Do fruit flies often stop in your bowl? Once they feel at home, these uninvited guests know how to stay there for a long time. Fortunately, there is an easy way to keep fruit flies away so that these nuisance animals are reluctant to return to your home.
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Method 1 of 5: Trapping Fruit Flies with a Paper Funnel
Step 1. Choose a high-necked bottle, wine bottle, soda bottle or vase for the trap
Basically almost any bottle can be used.
This may be the most effective and efficient method for trapping large numbers of fruit flies
Step 2. Add fly bait create
Fruit flies love all kinds of sweets. Look, you have lots of options for repelling flies. Any kind of fruit, juice, soda, or any sweet treat will tempt fruit flies to fly into the trap. Below are bait ideas organized from the most effective. Please try one.
- Chop overripe fruit. For example, using a few mashed bananas, mushy strawberries, or softened peaches is very effective.
- Honey, maple syrup or corn syrup.
- Fruit juice or soda. Make sure you use regular juice or soda. Diet soda had no effect on fruit flies.
- Apple cider vinegar or soy sauce.
- Deposits on wine or beer bottles can also be used in times of urgency. Fruit flies are attracted to the sugar in alcoholic beverages.
Step 3. Roll the paper into a funnel shape and place it on the bottle
Fruit flies can enter the funnel with small holes, but have difficulty flying out. So that the shape of the funnel does not change, glue it with tape. Place the funnel in the mouth of the container so that the lower you go, the narrower it gets. The tip of the funnel should not touch the bait.
- You can make a paper funnel from any scraps of paper or old magazines.
- You can also make a funnel out of a coffee filter by punching holes in it with a toothpick.
Step 4. Place the trap in a place where fruit flies are frequent
Place the trap near the sink, trash can, or fruit basket. If the fruit flies aren't just swarming in one place, you'll need to set several traps.
- Set the trap in that place overnight. The next day, you'll find fruit flies swarming around the bait.
- If you haven't caught any fruit flies yet, try a new bait and make sure the hole is big enough for the fruit fly to enter.
Step 5. Kill fruit flies that enter the trap
Mix warm water and dish soap and pour it into a container. The soap will reduce the surface tension of the water which will cause the flies to drown. Wait 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the contents of the trap container.
- If fruit flies are still flying in the trap, take them out of the trap before you remove the funnel.
- Rinse the container with hot water when you're done. You can reuse them to create new traps.
Step 6. Repeat until the trap remains empty
Fruit flies reproduce quickly. The fruit fly's life cycle is short, only 8 days. You may have to repeat this process a few times to get rid of fruit flies from the kitchen.
- Fruit fly eggs hatch after 8 days. So you need to set traps every day for 1 or 2 weeks. You can stop it when there are no more fruit flies after a few hours of trapping.
- To get rid of all fruit flies as quickly as possible, try to get rid of their eggs as well.
Method 2 of 5: Catching Fruit Flies with a Bowl Trap
Step 1. Prepare a medium or large bowl
Although not as effective as the paper funnel method, the concept is still the same, namely to lure fruit flies into the trap through narrow holes and make it difficult to escape.
Step 2. Place a sugary food or drink at the bottom of the bowl as bait
Types of free bait, which is important in number. Maybe you could try pouring a few spoonfuls of the sweet liquid into the bottom of the bowl. Here are some suggestions for how to use this sweet concoction as bait:
- Place peeled rotten fruit, such as oranges or bananas, along with the balsamic vinegar in a bowl.
- You can also experiment with white wine mixed with coriander. This mixture is quite potent. Add a little white wine vinegar to make this sweet mixture even more pungent.
- If you have trouble finding other ingredients, a mixture of honey, sugar and balsamic vinegar can also be used.
Step 3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic
Use a large plastic bag so that the bowl is completely covered. Close it as tightly as possible.
Step 4. Make a few small holes in the plastic using a fork or other suitable tool
The hole is made as small as possible. Fruit flies will come out if the hole is too big. In essence, you have to lure fruit flies into the bowl and block the escape route as much as possible.
If the fork hole in the plastic is larger than expected, use a toothpick
Step 5. Place the trap in an area with a lot of fruit flies and leave it there overnight
The next day, you'll find fruit flies in the trap swarming around the bait. If there are no fruit flies in the bowl, check the plastic holes. Make sure the hole is not too big.
Step 6. Remove fruit flies that enter the trap
Maybe you should take the traps out of the house before you kill the fruit flies to keep them from escaping and invading your kitchen again. Remove the plastic wrap, then pour a mixture of warm water and dish soap into a bowl to kill the fruit flies. Soap reduces surface tension so that the fruit flies drown. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the contents of the bowl.
