Sasha CampbellNot only are fruit flies nuisance pests, but they can also contaminate your food with harmful bacteria.
Fruit flies are attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables. You may find these pests year-round in your house, kitchen, bathroom, and basement.
Fortunately, many natural ways to get rid of these flies exist.
Here’s how to get rid of fruit flies naturally:
1. Paper Cone Trap
Fruit flies may appear when rotting fruit and vegetables are lying around. They love fermented foods, so it is very easy to bait and trap them.
Make a DIY fruit fly trap by rolling up a sheet of plain paper into a cone. Next, fit the narrow end of the paper cone inside a jar or bottle, leaving the wide part as the entry point.
A jam jar containing some overripe leftovers is ideal for this purpose. You can also pour in some cider vinegar as bait.
Once the flies are in the jar, the cone shape will make it difficult for them to exit, and they will eventually drown.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a simple home remedy for catching and killing fruit flies. Its fruity aroma attracts these 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 and will eventually drown. This vinegar trap can also get rid of fungus gnats.
3. Vacuum Cleaner
If you have a vacuum cleaner, this is an easy way to eliminate fruit flies.
Just turn it on and point it at the fruit fly infestation. The suction will pull the flies up into the vacuum!
4. Discard Overripe and Rotten Fruits
The scent of overripe or rotting fruits will attract fruit flies from outside the house. So, the best way to avoid this situation is to properly store all ripe produce and discard the spoiled ones.
5. Essential Oils
Many essential oils deter insect pests like fruit flies. These include lavender, basil, eucalyptus, lemongrass, peppermint, cloves, and even camphor.
The smell of these oils will help keep fruit flies away.
Soak cotton balls or crumpled paper towels in your essential oil. Then, place them around the kitchen and near doors and windows.
6. Dish Soap and Vinegar
This soapy mixture is excellent for getting rid of fruit flies in the house. Add dish soap to a bowl with apple cider vinegar to make a killer solution.
Place the bowl on the kitchen countertop or other areas where these pests 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, you can make a homemade fruit fly spray by combining three cups of white vinegar, two tablespoons of liquid soap, and ten drops of essential oil in a spray bottle.
Shake well and use it to spray them.
7. Stale Beer
Stale beer is one of the best home remedies for fruit flies, as they are attracted to the smell of fermented drinks like stale beer.
Therefore, fill some bottles halfway up with beer. This remedy will likely attract fruit flies, who find it hard to escape through the bottle’s narrow neck after entering.
Mason jars can also be used. Just punch holes in the cover.
After flying around inside for a bit, they will eventually get tired and drown.
8. Clean Up
Cleaning the inside and outside of your house is a good way to get rid of all types of flies.
Remove dirty food dishes and pans from kitchen sinks and surfaces as soon as possible and wash them. Also, check any damp cloths used to clean surfaces, wash them, and hang them out to dry.
You should also check for fruits on the ground outside and dispose of rotting ones. Covering the compost bin will also help deter fruit flies in the garden.
9. Wash Produce Thoroughly
Ensure that you thoroughly wash the produce. Washing fruits and vegetables will help prevent flies from lurking around them.
10. Empty Garbage Cans
Emptying garbage cans indoors and outside is necessary to prevent insects from infesting the house.
Firmly close the tops and keep the areas around them clean. Garbage bins can also be given an extra wipe-down, and baking soda can be sprinkled inside.
11. Clean Drain Areas
This process is also essential for keeping all kinds of flies and insect pests away.
Cleaning out drains is an unpleasant task, but doing so prevents them from becoming breeding grounds for certain pests.
Use baking soda and vinegar to help clean drains and eliminate odors that attract flies. Borax is also powerful and is even more effective when used with salt and vinegar.
Alternatively, purchase an environmentally friendly drain-cleaning agent such as EM-1 Septic Treatment.
12. Arber Bio-Insecticide
Arber Bio Insecticide can help control or suppress fruit fly infestations. It is also a long-lasting deterrent to many other garden insect pests.
Use it according to the instructions.
13. Deciduous Fruit Fly Trap Kit
This product helps control walnut husk flies, apple maggot flies, black cherry fruit flies and blueberry maggot flies.
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 enjoy abundant yields. This happy situation usually leads to excess produce in the garden or at home, likely attracting fruit flies, sometimes called pomace or vinegar flies.
However, the above natural ways of controlling fruit flies will help keep the problem under control.
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