Fruit flies, those pesky little bugs that seem to appear out of nowhere and get stuck in your fruit bowl or on top of your garbage can. Sometimes they’re even flying around the kitchen! Fruit flies are a problem for many people and if you’re one of them, don’t worry – we’ve got some quick and effective solutions that will help rid these pests from your home.
Keep Surfaces Clean
Cleanliness is key to keeping fruit flies away. This includes not only your kitchen but also the surrounding area as well (counters, stovetops, cabinets, etc.). Make sure to keep all fruit and food items in airtight containers and not out in the open air. Even if you think you don’t have fruit flies, make sure to clean up any fruit or spills immediately.
Clean the Drain
In addition, it is a good idea to clean out your kitchen sink drain. This will help clean out any fruit fly eggs that have been laid inside of your pipes/drains. You can purchase products from the grocery store to clean out the drain or make a homemade solution of one part baking soda to two parts white vinegar to pour down the drain. The fizzy solution will wash down any lingering fruit flies.
Eliminate Sources of Food
You want to eliminate their breeding ground. The more overripe foods and products around the house, the faster fruit flies will reproduce. You want to clean your garbage and trash cans regularly, as well as the inside of your recycling bin. Use disinfectant sprays around trash cans and on the kitchen sink to eliminate lingering food mess.
Use Homemade Fly Traps
Another effective way to get rid of fruit flies is by utilizing fruit fly traps. There are a number of products available for purchase online or at your local grocery store, but if you’re feeling crafty, this is a quick and simple solution that you can easily do yourself.
- Simply mix some apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap in a bowl or jar.
- You can also add a bit of brown sugar to the mixture to help attract the flies more.
- Pour the apple cider vinegar and dish soap mixture in small containers like jars or cups and cover with plastic wrap.
- Using a toothpick, poke small holes in the plastic wrap so the flies can crawl into the bowl and can’t crawl out.
The vinegar attracts flies because of its sweetness, and the dish soap prevents the flies from escaping by creating surface tension in the vinegar. They will not be able to escape the trap and your fruit fly problem will soon be gone!
Combine Multiple Methods
Although it’s not the quickest solution, fruit flies do tend to disappear on their own after a while of living in your house and eating the food you’ve provided. Unfortunately, this might take a few weeks to happen and in that time, they can be quite bothersome around your home. So for a quick and effective way to get rid of fruit flies, try combining the homemade fruit fly trap as well as store-bought traps.
Seal Entrances to Your Home
In order for fruit flies not to find their way back in again, sealing them out of your home is essential. Make sure they cannot enter through windows by keeping screens closed at all times when no one is home, especially during seasons where fruit flies are present more frequently. If there are holes in these types of screens, fruit flies are likely to find their way in.
Need Help From Cleaning Professionals?
Cleaning is an inevitable part of life, but it can be a hassle and take up too much time in your day. If you want a break from cleaning (or fruit flies!) then why not let Plan: B Cleaning handle everything? Give our team at (317) 572-8515 or email info@planbcleaning.com call today!
