how to get rid of fruit flies

how to get rid of fruit flies

                       

Tall glasses of lemonade, luscious tomatoes, and yes, fruit flies are all signs of summer. The last thing you want while preparing supper or hosting guests for a weekend get-together are the bothersome pests buzzing in front of your face.

Fruit flies multiply incredibly quickly: Orkin, a pest management business, claims that female fruit flies frequently land on moist items like overripe fruit and vegetables and then quickly lay hundreds of eggs. These eggs then develop into larvae, or maggots, within 24 to 30 hours and feed on the food source on which they were laid. These larvae mature into sexually active adults in about a week and begin the reproduction cycle again in no more than two days, leaving you with way too many fruit flies to handle.

Fortunately, using fruit fly traps that you can make yourself at home, there are quick and easy ways to get rid of fruit flies indoors – maybe not in under five minutes, but definitely overnight. A little smart cleaning and some common household items are all that are required to stop these annoying insects in their tracks.

What results in a home invasion of fruit flies?

According to the experts at Orkin, fruit flies are drawn to ripe, rotting, or rotten fruit and food as well as fermented products like beer, liquor, and wine. If there is enough food available, they also enjoy buzzing around garbage disposals and trash cans. And, regrettably, two little fruit flies will quickly grow into an infestation that can seem nearly hard to control given their propensity for reproduction.

Are those fruit flies for real?

Make sure you correctly identify any tiny black bugs you notice flying around your kitchen before doing anything else. Fruit flies often have red eyes and are either light or dark brown. Make sure the pests aren't drain flies or fungus gnats, which like overwatered houseplants or areas near drains or garbage disposals. See our articles on how to get rid of gnats and how to create a DIY fly trap for more information on those pesky insects.