, these small creatures are fruit flies. Even after being aware of the fact that fruit flies do not bite or cause any physical harm to human beings, we cannot ignore them by any chance. Well, this is because they transfer bacteria, viruses, and other micro particles from one place to another. Hence, in this case, you will indeed look for ways on how to get rid of fruit flies.
Well, this is what this blog will revolve around. Over here, we will present some information that will help you remove fruit flies from your home. But first, let us learn about these tiny creatures in brief.
Table of Contents
What are fruit flies?
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Fruit flies are very tiny insects that breed and reside in moist or extremely watery and dirty surroundings. Also, they prefer living in warm surroundings. Well, this is the reason why we often witness them during the summer season. And as the name suggests, fruit flies generally eat and survive on fruits. Hence, apart from various dirty areas, you will mainly notice them around fruits (mostly around very ripe and rotten ones).
How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies From The Kitchen
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Fruit flies are generally found in the kitchen or around the dining table. Well, these are the main places where food is. In this situation, there are mainly two ways that can help you eliminate fruit flies from the kitchen. You first need to pay attention to and eliminate the primary sources where these fruit flies reside and breed. After that, you should look for some specific ways to trap these tiny insects to get rid of them further.
Eliminating the things that attract fruit flies
1. Identify and eliminate the breeding source of fruit flies
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If you wish to get rid of fruit flies, you will have to first find their primary source. It could be anything, including uncovered food items, moist and half-cut fruits, etc. In this case, you need to eliminate that particular item right away. Also, make sure that you do not leave food items unattended. Cover them properly so that fruit flies do not get access to them.
2. Keep the common areas clean
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As of now, you might be aware of the potential sources where fruit flies can get collected. They usually lay eggs and live in warm, moist, and dirty surroundings. Hence, it would be best if you regularly cleaned all those areas to get rid of them. To accomplish the same, you can consider following the steps mentioned below.
- Keep your kitchen sink clean.
- Prefer using a dustbin with a lid.
- Store food items in a proper way. Don’t leave them unattended.
- Dispose of ripe or rotten food items immediately.
If you properly follow these two things, you can be ensured about the fact that fruit flies will not infest in your house.
Setting up a trap to catch those fruit flies
Once you have removed the breeding and residing sources, it is now time to trap and then eliminate fruit flies. To accomplish the same, you can try any one of the following methods.
1. Make a trap using vinegar and sugar
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You will require vinegar, water, dish soap, and sugar to create this trap for catching fruit flies. Take a disposable glass and add water to it. Further, add a few drops of dish soap along with one tablespoon of vinegar. The main reason sugar is used is that it attracts fruit flies. Hence, you can add a tablespoon of it to the entire mixture. And that’s it! Your vinegar and sugar trap is all ready to attract the fruit flies.
Place this trap in a place where you generally witness fruit flies. The sugar particles present in them will attract the flies to come near it. But, as soon as they come in contact with this solution, they will automatically drown in it.
2. Rotten fruits might help trapping fruit flies
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If you have a rotten fruit in your fridge, do not discard it. Instead, in this situation, prefer using it to make a trap to catch and eliminate fruit flies. You can also use the peel or a half-cut fruit that you no longer wish to eat. You have to simply put the fruit/peel in a disposable glass and cover it with a plastic wrap. Use a safety pin or toothpick to poke some holes in the wrap. Further, consider placing it at a place where fruit flies generally gather.
Once these tiny creatures notice the rotten fruit, they will get attracted to it. As a result, they will enter the disposable container through the poked holes. The entering process will be very easy for them. But, the fruit flies will face a lot of difficulty when trying to exit from this trap. Hence, as soon as you notice an increase in the number of fruit flies inside the trap, consider disposing of the same. But make sure that you do not throw this container in your kitchen or regular trash bin.