After getting rid of the fruit fly, rinse the bowl with warm water and reuse it to make a new trap
Method 3 of 5: Getting Rid of Fruit Flies with Special Sprays and Other Products
Step 1. Make a fly spray
Fill the spray bottle with 70% alcohol. Spray towards fruit flies that are flying. Fruit flies will fall to the floor. Get the flies off the floor. You can also spray 91% alcohol in the air to destroy any kind of egg. This high alcohol content is a very effective disinfectant and will kill fruit flies immediately. The price of high-grade alcohol is between Rp. 70,000 to Rp. 100,000 per liter. This type of alcohol is much stronger than ordinary 70% alcohol. Its use also demands caution. You should always pay attention to the problem of room ventilation and wear gloves. However, compared to insecticides or pesticides, 91% alcohol is relatively harmless and contains very few toxic substances or substances that can burn the skin.
- Windex including products that work quickly to kill small insects. If you find a damp area swarming with fruit flies, immediately spray Windex and the flies will flounder in agony.
- Another method to try is Clorox cleaning spray. Immediately wipe the surface that was exposed to the spray as well as any dead flies. However, the ventilation of the room must be good because the smell is quite strong. This method is not recommended if you are concerned about toxic air in an enclosed space or plan to spray it near tables where food is located.
- You can also use a spray filled with plain water. The flies will fall. Since the wings are wet, the flies will not fly immediately. Well, it's at this point that you can pat and get rid of it.
Step 2. Use a pyrethrin spray
Pyrethrin is an insecticide that is effective at killing adult fruit flies, but does not reach their eggs. Be sure to follow the instructions for use. Avoid spraying directly onto fruit surfaces or food preparation areas.
- This product is in the form of an aerosol that can be used to kill fruit flies. Once exposed to pyrethrin, the flies will die instantly.
- If you are attacked by millions of fruit flies, there's nothing wrong with buying a pyrethrin automatic sprayer.
Step 3. Put the special gel into the drain
Special gels for drains are now available over the counter. This gel is intended for flies and their eggs that are in the kitchen drain. If boiling water and soap have not been able to dispel it, this method is worth considering. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for securing the drain. You may need to do this a few times until the flies are completely eliminated.
Step 4. Try asking for professional help
If you have an uncontrollable fruit fly problem, you can have people spray your home with a residual insecticide. Spray in places that are often infested by flies and serve as a place for laying eggs. If you store your groceries properly and are diligent in cleaning the kitchen, this method is certainly no longer needed. Contact an insect control company for more information if you want help spraying flies in your home.
Method 4 of 5: Getting Rid of Fly Eggs
Step 1. Find the place where the fly lays its eggs
Flies lay their eggs in food-rich and damp places, such as rotten fruit and damp sinks or trash cans. To get rid of these eggs, you need to know the food source of fruit flies in the kitchen.
- A bowl or basket of rotten fruit is suspect. Even if the fruit inside is still fresh, it could be that the remnants of the previous fruit stuck to the storage area, attracting the attention of fruit flies.
- Compost stored in the kitchen is also a source of food for flies.
- Boxes of recyclable items sometimes attract flies, especially if they contain cans of soda or beer that haven't been cleaned.
- When was the last time you cleaned the wastebasket? The wastebasket can cause problems even if you are diligent about removing the contents.
- Kitchen sink strainers often get fruit flies because food gets stuck in it and starts to rot.
- Wet sponges and brooms are also breeding grounds for fruit flies.
Step 2. Store foodstuffs properly
If there are a lot of flies in your home, don't leave fruit out in the kitchen at room temperature. Store in a tightly closed bag or refrigerate until you've managed to get rid of the flies. A piece of rotten fruit can preserve the life of fruit flies because it is an ideal place for these insects to breed.
Do not throw leftover fruit in the trash. If you don't take out the contents of the trash can every day, avoid throwing peach seeds, apple cores, and other fruit seeds in the kitchen trash can. The remains of the fruit will eventually become a breeding ground for flies. You should remove fruit waste as soon as possible and place it in a compost bin or outdoor trash can
Step 3. Wash the trash can
Trash cans, recycling boxes, or compost bins are potential places for flies to land their eggs. All trash containers in the house should be cleaned with hot soapy water as soon as a swarm of flies is seen there. Take out trash cans, recycling boxes, and compost bins frequently to prevent this problem from recurring.
- Be diligent in washing the trash containers every week, especially during the rainy season or fruit season. At that time the fly population increased significantly.
- Wash bottles and other containers in hot water before throwing them in the trash. Leftover food or drink left there can spill into the trash and exacerbate the fly infestation problem.
