Quick and Easy Ways To Make Fruit Flies Into A Thing Of The Past

There are many pests that can infest you home. One of the most versatile amongst them is fruit flies. Depending on your area you can easily book professional pest control services to deal with them, however, certain people may need to rely on themselves and become real fly killers in order to get rid of the fruit flies in their home. But don’t worry, because I will give you my best tips on how to successfully get rid of house flies. 

Know your enemies

Fruit flies are mostly harmless creatures, but from time to time they bring unexpected risks for the health of the family. An article in WebMD touches on the diseases linked with fruit flies. These insects can bring salmonella, e. coli,  and listeria. Normally limited to only food-poisoning, in some occasions, the germs from fruit flies in the kitchen can put you in the hospital. 

To know if you are dealing with fruit flies, first, you have to identify if this is really the pest that is harassing your home. But how to identify a fruit fly? The British Pest Control Association describes these flies as small creatures (about 3 mm) with red eyes and rather slow-flying abilities. They have brown bodies and are usually to be found around rotten food and fruit since it is their source of nutrition.

 

DIY traps: do they work?

Although calling a pest control professional will always be the best decision, home-owners can also opt-out for some DIY traps to fight fruit flies. This approach will not repel the insects though. Such traps can only diminish the number of invaders already inside your home. However, this is still better than nothing. Here are some ideas for DIY traps you should consider when wanting to get rid of fruit flies. 

Soda bottle traps

To make this trap you need one 2 liter bottle. Empty and clean the residue liquid from the bottle. Cut the plastic tank around the top end of the label on it. After this is done, pour water with diluted sugar in the bigger part of the bottle. The liquid should fill S of the volume of the bottle or roughly half of the bottom piece. This mixture will attract fruit flies but to catch them - invert the cone-shaped top third of the bottle and place it over the lower part. Make sure to remove the cap since the fruit flies will sense the sugar and enter the bottle from this funnel. Easy to enter, this inverted cone proves to extremely difficult for the tiny flies to be used as an exit. 

Vinegar + soap

The next way to trap fruit flies is also simple but in no case less effective. This trap is the favorite one for many DIY fly killers. Mix even parts of apple cider vinegar with some dish soap and add some sugar into the new liquid. Place them into an uncovered bowl. The smell of apple and sugar will attract the fruit flies, but the soap will destroy the flies’ digestive tract and may even break down their cell walls. 

 

“Home-defense” traps to stop fruit flies before entering your home 

Although DIY traps are rarely capable to prevent an insect invasion, some of the traps can actually prove to be beneficial in some. Take for example the “fly-paper” - these pieces of sticky paper have successfully caught many flying pests. Normally placed around sources of light (such as lamps) that attract flying bugs, this trap can be used around the places where the flies enter your house. If you want to go DIY - spray several drops of Eucalyptus oil on cloth strips and hang them around doors and windows. Entomologists claim that fruit flies dislike this smell and such cloths can be good repellers. 

One step further - outdoor measures against fruit flies

Yes, a successful campaign against fruit flies can start at your home but will mostly have to continue in your garden or backyard. There are some plants that repel fruit flies with great success. Some of them are: 

 

Basil: a versatile annual herb from the mint family that can be grown practically anywhere. 

 

Bay leaf: another plant with repelling properties. Bay leaf can be sheltered inside during colder months. 

 

Lavender: the good-looking plant is also prised for its repelling properties when people need to get rid of fruit flies. 

 

Nasturtiums: a truly priceless flower, this plant keeps away flies, beetles, aphids, and other bugs. 

 

Mint: a cousin of Basil, in addition to flies this herb repulses mice and ants as well. 

 

Our experience in the pest control field confirms that lawns containing such plants can diminish the number of pests (including fruit flies) in and around the property. 

The real treatment: how to get rid of fruit flies for good

If you really want to get rid of fruit flies you should tackle the root of the problem. These creatures thrive and breed in organic waste (mulch piles, garbage cans, pet excrements, etc). The fruit flies are very versatile. When it comes to reproducing, the female fruit fly lays hundreds of eggs at once and the offspring can need as little as 7 days to develop into home-harassing adults.  Don’t leave any organic matter to rot, nor in the inside nor on the outside of your home.

 

But even if you clean after your pets and keep everything intact, insects can still find a way to sprout in your property. In this case, a professional pest control company is probably the only solution. Fruit flies are a small representative of the 100 000 species in the fly-family. A pest control technician can inspect for possible breeding sites and moisture areas. He can also check your windows, doors, and home-structure for seams. Depending on the severity of the problem or the type of pest, the pest control company can employ the proper detergents and techniques to make your home safe and pest-free once again.