Just a few fruit flies can quickly turn into a nightmare of buzzing tiny black bugs. These creatures are attracted to the smell of fermenting fruit and vegetables. These bugs then lay their eggs inside of or on top of overripe and rotting fruits and vegetables. While they find their way inside from the outdoors. A single fly can quickly multiply. Each fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs at one time!
Their life cycle is sustained because their larvae can feed on the rotting fruit before maturing. Then, just two days after becoming adults, they can mate and start over again.
Staying vigilant on sanitation is the best way to avoid and get rid of fruit flies. There are several measures you can take to control these populations and keep your kitchen bug free!
- Discard overripe fruit and vegetables
- Do not leave fruits and vegetables on countertops (until fruit flies are completely gone)
- Scrub your countertops, surfaces, shelves, and floors
- Keep sink drains and countertops free of food particles
- Clean garbage containers regularly and keep a lid on the garbage
If fruit flies persist, some people suggest trapping the fruit flies. There are a few ways you can do this. First, fill a glass or a bowl with apple cider vinegar. Cover the top of the glass or bowl with plastic wrap and make small holes in the plastic film. Fruit flies fly into the container but won’t be able to escape. For maximum effectiveness, it is best to keep your countertop sanitized and put all food away. This will ensure that the fruit flies are attracted to the apple cider vinegar above all else. Other sources suggest adding dish soap. In theory, the apple cider will attract the fruit flies, while the dish soap will make it hard for the fruit flies to escape.
If this sounds too difficult or tedious to set up, you can also try placing an open bottle of old beer or wine near places where fruit flies have been spotted. The fruit flies will enter the top of the beverage bottles. Once inside the bottle, most fruit flies will remain trapped because the opening is smaller than the bottom space.
