We get it. They're gross. No one wants to think about them, much less talk about them.
But it's even worse when they take over your garbage cans -- or your entire kitchen.
Fruit flies are some of the most common indoor pests around -- and while most die off during winter, that doesn't mean you're off the hook. They're probably already in your house because, well, scourges plan for cold weather like that.
So where do they come from and how can you get rid of them? Fruit flies often get into your home by hitching a ride on store-brought fruit. They can then reproduce en masse in your living space, laying eggs on rotting food bits in forsaken garbage cans and under appliances you may not have used in a minute, pest control experts say.
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Garbage disposals, drains and empty beer or soda cans are also fruit-fly favorites, they note. It doesn't take much. They don't bite, but man do they multiply quickly.
Fruit flies can spread disease-causing microorganisms on your food and home surfaces, so apart from the overall gross factor, you really want them out for the sake of your health, too. There are a number of simple tips.
5 Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
- Clean Your House. No, we're not saying you're dirty and living in a pigpen. You probably live in an immaculate space. The thing is, experts say there are a lot of places you might forget to check to clean, like under a garbage can lid, a soda can left out to recycle, in your kitchen drain or under that annoying can opener that never works. Take aim at those less obvious places and you might be well on your way to solving your fruit fly problem.
- Don't Leave Fruit Out. Fruit flies are attracted to ripening and rotting fruit. If you leave it out, they will come.
- Don't Leave Wine Out Either. For the same reason fruit flies are attracted to ripening fruit, they're attracted to wine -- and beer. Both are fermenting food sources.
- Get over-the-Counter Help. There are more than a few available products for dealing with your fruit fly issue. ApartmentTherapy.com lists a number of readily accessible items you can try, but remember, if you don't eliminate the source, you're not killing the eggs -- you're only taking out some parents.
- Try a DIY Trap. If you're up for taking on the task yourself, you're in luck. There's a recipe for that. Know that this concoction won't kill unhatched eggs so it won't eradicate your whole problem, but it might at least help. According to ApartmentTherapy.com, you'll need apple cider vinegar, dish soap, an 8-ounce mason jar and plastic wrap. Combine the vinegar and soap in the jar, gently swirl to combine, cover the top with the plastic and secure it in place with a rubber band. Put a few tiny holes in the plastic wrap to let the fruit flies in. They have a much harder time getting back out. If you don't have apple cider vinegar handy, try red wine or balsamic.
As one expert with Terminix Commercial tells ApartmentTherapy.com, you can't really eliminate the threat of fruit flies permanently. There are too many ways for the tiny buggers to get in. They're kind of, sort of endemic -- to use a term all of us can easily understand these days. It's more about managing and mitigating the problem and preventing worse.
Eliminating food rot and standing water are some of the best things you can do on a daily basis, experts say.
