The weather’s cooling off, which means a decline in most of the pesky fling, biting things we deal with in the summer months. Nothing says Autumn like a nice, big bowl of freshly picked apples. Unfortunately, there’s one household pest that is likely to agree with that sentiment: the fruit fly. Often confused with the equally miniature gnat, Fruit Flies are the bane of every fruit bowl all year round. They don’t bite, but boy, are they annoying. Here are some safe at-home tricks to keep the pests out of your produce.
- Know your enemy. The fruit fly is aptly named. It’s love of fruit means that overripe produce is a prime target. Beyond that, any moist surface with fermenting bits is fair game. Drains, garbage disposals, dirty dish rags, even bottles can become breeding grounds for this not-so-picky pest. Fruit flies are also known as vinegar or wine flies. They are greatly attracted to the scent of vinegar, and wine’s basis is fermented grapes. These two substances can be excellent components for traps.
- Trapping fruit flies is the most common way to get rid of them. By using a paper cone, a jar, and some fruit or apple cider vinegar, you can quickly make an inescapable prison for your precocious little nuisances.
- Vinegar and dishwater. Good Housekeeping suggests mixing a bit of dishwater an apple cider vinegar in a dish. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar, but the dishwater cuts the surface tension, causing the minute menaces to sink and drown.
- Prevention. The best way to deal with an infestation of anything is to prevent it from happening at all. Recognize potential problem areas and keep them clean.
- Lemon juice is a great way to keep those drains and garbage disposals from becoming fruit fly breeding grounds. Just toss some down with some warm water once or twice a week to keep your drains squeaky clean and as an added bonus, your kitchen will smell delightfully fresh.
- Ripe fruit should be eaten or at least stored in the refrigerator. If not, or the fruit has become overripe, discard it.
- Clean things in a timely manner. Fruit flies are just as likely to breed in empty soda cans and beer bottles. If you recycle, keep those receptacles clean.
Fruit flies can be a real nuisance for any household all year round. Keep your fruit bowl and kitchen safe this autumn with these easy home remedies. Bear in mind that pumpkins are moist squishy things that will also attract fruit flies, so if you plan on carving pumpkins this Halloween, try to keep them outside. Have an infestation and can’t figure out where they’re coming from, or these home remedies aren’t working? Contact us, and we’ll hunt them down for you.
