How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies In The Kitchen

fruit-fly-trapEverybody loves to have fresh fruits in the kitchen. It’s not only that you eat them, but they bring joy, color and a good energy every time you have them around.

Unfortunately, along with fresh, ripe fruit come, sometime, pesky fruit flies that ruin not only the air in your kitchen, but also your desire to ever want fresh fruits in the kitchen.

First thing to do when you see the fruit flies, is to toss any overripe fruits. There are also some vegetables that attract the flies (onions, potatoes, tomatoes) and you can use the refrigerator for storing them until you get rid of the flies. You also need to clean the recycling bins with empty bottles or cans inside. No spilled juice, no small bits of foods should be on the sides of the garbage can either.

The next step? You can try some of the remedies below. Some work better than others, but you should give them all a chance. We did!

If there’s one thing that fruit flies can’t resist, it’s the smell of unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Cover in plastic wrap the opening of the bottle and use a rubber band for better securing it. Simply poke a hole in the plastic wrap; the flies won’t resist the scent and will get inside. But they won’t be able to get out anymore 🙂

It seems hard to believe, but some fruit flies don’t fall for this trick. You can add 3 drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar and leave this bowl uncovered this time. The soap eliminates the surface tension of the vinegar and the flies simply sink and drown.

As you can see, vinegar plays a big role when it comes to keeping fruit flies away. This time, place in a jar some vinegar and a piece of a very ripe fruit. Then, make a paper cone and stick it into the jar (the narrow opening down). What’s going to happen next? The fruit flies will get inside the jar and will get trapped inside.

If you have any red wine to spare, just open a bottle and let it air (it doesn’t have to be filled 🙂 ). Once drawn inside by the smell, they won’t be able to get out anymore.

When you don’t have vinegar around your hose, you can make a mix from 2 oz ground pepper and 4 oz of raw sugar in a saucepan. Boil the concoction for 10 minutes and then pour it into a shallow dish. You may suspect how the story ends… The flies will come and get drowned instantly.

For those who don’t really like mixing and simply want ready made products, the market offers them Aunt Fannie’s FlyPunch (it’s natural). Rip off the top, place it on your counter and give it some time.

Even if it doesn’t kill the fruit flies, lemongrass spray keeps them at bay for sure. Pour 10 drops of Lemongrass essential oil and 2 ounces of hot water into a clean spray bottle. Shake well and spray along doorways, windowsills, on the flies and everywhere you see fit. You will enjoy a nice scent afterwards, not just the disappearance of them flies.

Take a look at your kitchen drains also. Fruit flies breed in there. Mix half white vinegar (here we go again with the vinegar) with half boiling water and pour it down the drain daily for a few days. Keep that area dry at all times.

Keep in mind that, the first step to consider when getting rid of fruit flies is always not to give them a chance to hatch from the very beginning :).

 

 

About Amanda

I love to buy a lot of products for the home, and dissect them out. I split them into duds and winners, and share the findings here on my site. As a reader of my site, I'm aiming for your next purchase to be an informed and inspired one.

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