3. Purchase a fruit fly trap from the market
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In case you are not able to make a trap at home or do not notice any effective results from the one you made, consider buying a fruit fly trap from the market. You will mainly find a sticky trap which effectively works at eliminating fruit flies and regular flies as well.
The fly traps available in the market are generally in the form of a regular sheet of paper. Hence, you can place them at different places in your house where you regularly notice fruit flies. You can dispose of the sticky trap once the sticky area is completely filled.
How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies in Bathroom
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If you are continuously noticing fruit flies in your bathroom, you will have to find their main residing and breeding source again. These might include a bucket or mug with wet residue, a moist/wet soap, your loofah, etc. Also, it is possible that fruit flies might not breed in your bathroom, but they enter through various openings. In this situation, you can consider doing the following things.
- Don’t leave any water residue in buckets and mugs
- Dry your loofah properly
- Use a soap stand that drains on its own
- Keep the doors and windows of your bathroom closed
- Utilize a mesh or mosquito trap to prevent fruit flies from entering in your bathroom
How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies in Plants
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Moist soil is the main reason why you notice fruit flies around your plants. In addition, adding organic water and manure will further attract them even more. In this case, you can spread a layer of sand after watering your plants. Also, using various soil protecting shields available on the market is also an option.
How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies in Drains
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Drains usually remain wet. In addition, they also collect a lot of rotten residue. Well, this clearly makes them a perfect spot for an infestation of fruit flies. To eliminate this from happening, you can consider regularly cleaning your drains. Make use of different cleaning items. Also, make sure you clean every individual part at least once in two weeks.
When to hire an exterminator?
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The process involved in getting rid of fruit flies is very exhausting and can consume a lot of time. Also, it is possible that all your attempts to eliminate the presence of these tiny creatures from your house might go in vain. In this case, the only option available to you is to go for professional services. You will have to hire an exterminator in this situation. They will effectively remove fruit flies by using various chemicals and other insecticides.
Summary of the article
This was our blog on how to get rid of fruit flies. In the information mentioned above, we majorly discussed the ways that will help you in removing these tiny creatures from your kitchen. But it is possible that you might notice them in other areas of your house as well. Well, we mentioned different ways that will help you eliminate fruit flies from various parts of your home. In case, no home remedy proves effective, you should waste no time further and opt for professional services instead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do I always notice fruit flies near my kitchen dustbin?
Fruit flies love to stay in surroundings that are warm, moist, and dirty. Talking about the kitchen dustbin, we throw all types of disposable and non-disposable stuff in it. And clearly, due to this, fruit flies find the kitchen dustbin to be the perfect spot to live.
How can I eliminate fruit flies from my plants?
If you notice fruit flies around the plants, you need to cover the soil with a layer of sand. Or, instead, you can also use disposable soil shields. Doing this will prevent fruit flies as they will not be able to access the moisture in the soil.
How do you get rid of fruit flies from the kitchen?
There are different ways to eliminate fruit flies from the kitchen. You should first remove their breeding source to prevent them from multiplying. Further set up traps to catch and remove fruit flies.
How can vinegar and sugar traps help remove fruit flies?
Sugar will attract the fruit fly to come near the trap. But, as soon as they touch the trap surface, they will drown in it.
There are no fruits in my bathroom. Why do I see fruit flies over there?
Fruit flies do not only stay around fruits. Instead, they love to be around wet surfaces as well. Clearly, there are various things in our bathrooms that remain wet. Well, this is the reason why you notice fruit flies over there.
Nupur is a passionate content writer with a total experience of 3 years in the same field. She has written content on diverse niches for many popular websites. She is currently working as a full-time content writer in a reputed digital marketing agency in Delhi. She is really fond of animals, especially dogs. She has a Pitbull named Casper. The only thing she loves besides content writing is playing with dogs, may it be her pet or the strays. Oh, how could we miss including that junk food point. She is a vegetarian and enjoys eating junk food. Chilly Potato with Hot Sause is her all time favorite.
