How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Using Vinegar
Are you worried about getting fruit flies? They can enter your home through tiny holes, sneak into from the car boot, or even get on you from a supermarket fruit fly trap. Don’t fear that you absolutely have to give up fruit for good this time. You only have to know how to kill fruit flies and how to avoid them in the future. Follow these tips and you can be sure your fruit fly problem will be a thing of the past.
Get rid of fruit flies
First of all, if you are wondering how to get rid of fruit flies, a great place to start is by not leaving your house during their time of stay. You can also use sealed jars or plastic containers that are tightly sealed, but not airtight as to stop the flying insects from getting in. When they are stuck inside the jar, you simply shake it and the insects will go flying out and drown in the jar, or you can open the jar and let them out through the little gaps on the top. If you’re in a rush, you can use the newspaper to catch the insects – just try not to wipe it all down!
Another great tip to keeping fruit flies at bay is to not keep fermented food in your refrigerator, because these little pests love fermented foods. Refrigerators that have air conditioning units should have them sealed or covered so that they stay bad-smelling and the eggs will not hatch. If you do keep them in your fridge, be sure to close all the doors and windows tightly while you’re away from home.
One common question on how to get rid of fruit flies is how to cut the overripe fruits so that they don’t fall into the water. Overripe fruits are sweet and delicious, but when they’re cut and dried, they’re dry and gooey. These are the perfect conditions for fruit flies to breed in. Simply wash the overripe fruit with a mild soap and water (do not use anything with strong bleach). You may also want to spray some dishwashing detergent and an old towel to make it easier to clean the overripe fruit without the fibers being damaged.
Another good tip on how to get rid of fruit flies involves the application of apple cider vinegar. When mixed with water, apple cider vinegar will kill the fungus that lays their eggs in your fruits. To apply, pour a half-full cup into a large, bowl and add in about one inch of fresh water. It’s best if you pour the vinegar directly onto the fruit, but this may not be possible.
Another way to kill fruit flies involves the use of a jar and some lighter fluid. All you have to do is saturate a jar’s interior with the lighter fluid. Once the jar is saturated, then you can pour the contents of the jar directly into the water. Once the contents are immersed, this will kill the fungus that lays their eggs in the center of your fruits. This method doesn’t work as well if there are eggs remaining in the jar.
A third method on how to get rid of fruit flies involves making your own vinegar. After you’ve drained an overripe fruit and soaked the inside of the jar in a light vinegar, add in some water and mix the contents of the jar. The resulting mixture should be quite liquid; however, if it isn’t, just pour it into a new container and repeat the process.
Getting rid of eggs from a jar can be very tedious because you will need to suck all of the air out of it. You can use an air compressor or you can rent a powered air compressor from your local hardware store. Another method is to pour boiling water into the inside of the jar, leaving out the top. Just as how you removed the air from the jar, you will need to suck out all of the air from inside of it, leaving behind the white calcified eggs.
How to make your own fruit fly trap
Are you fighting a swarm of fruit flies in the bathroom or kitchen? It’s so annoying! It can feel like you are fighting a losing battle, but you can actually control fruit flies much more quickly than you might think. This simple homemade trap can be made from ingredients already in your kitchen.
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- Apple cider vinegar
- Dish soap
- A small bowl or jar
Place about a cup of apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or jar. It doesn’t need to be precise.
To the jar, add a few drops of dish detergent. Do not mix.
The trap should be placed in the same area as the fruit flies. Wait for the trap to work. Soon, the container should be full of drowned fruit fly larvae. Rinse and Repeat.
This is how it works
Vinegar is a natural, versatile, environmentally-friendly kitchen product. Vinegar is a versatile and inexpensive ingredient for many DIY cleaning projects. Vinegar does not emit harsh, harmful fumes, unlike other commercial products. Vinegar is a great way to make things smell like a salad.
The cider vinegar smell attracts fruit flies and they will try to land on it. They are in for a surprise: the dish soap dissolves the surface tension of vinegar and the fruit flies sink in and drown. You can say goodbye to annoying swarms.
Alternate Method
You can also trap fruit fly with vinegar by placing a piece overripe fruit in a plastic bag. After the fruit flies have congregated on the fruit, seal the bag and trap them inside.
How to Prevent Future Infestations
Here are some great solutions if you want to do more than make a trap.
- Infestations can often occur when you bring home infected fruits from the supermarket or produce stand. Avoid fruit flies if you see them while shopping. There are likely to be many fruit fly eggs in the produce that you’re shopping for, just waiting to hatch in your home. You have a compelling reason to leave the bananas you bought behind when you consider that one fruit fly can lay 500 eggs.
- To get rid of fruit fly larvae, wash any fruit that you buy, such as stone fruits, citrus fruits, apples, and bananas. You can use plain water, or one of the vegetable washes available at your local supermarket.
- You should be careful about what fruits and vegetables you eat before they go bad or become too ripe. Fruit flies love to lay eggs on fermented or ripe produce. You can even store them in the fridge.
- You should wash down your kitchen. Fruit flies can also land on your counters and even in your sink. Make sure that there are no food scraps left in your drain, or garbage disposal.
- Regularly take out your garbage. You can also recycle: A small amount of juice or wine at the bottom of bottles is enough to attract a fruit fly’s attention. You might not be able to recall when you last cleaned out your kitchen trashcan and recycling bins. Now is the time to get rid of your reusable shopping bags before the fruit fly remind you.
