How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the Home

This week’s blog is all about those pesky uninvited guests we sometimes get in our home, especially with the hot and muggy weather we have been experiencing lately. So, how exactly do you get rid of fruit flies in the home? Read on for our top tips.

Find the Source of the Problem
The very first step to ridding your home of fruit flies is identifying if they actually have a valid reason to be there. Start by searching your kitchen cupboards to find if there is a long forgotten piece of fruit or a vegetable lurking and decaying there. If there is, fruit flies will be all over it and you have found the source of your problem.

Drink that Wine
We are not suggesting you get drunk to forget about the fruit flies but as their name suggests, they are very attracted to the ingredients in wine, liquor and beer so if you have any open bottles, the flies will accumulate very quickly around them. Avoid leaving empty bottles in the kitchen and always cap half full bottles well and place them in the fridge or the cupboard to keep the flies at bay. Similarly, place ripe fruit in closed containers or in the fridge.


Clean the Bins and Drains
Regularly emptying and cleaning your bin will discourage fruit flies from congregating in this area of your kitchen. Sometimes the flies will be drawn to drains as old food residue can build up there and it’s not as easy to clean. Regularly running a dedicated drain cleaner or even hot water down the sink when you have finished the washing up will help eliminate the problem.


Home-made Remedies
If all else fails, some home remedies from your kitchen cupboard might help to remove these pests from your home. A popular one is filling a small bowl with white cider vinegar and adding a couple of teaspoons of dish soap to the liquid. The flies will be attracted to the cider vinegar but the dish soap will leave a residue on the flies when they land, leaving them unable to fly and causing them to drown in the mixture.


We hope these tips have helped you to identify and eliminate these small pests in your home. If you have a larger infestation, a call to your local pest control service might be the next step for you.

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