- You should also make sure the trash can is tightly closed.
Step 4. Clean the drains
You can check if flies are breeding in drains by using a plastic sheet smeared with honey. Place the plastic with the honey surface facing the water hole. Leave it for about an hour. If you see flies stuck to it, it means that your drains are contributing to the fly problem.
- Make sure the drains in your home are smooth. If things are bad or your garbage disposal is poor, there may be rotten fruit under there that attracts flies.
- To crush the eggs, pour boiling soapy water into the drain. Use a brush to scrub the surface of the drains.
- Do not pour bleach into the drain. Besides having no effect, bleach can damage the environment.
Step 5. Remove items that are potential breeding grounds for flies
Old sponges, wet mops, old rags, or anything else used to wipe down tables and floors may harbor fly eggs. Throw them away or wash them in warm water in the washing machine.
Step 6. Clean the kitchen counter
Use hot soapy water to clean the kitchen counter. Make sure you don't miss any gaps that could potentially be a breeding ground for flies. Clean cupboards, shelves, and places to store fruit, juice, or other sweet foods/drinks.
- Check the floor. A drink spilling under the fridge, for example, can cause problems. Clean the places that feel sticky.
- Keep the kitchen clean every day. Make sure to always wipe the surface of the table, kitchen and others after eating.
- Wash dishes after use. Don't leave dishes lying around dirty (if you have a dishwasher, put it in there, close the door and wait for all the dishes to be washed).
Method 5 of 5: Preventing Flies From Returning
Step 1. Check the fruit that enters the kitchen
Pick up flies from the berries, cherries, and other fruit you bring to the kitchen. Damaged fruit should be thrown out of the kitchen because it could contain fly eggs that were carried from the fruit stall or market. Wash your fresh fruit as thoroughly as possible and dry it completely before storing it.
Step 2. Always set the trap near the fruit bowl
A small container containing 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water and 1-2 drops of dish soap is enough to lure and drown fruit flies. This method prevents the flies from multiplying. Rinse the trap bowl and update the bait mix daily during fly season.
Step 3. Install curtains to cover the doors and windows
Fruit flies love to invade outdoor food. Covering the entrance to the house with curtains can prevent the flies from entering the kitchen. This method should be done especially for those of you who plant fruit trees in the yard.
Step 4. Deal with fruit fly lure outdoors
If you have fruit trees, pick them as soon as they are ripe. Do not allow rotting fruit to remain on branches or on the ground. Pick up or remove fruit that falls to the ground to avoid fruit flies.
- You can also attach the bag to a fruiting tree branch. Choose a bag that is translucent and allows air to flow, but still blocks the access of fruit flies to enter. Such bags can be purchased at places that provide organic fertilizer.
- Purchase organic fruit spray from a garden supply store or organic farm supply supplier. This kind of organic spraying needs to be done regularly, considering the nature of the organic materials that make it up. However, this is the best toxin-free treatment for producing healthy fruit.
Step 5. Get rid of fruit flies with essential oils
Fruit flies will leave when inhaling certain essential aromas that are pleasant to humans. The scent of this oil does not kill flies. But it keeps the flies from swarming. Fill a spray bottle with a cup of water and 5-10 drops of lemongrass, eucalyptus, or peppermint essential oil. Spray it in areas of the kitchen where flies tend to come in, such as near the sink and trash cans.
Tips
- Plants in pots will be fly-free if the soil is not moist. This method kills many fly larvae. Adult flies are short-lived and will soon disappear. You have to really pay attention to the level of dryness of the soil. Hard-leaved plants need frequent watering as they dry out and die easily.
- Cover the liquor bottle containing the bottle pourer with a piece of glass paper. Clean the bottom of the pourer with an ammonia-containing cleaner every day.
- When using vinegar, make sure you choose the right type. White vinegar is not effective. Wheat and red wine vinegar are quite potent, although they are still below apple cider vinegar. Sometimes beer can be used, too, as with balsamic vinegar. Wine can really attract flies. Wine bottles with a few inches of wine left can be used as traps without adding a funnel.
- Hang some flypaper in a place where there are lots of flies. Indeed your room looks ugly, but this method is quite effective. There is also fly paper which is poisonous. Use with care and keep out of reach of children.
- Fruit flies also lay their eggs in pet droppings. Be sure to clean up all animal waste as soon as possible.
Warning
- When spraying toxic materials such as Clorox, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Maybe you should also wear a mask. This method is not recommended for those of you who want clean air in an enclosed space.
- Never touch the trash can directly. Use a wooden spoon or similar to open the lid.
