In summer, fruit flies are in high season. The small flies make themselves over our fruit bowl – and multiply rapidly. With a fruit fly trap, you can easily get rid of the pesky insects. Plus: the best tips and home remedies to get rid of fruit flies quickly and effectively. Fruit flies are not dangerous and do not transmit diseases. However, many people are still disgusted by the small flies on the fruit.

With home remedies you can easily get rid of fruit flies

  • Tip for the summer: store fruit under a close-meshed grid

Fruit flies like to nest in fruit during the warm summer months. They multiply explosively and quickly become a nuisance. The scent of ripe fruit is particularly pleasing to the little pests, and they can also smell fruit with minor damage over long distances. We reveal how you can get rid of the insects in a natural way.

  • Make your own fruit fly trap: this is how it works

There are various fruit fly traps on the market that can be used to combat fruit flies. You can save the money; an effective trap is quite easy to make yourself – and without chemicals and with simple home remedies. Here’s how you can make a fruit fly trap yourself:

  • Simply mix two tablespoons of water with three tablespoons of fruit juice (apple juice, for example), one tablespoon of vinegar, a little sugar and add a few drops of washing-up liquid. Vinegar and juice attract the flies. The dishwashing liquid destroys the surface tension, the flies cannot stay on the liquid and drown in the mixture.
  • Pour the mixture into a small, shallow bowl. If the liquid has also spread to the rim of the bowl, clean it. Otherwise, there is a risk that the flies will stay on the safe edge and not even venture to the actual trap.
  • If the home remedy doesn’t work after a few hours, just add some more vinegar. After about two to three days, you should replace the mixture in the fruit fly trap.
  • Get rid of fruit flies with a live trap

If you want to catch the little pests alive rather than kill them, you can set up a live fruit fly trap:

  • Place a bait (for example, a banana peel) in a bowl, which you cover with plastic wrap.
  • Secure a sheet of plastic wrap with a rubber band.
  • Poke holes in the foil from the outside with a needle. The fruit flies can now fly into the bowl, but due to the shape of the holes they cannot get out.
  • To release the trapped fruit flies, open the trap only at a safe distance from your home.

Where do fruit flies come from?

Fruit flies, also known as fruit flies, vinegar flies or fruit flies, feel comfortable at temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Under such conditions, they begin to multiply. They lay their eggs in fruit baskets, leftover drinks or food, and after about 14 days the larvae hatch. Since the fruit fly lays up to 400 eggs and the offspring can lay their own eggs at the tender age of two weeks, the fruit fly population in the kitchen multiplies rapidly. The eggs and larvae are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. By the way, the fruit fly plague has nothing to do with a lack of hygiene!

Get rid of fruit flies: What prevents fruit flies?

Fruit flies do not pose any danger, they cannot transmit germs and diseases. So, there is no reason to dispose of fruit infested with fruit flies. However, the little animals are still a nuisance. The most effective way to a summer without fruit flies: It’s best not to attract the insects in the first place.

  • Buy fruit in summer only in small quantities and consume it as quickly as possible.
  • If fruit has a small dent or other injury, store it in the refrigerator rather than in the fruit basket.
  • Don’t leave open drinks or empty juice or wine bottles around. Rinse bottles well, reseal them and then dispose of them quickly.
  • Don’t leave organic waste in the kitchen too long.
  • Compost in the garden is also a paradise for fruit flies. Do not throw fruit on the compost during the summer months if it is near the house.