Battling with a fruit fly infestation in your kitchen, bathroom, or even the bedroom? Fret not — there are some home remedies and natural solutions you can use to get rid of the problem.
The first step is to throw out overripe produce as that’s likely the cause of fruit flies in the house [1]. Below are some other tips on how to get rid of fruit flies naturally.
1. Paper Cone Trap
Fruit flies may suddenly appear when there are rotting fruits and veggies laying around. Additionally, they love fermented foods, so it’s very easy to bait and trap them.
Make a DIY fruit fly trap by rolling up some paper into a cone. Next, fit the narrow end inside a jar or bottle, leaving the wide part as the entry point.
A jam jar is ideal for this purpose, containing some ripening or rotting leftovers. Additionally, to sweeten the deal, pour in some cider vinegar as bait.
Now, just wait for the flies to arrive. Once the pests are in the jar, the cone shape will make it hard for them to exit. They will eventually drown.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a simple home remedy to catch fruit flies and kill them. ACV has a fruity aroma that draws the critters.
To get rid of fruit flies with apple cider vinegar, fill small bowls with ACV and cover them with plastic wrap. Next, punch a few holes through the wrap to allow the flies to enter.
Once they drop in, they will find it hard to get back out. Finally, wait for them to die then dispose of the contents in the container. This vinegar trap can also get rid of fungus gnats.
3. Discard Overly Ripe and Rotten Fruits
The scent of overly ripe or rotting fruits will attract fruit flies from outside the house. As a result, the best way to avoid this is to place all ripening produce into air-tight food containers and discard the spoiled ones.
4. Essential Oils
Essential oils that deter insect pests, particularly fruit flies, include lavender, basil, eucalyptus, lemongrass, peppermint, cloves, and even camphor if used with care.
Unlike the aroma of vinegar which attracts, the smell of these oils keeps fruit flies away.
Therefore, saturate some cotton balls or scrunched-up paper towels and place them around the kitchen and near doors and windows. This will act as a deterrent for them.
5. Dish Soap and Vinegar
This soapy mixture works great for getting rid of fruit flies in the house. Add some dish soap to a bowl with some ACV to make a killer solution.
Place the bowl on the kitchen countertop or other areas where the critters appear. The smell will attract the flies and the soap will cut the surface tension of the vinegar, causing them to drop in and drown.
Alternatively, make a homemade fruit fly spray by combining 3 cups of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of liquid soap, and 10 drops of essential oil in a spray bottle.
Shake well and use it to spray them.
6. Stale Beer
This is one of the best home remedies for fruit flies as they are attracted to the smell of fermented liquids like stale beer. Therefore, beer in bottles filled halfway can attract and prevent fruit flies from escaping via the narrow neck.
Mason jars can also work, punching holes in the cover. After flying around inside for a bit, they will eventually get tired and drown.
7. Clean Up
Cleaning up the inside of your house and the outdoors is a good move to get rid of all types of flies.
- Remove dirty food dishes and pans from kitchen sinks and surfaces as soon as possible.
- Check any damp cloths used to clean surfaces and wash them.
- Check for fruits on the ground outside and dispose of those rotting away.
- Keep the compost bin covered to get rid of fruit flies from the garden.
8. Wash Produce Thoroughly
Ensure that you thoroughly wash foods and everything exposed. Washing them clean will prevent flies from lurking around.
Moreover, the female fruit fly can lay her eggs near the surface of softening foods, so extra care is needed to keep your produce clean. Otherwise, throw out anything overripe.
9. Empty Garbage Cans
Garbage cans indoors and outside the home need to be emptied more frequently than usual to prevent all types of bad insects from infesting the house.
Firmly close the tops and keep areas around them clean. They can also be given an extra wipe down and baking soda sprinkled on the inside.
10. Clean Drain Areas
This is also essential to keep all kinds of flies and insect pests away. Cleaning out drains is an unpleasant task but necessary to avoid them becoming a desired breeding ground for the pests.
Use baking soda and salt or hot soapy liquid solutions to help eliminate odors that attract flies. Borax is also powerful and is even more effective when used with vinegar.
Alternatively, purchase an environmentally friendly drain-cleaning agent such as EM-1 Septic Treatment.
11. Arber
Fruit flies generally start outdoors around fruit trees and in the vegetable patch. However, Arber can handle the problem. It is a biological insecticide that is effective against these pests.
This natural fruit fly spray also acts as a long-lasting deterrent to many other bad garden insects, including soil-dwelling pests.
Use it according to instructions. Apply it to crops, ornamental plants, flowers, and even lawn areas.
12. Deciduous Fruit Fly Trap Kit
This product helps to control the walnut husk fly, apple maggot flies, black cherry fruit fly, blueberry maggot flies, and others.
It works as a lure and sticky trap that catches adult flies. In doing so, it prevents them from laying eggs, thus disrupting the life cycle.
Takeaway
Successful gardeners often have the pleasure of overproduction of crops. This happy situation often leads to excess produce left lying about in the garden or in the home.
However, these natural ways of controlling fruit fly infestations will help keep the problem under control.
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