Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your House
Fruit flies are those small pesky flies that magically spawn up in your house and prey on your fresh food and left overs, and all you want to do is get rid of them. While fruit flies are annoying and a health concern, they are easily taken care of. You can rid yourself of this pest with household items, or if you want to go the commercial route for a serious infestation, a quick trip to your local home supply store.
Sanitation is key to keeping fruit flies at bay. Fruit flies have a ten day life span, so a good sweep of your house should help you be fly free relatively quickly.
Cleaning
- Take out all trash, and don't re-use the liner
- Don't discard of food scraps in open trash cans; always use covered trash cans
- Get rid of habitat and sources of food for fruit flies:
- Clean out drains with some boiling water
- Wash and dry dish towels that hang in the kitchen
- Cover your fruit bowl
- Try storing fruit in your refrigerator, or store it in a brown paper bag
- Remove damp lint from your laundry room
- Sniff out rotting food and dispose of it
- If the flies are getting in your fridge, clean, wipe and check the door seals
Exterminating
Place a piece of soft fruit, soda, beer, vinegar or wine in a mason jar (or any jar) and make a paper cone with a small hole pointing towards the bottom of the jar. The flies will fly in, but not be able to fly out. You can release them outside, or let them drown. The same can be done with plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar and a few holes poked in it.
You can put any of the liquids above in a bowl with a few drops of dish soap. The dish soap will break the surface tension, and the flies will land and drown. If you put the solution on the stove, it will attract the flies even faster to the scent.
If you have an unusually pesky population, or need them gone ASAP, you can get products from a local supply store. Most places sell specific fruit fly traps and strips that smell lightly like apple vinegar or fruit to attract the flies.
