Fruit flies are a nuisance of modern homes. These tiny fliers zoom around the house hopping from your table to floor disturbing your peace in the process. Most notably, the worst part is when these pesky insects try to land on your food or drink which is just nasty. To keep you home free from these bugs, you may try doing these steps.
Seek for breeding places
If adult flies are roaming around your area, then their nesting place is just nearby. These pests can travel for miles but they often prefer a nesting ground that is near homes. The reason is that they are attracted to the stinking smell of decaying organic matter like fruits and vegetables.
Before humans started to live in close quarters to each other, these flies prefer to be in farms and forests where decaying produce would be abundant. But because of changes in how humans eat and bring food to the table, fruit flies started to migrate and improvise. Most often, the eggs or larvae comes with the fruits and veggies from the market.
And often enough, these eggs larvae have enough time to grow before the product can be consumed. And when some turn into an adult, they multiply. And very fast at that. With that, it is important to pinpoint the possible breeding area of fruit flies.
If you have nearby trash cans with some rotting fruit in it, there’s a chance that a fly is present. This where they breed, laying their eggs, on the trash. When the larva comes out it will consume the rotting produce and the cycle continues.
At such, clean your trash bins regularly even if you use trash bags in it. Don’t leave it open as much as possible to limit the chances of infestation. Clean your drains as well. These insects thrive in damp areas as they can easily lay their eggs in there. An easy way to do this is by pouring hot water with dish soap. The hot water will clean out dirt and slime while the dish soap will help make the process more efficient. As an alternative, using bleach would also work the same results.
Fruit fly trap
If you already have too much on your home, simply dealing with the breeding places won’t do the trick. You now need to get rid of the adult flies. Don’t go and think that flies have a short life span and that the next day most of this nuisance will die off.
On the contrary, most flies can live for 30 days if the environment is favorable for their well-being. Getting enough food is the pivotal variable for this which can be taken care of if you keep your surroundings clean.
Among the most effective way to control the fly population is trapping. Getting rid of the adult flies will cut the cycle which will stop them from multiplying in the first place. But how do you use a fly trap? To make it easier here are some DIY traps you can do at home.
Vinegar and dish soap Fruit fly trap
As mentioned above the smell of decaying matter, or in this case fermenting organic matter, attracts fruit flies. Simply pour a half cup of vinegar into a small bowl then add a few drops of dish soap to it. Leave it open. The vinegar will serve as an attractant for the insects luring them into stepping on it. The dish soap will reduce the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink instead of floating, trapping the insects.
Vinegar and paper cone
Just like with the trap above the vinegar will serve as an attractant to lure the flies. But the setup is a little bit different. You need to pour the vinegar into a small cylindrical container. Then you need to shape a paper into a cone then leave a small hole on the pointy side.
You need to adjust the paper cone first to make sure it will fit the container’s opening to prevent it from falling off the vinegar. After that, you need to tape the paper so the structure won’t move. You just have to leave this setup open for the flies to get into.
If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you can make use of fruits as it will also work similarly. The best for this method is using ones that are near decay as this will be a lot more attractive for the flies. The trick here is to lure the flies into entering the cone. After which they will be confused in trying to find the small hole on your paper funnel.
Old beer
Have you seen a fly hovering around your bottle of beer? The reason for this is the smell. The same smell that you sniff off a bottle is the same smell that fruit flies love. Setting the bottle with a little leftover beer inside and leaving in the open will surely attract some fruit flies around. This will also work with wines as the fruity smell can leave flies restless and vulnerable for trapping. The bottle’s neck is enough to trap flies in it. To improve the chances of success, adding a few drops of dish soap will go a long way.
Beyond DIY traps
These days there are other techniques to trap flies. One common design is a fan inside the container. This works by sucking in the surrounding air thus hauling flies in the process. If you have heavy infestation this will work tremendously. Also, it does not just trap flies but other insects like mosquitos. This device can be reused for so many times which makes it a good investment for your home
Also, other ready-made compounds that serve as attractants for flies are relatively cheap to have. But you need to read the procedure to make the most out of it.
Insecticides
Lastly, there are insecticides to control this insect. Chemical sprays are there when the going gets tough and when other alternatives cannot fully eliminate the problem. Do take note though that chemical sprays are still insecticide made a lit bit safer for home use. Household insecticide is effective in controlling the fruitfly population for the short term. The bottom line though is insecticides are toxic and you should avoid spraying it close to where you keep your food.
The long term approach is still the best and that is to control the breeding places that these insects want. This way it is natural and is safer for your family. Further, keep your kitchen free from rotting organic matter as these attract flies. Also, wash the produce your brought from the market before you keep it to add another layer of protection from flies.
