HOME REMEDIES FOR FRUIT FLIES

Before learning any home remedies for fruit flies let's take a closer look at these pesty little insects.

Fruit flies are tiny winged insects that boast a meager length of 0.2 inches. They are brownish in color, with striped bodies and relatively large red eyes. They are perfectly adept in smelling food from great distances. With their great sense of smell and tiny bodies, fruit flies can maneuver into your kitchen through window screens, door jams, or any other crack in your home. Occasionally, they may catch a ride in your grocery bags or hatch from eggs laid in less than fresh food brought home from a grocery store.

Small fruit flies are attracted primarily to fresh fruits and vegetables and those fermenting because of yeast. Materials lose their attractiveness when they begin to decay because of bacteria and fungi. Substances commonly infested include bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples, tomatoes, mustard pickles, potatoes, etc. and fermenting liquids such as beer, cider, vinegar, and wine; some species are attracted to human and animal excrement. The larvae develop primarily in liquids and near the surface but seek drier areas for pupation. Newly emerged adults are attracted to lights. Because of their short life cycle of 8-10 days, they can infest many temporarily available sites such as sour mops and broom heads, fruit under a table or cabinet, fruit left out in a bowl, etc. Dishwater and mop water full of food particles can accumulate on surfaces and/or in crevices and ferment, providing ideal fly breeding conditions.

Fruit Flies-Home Remedies

1. To get rid of fruit flies you're first step should be removing whatever is attracting them. This means removing all exposed foods from your countertop. Remember, they are attracted to moisture and anything that can ferment or cause bacteria to grow. So get rid of the dirty dishes, wet mops, cans of beer, soda, etc., that may be laying around. Don't forget to take the garbage out! The little buggers can breed just as easily in your kitchen garbage can!

2. Now the adults that are left are going to be looking for a food source so it's time to set a fruit fly trap. Here's several methods to try:

• Make a Bottle Trap - Put a piece of fruit inside a bottle or mason jar. Any fruit you have around should do. A banana peel, orange juice or a mixture of whatever you have. Make a paper cone with a small hole in the bottom. Put a paper cone inside the mouth of the bottle. It should have the pointed end face down. The fruit flies will enter the cone through the large end by the mouth of the bottle and find their way through the hole into the bottle. They will not be able to get out.
• Make a Bowl Trap - Put a piece of old skinless fruit and some red wine, or some balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Cover the bowl tightly (no wrinkles) with plastic wrap. Poke many small holes in the plastic with a fork. The fruit flies go in and can't get out (if the holes are too big they will fly back out). Then you can release them outside.

  Oh yeah, adding a few drops of dish soap to either of these traps makes a good recipe to kill fruit flies at the same time!

• Make a Ziplock bag Trap - Place a few slices of an apple inside a zip lock bag. Leave an inch open to allow pests to enter. The little pests will soon be on and surrounding the apple. Zip the bag closed and release them outside.

Other Home Remedies for Fruit Flies

• If you have a large infestation grab the vaccum and suck up as many as you can. Don't forget to empty the canister and the garbage afterwards!
• Here's one of the oldest home remedies for fruit flies that I've come across. Have tried it yet but here it is...

  Fruit Fly Eliminator

  1 pint milk
  1/4 lb. raw sugar
  2 ounces ground pepper
  

  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Pour the mixture into shallow dishes. Flies attack it greedily and soon suffocate. Recipe has been handed down in New England since 1850.

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