Eliminating Fruit Flies From Your Kitchen
If you are experiencing an abundance of fruit flies inside your kitchen, you likely want to have them gone as soon as possible. There are some steps you can take to speed along the process. Here are some guidelines to follow to get fruit flies out of your home without delay.
Remove Attractions To Eliminate Fruit Flies
As their name implies, fruit flies tend to congregate around fresh fruit. If you keep fruit like bananas, tomatoes, oranges, or pineapples on a kitchen counter, fruit flies will buzz around the pieces, especially if they are ripe. Place fruit in your refrigerator if you intend on eating it within a day or two. If you believe it will not be consumed that quickly, place it in a container with a lid with a very small hole in it for aeration. This will keep your fruit fresh while helping to mask the odor that fruit flies are drawn toward. In the future, avoid purchasing more fruit than you need so it does not over-ripen on your countertop. In addition, keep bringing food waste that you intend on composting outdoors immediately. Keep on top of trash removal as well.
Use Vinegar To Kill Fruit Flies In Drains
Your kitchen sink is a prime area for fruit flies. They tend to lay eggs in drains as the condition in this area is moist, and warm, and holds food remnants that are washed through the piping system. Pour several cups of vinegar into your kitchen drain and allow it to sit for several minutes. Follow this action by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain. This will kill existing fruit flies and destroy their eggs.
Use Trapping Methods To Kill Off Stragglers
Even if you kill off fruit flies in your piping system, there may be others flying around in your kitchen that need to be dealt with. Set up a trap using a glass filled with vinegar. Add a dab of dish detergent and cover the glass with a piece of plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic so fruit flies can gain access to the contents of the glass. The detergent will weigh down the wings of the fruit flies that make their way to the vinegar. Be sure to check the trap often and replenish the glass with new vinegar after a few hours so the trap's interior remains pungent.
For help dealing with persistent flies, contact a pest control service in your area.
