A real disaster these fruit flies! These little insects are constantly sneaking around in your pantry and never leave the living room where food scraps are lying around. A real nuisance at any time of the year, despite all your attempts to keep them out of your home, you get the impression that they are only multiplying. If you can’t stand fruit fly infestations anymore, we’ll show you proven methods. The invasion is over! These tips and tricks will relieve you enormously and get rid of these undesirables once and for all.

Where do fruit flies come from?

The downside of fruit flies is that they multiply quickly. Just leave an apple, a piece of vegetable, a glass of fruit juice or a jar of jam lying around and suddenly dozens of them appear. It even happens that they are brought directly from the market where you bought your fruit. Note that heat and humidity greatly favor the reproduction of these small brown insects. Fruit flies are especially attracted to the smell of fermenting food. Thus, they lay hundreds of eggs and after only a few days your house can be easily infested. To avoid this massive invasion and get rid of fruit flies, it is worth trying the methods offered today.

A trap to get rid of fruit flies from the house

Throughout the year, but even more so when temperatures rise, a swarm of fruit flies will quickly appear in your home. These insects prefer to nest in the kitchen in search of food. Usually, they are very attracted to fully ripe fruits. Fortunately, they are not dangerous to health, but above all, a very disturbing scourge in everyday life. However, it is not necessary to use chemical insecticides to control them. No need to pollute the environment! To repel these unwanted pests, you can try to make a homemade trap based on natural products. You will need ripe fruit, a bowl (or bottle), a toothpick and a piece of plastic wrap large enough to completely cover the utensil. Here’s how:

  • Place fruit in the bottom of the bowl.
  • Cover tightly with plastic wrap. You can also tape it to hold it in place.
  • Pierce the plastic wrap with a toothpick. Make a few holes large enough to trap these insects.
  • Attracted by the smell of fermenting fruit, flies will fall in easily, but they won’t be able to get out. Dispose of the contents after a few days and be careful not to release flies in the house.

The effective trick with apple cider vinegar

You don’t attract flies with vinegar? Depends on which ones. Contrary to what you might think, apple cider vinegar is very popular with these little beasts. Therefore, it is a very reliable means of catching fruit flies.  The method is very easy to use: You just need to put 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass or bowl and add a few drops of dishwashing liquid, but without mixing. Place the bowl next to a piece of fruit or on the windowsill. After a while, the flies will quickly fall into the trap. Attracted by the smell of apple cider vinegar, they will have no idea that the dishwashing liquid will be there!

Since they are very sensitive to certain smells, do not hesitate to take drastic measures by using aromatic herbs that they do not tolerate. For example, the scent of basil, peppermint or lavender will have a real deterrent effect. They won’t even come home! If you grow it at home, to do this, put the pot with the plant on the kitchen windowsill. Otherwise, simply spray essential oils based on these scents around the living space!

Tip: To ensure fruit flies don’t re-invade your home, wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly after you take them out of the store. Dispose of leftovers in airtight organic waste containers. Clean trash cans thoroughly at least once a week and take them out daily. Finally, avoid spilling fruit juices on the kitchen counter whenever possible.

No more fruit flies thanks to this essential oil!

Intensely fragrant, the essential oils perfume the house with a delicate intoxicating scent. But not only. You will also take the opportunity to drive away these little intruders. Here’s a natural home remedy that radically gets rid of it: Clove oil. As a bonus, this essential oil will also repel other pesky insects like wasps and mosquitoes. You have two options: Either spray this oil all over the areas frequented by flies, or simply place a few cloves next to the fruit. Make sure to keep small insects away.

Some tips to follow to prevent invasion:

There are other interesting methods to prevent the appearance of fruit flies in the kitchen. Here are a few:

  • Create a design

In the middle of the hot season, frequent airing is very effective in driving away these insects. So, the smell of ripe fruit no longer has the same effect, ventilation prevents them from sticking to the walls of the kitchen. In addition, flies do not like drafts. Therefore, cross-ventilation is an effective way to keep them away from the house.

  • Store fruit in a cool place

Another useful way to protect fruit (which is not very sensitive to cold) is to keep it in the refrigerator, especially in summer. Therefore, strawberries, blueberries, plums, cherries or even pears must be stored in the refrigerator. This helps a lot to prevent the entry of flies. Regional fruits are usually well resistant to cold, not so exotic fruits, which must necessarily be stored at room temperature.

Attention: Ripe fruits should not be stored in the refrigerator. Therefore, you can protect them by using a closed-mesh mosquito net. If you do not have one at hand, you can simply line the fruit bowl with a fine mesh bag.