How To Prevent Fruit Flies In Your Home

It happens every summer. Little flies that invade your kitchen in search of beautifully ripe fruit and expiring produce causing sporadic arm-flailing and constant swatting. So how do we prevent fruit flies from entering our home and what do we do once they are there? Fruit flies multiply very rapidly. They can go from a newly laid egg to an adult in just a week and a female can lay up to 500 eggs at a time. These larvae are usually laid on organic matter, such as ripe or rotted fruit, produce, and other foods. The larvae feed on the surface of where they were laid even after being hatched.

Lessen the fruit flies in your home by using these two DIY tricks:

#1 Apple Cider Vinegar Trap

Fruit flies love fermented fruit and sugar, and apple cider vinegar makes for the perfect trap for them. (Warm the vinegar up to release even more essence)

You will need:

• Apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons)
• Sugar (1 tablespoon)
• Dish soap (a few drops)
• Water (1 liter)
• A container (a mason jar, water bottle, cup, etc.)

Set the traps:

1. Mix 2 tbsp. of vinegar + 1 tbsp. of sugar + a few drops of soap + 1 liter of water
2. Stir or shake up the mixture to combine
3. Pour a small amount of mixture into cups.
4. Place the traps in the kitchen, living room, and anywhere else you see fruit flies. The flies will enter the mixture to feed and become stuck.
5. Empty the traps as they build up caught flies and refill.

#2 Red Wine Trap

Much like apple cider vinegar, red wine contains a ton of sugar and is made by fermenting grapes. Another effective trap for fruit flies.

You will need:

• A small amount of old red wine or a cheap red cooking wine
• A wine bottle or another container (a mason jar, water bottle, cup, etc.)
• Plastic wrap to serve as a lid
• Dish soap (adding dish soap will help the fruit flies stick)

Set the traps:

1. Use the last bot of wine in its bottle or pour wine into a jar or another container.
2. Add the drops of dish soap
3. Cover container with a small amount of plastic wrap
4. Poke small holes in the plastic wrap as an entrance for the flies
5. Set out on the kitchen counter overnight

The fruit flies will smell the fermented wine and enter the container, getting stuck and eventually drowning. Clean out the trap and start again if needed.

Follow these routines to help prevent fruit flies in your home

1. Make sure to clean your dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Leaving food-laden dishes in your sink will attract fruit flies.
2. Keep your trash can covered, and do not let it become overfilled. Regularly changing out your trash can lessen fruit flies presence.
3. Make sure indoor plants have new, fresh soil. Over time the soil will rot attracting fruit flies.

Expert tip: Keeping Fruit in the microwave will keep it fresh longer and prevent access from fruit flies and other pests. 

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