How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are peculiar creatures. Once they invade your house or office, it is very difficult to get rid of them. Fruit flies are common in homes, restaurants, supermarkets and any place where food (cooked or raw) of any kind is allowed to rot and ferment. The best way to deal with fruit flies is prevention: dispose of fruits, vegetables and other foods before they become overripe and begin to decay; store cooked foods swiftly and appropriately; seal all stored foods in containers with air-tight lids. But even when practicing prevention, fruit flies will sometimes maintain a consistent presence in our homes. When the pestering flies seem immune to your scrubbing, cleaning, and spraying, we can help. Here are some inexpensive ways to get rid of fruit flies and to keep those flying monsters away for good.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Clean your soda and beer cans with soap and water or put them in a sealed bag. Fruit flies love beer and soda, so doing this can really help.

2. Make a fruit fly flytrap by putting a small amount of red wine in a shallow dish, cover it with a plastic wrap, stretching and holding it with a rubber band. Pierce some holes on the cover. Attracted to wine, flies will crawl in and would not be able to escape. You can also use banana or apple cider vinegar as a substitute to wine.

3. Combine 1 pint milk, 1/4 lb raw sugar and 2 ounces ground pepper in a saucepan and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Pour it in a shallow dish and watch the flies attack and consequently suffocate.

4. Pour 1/4 cup white vinegar and a pinch of liquid dishwashing detergent in a cup. Slowly, add water till the bubbles reach the top of the cup. Fruit flies will be attracted and trapped to death.

5. Spray the house with diluted lemongrass oil. Just 10 drops of oil works well with 2 ounces of hot water. This can kill not only fruit flies but also spiders, ants and other creepy crawlers.

6. Hang fly strips with both their sides exposed to flies. Fruit flies will stick to the fly trap and perish.

Tips & Warnings

• To keep flies away clean your kitchen and dustbins regularly.
• Don’t leave cut fruit exposed to air.

[ScarlettOHairy]

on 5/30/2009 Good tips. I'm going to give one of these a whirl.

[Kadith]

on 12/3/2008 Getting rid of fruit flies is simple. Set out a glass of red wine and they're history. After trying several so-called remedies found on the Internet, wine is the only one that worked. Once they're in the wine, they can't swim up the side. Too drunk maybe? ;)