Have you noticed tiny flies in your house and wondered what they are and how did they end up there in the first place?
Many homeowners face a fruit fly infestation once in a while. These small, resilient, and resourceful insects find a way to enter your home attracted by the smell of decaying fruit and sweet drinks on the counter.
But, is there a way to get rid of fruit flies for good and have a clean, bug-free home? Yes, and we have just the right solutions and DIY traps you can make, or opt for ready-made and reliable traps on the market.
Let’s get started!
What Are Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies are small and winged insects that love to feed on simple sugars found in your home. This is why you will see many fruit flies in your house if you leave out an open wine, have some rotting fruit on the counter, or forget to take out the trash.
These little brownish flies are incredibly tenacious and will always find a way into your home, but once there, getting rid of the infestation may be rather difficult.
The fruit fly is also closely related to gnats, and you can use the solutions mentioned below to get rid of gnats too. Keep in mind that a clean home without any food sources is your best chance of managing the infestation but even if you already have many fruit flys inside, there are ways to capture them.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies might be small but they multiply fast and create quite the disturbance when they occupy your home.
This is why it’s important to react as soon as you see small flies in your house, and try one of the remedies we have listed below. The best way to get rid of any pest infestation is prevention, so make sure your home and garden are clean and you have great screens on your doors and windows.
But, in case you need to know how to catch fruit flies, here are a couple of suggestions
Sticky Fruit Fly Trap
A simple and effective sticky fly trap is the best way to get rid of fruit flies.
These colorful traps are designed to attract the flies and capture them with high-quality adhesive. In addition, they are eco-friendly and contain no toxins or pesticides, so they are completely safe for your home and family.
There are many sticky fly traps on the market, so choose wisely and go for trusted brands that will deliver the best results.
Window Glue Traps for Fruit Flies
If you want your fruit fly trap to be a bit more discreet you can simply apply the clear glue traps on windows and end the infestation quickly.
The glue traps are easily applied to all windows in your kitchen or other areas of the house where you notice flying insects. In addition to being amazing and effective for capturing fruit flies, these glue traps are so strong that they can easily catch even house flies and larger insects.
Like always, make sure to choose a glue trap without any harmful chemicals and keep your home safe and eco-friendly at the same time.
Homemade Fruit Fly Trap
Many people prefer the DIY fruit fly trap, and while there are a few solutions you can find make sure to follow all the steps and clean the traps frequently to avoid even bigger infestation. Most DIY traps for fruit flies are based on luring the insects into the trap and eliminating them that way.
But, what kills fruit flies?
These insects are not able to swim or escape, so you can make various traps using vinegar, rotting fruit, or even expired wine to lure them in and capture them quickly.
Here are a couple of DIY traps to try:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Fruit Fly Trap
- Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap
- Rotting Fruit and Apple Cider Vinegar
- Expired Wine and Dish Soap
How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap?
If you want to try your luck with one of the DIY traps for fruit flies you can choose apple cider vinegar with the dish soap mixture. This homemade trap is one of the most efficient ones to control small infestations and can be quite effective if used properly.
This simple DIY fruit fly trap is made in a small bowl with about half a cup of apple cider vinegar and a couple of drops of dish soap. The trap will lure the fruit flies with its acidic and fruity smell but because of added dish soap, they will soon drown.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t mix the two ingredients for optimal efficiency.
This might be a good way to eliminate a couple of fruit flies in your home, but the mixture can and will attract more insects if you leave it out for too long. So, once most of the fruit flies are captured, remove the DIY trap or simply opt for one of the traps mentioned before.
Prevent Fruit Fly Infestation
While fruit flies might seem small and harmless, they can carry various pathogens and bacteria, so it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible.
An even better and more efficient plan is to prevent fruit fly infestation in the first place, and here is how you can do this:
- Clean everything - Fruit flies are attracted to rotting and decaying food and fruity smells in your home. While you might not notice the smell in your home, it’s very important to keep it clean and take out the trash regularly. Keep your counters clutter free and always throw away food that is not in containers or that’s rotting away.
- Protect your garden and your home - Even if you don’t have severe infestation, prevention is the key to success. This is why so many people place sticky fly traps in the garden and home to prevent pesky bugs from entering.
- Be mindful while shopping - Fruit flies often invade our homes through produce brought from the store or the market. So, watch carefully while shopping and avoid places that have a lot of fruit flies in the aisle.
In addition, wash your produce carefully, and don’t forget to rinse your reusable shopping bags to prevent fruit fly infestation in your home.
FAQs
1. What Causes Fruit Flies in the House?
Fruit flies are attracted by the smell of rotting fruit, food, and sweet liquids. While they can be brought into your home in shopping bags, they can also find a way to enter your house from the garden if the smell is strong enough.
Fruit flies are experienced and resilient insects that have keen senses to find their next meal, so even one piece of fruit left on the kitchen counter can attract many flies.
2. What Are the Best Home Remedies to Get Rid of Gnats?
Gnats and fruit flies are very similar and love the same sources of food. This is why they can easily be attracted and eliminated with vinegar traps.
But, if you want to get rid of many different insects at the same time and ensure your home is completely bug-free there are some solutions such as sticky traps and window glue traps that are far more efficient and long-lasting.
Simply place a few sticky traps in the pots with your plants and see the results in a couple of days. Your traps will be full of unwanted pests and your home will be clean and free of harsh chemicals and strong odors that DIY traps leave.
3. Is DIY Fruit Fly Trap Efficient?
Fruit flies trap is efficient if you follow the directions carefully and clean the container once you capture a few flies.
Because the strong odor from vinegar and other lures can attract even more flies, it’s not the best long-term solution, and it can be quite smelly in your home.
On the other hand, efficient and eco-friendly glue traps are the way to go if you want to capture all the insects in your home and garden without worrying about the smell and attracting even more bugs.
Final Thoughts
Fruit flies and other insects like gnats and house flies are attracted to your home because of the unlimited food supply and great hiding places. So, if you want to prevent a pest infestation you should consider maintaining a clean and clutter-free home and garden.
But, even if those pesky fruit flies find a way to enter your house, there are a few ways you can get rid of them quickly and effectively.
With a couple of DIY solutions and reliable traps you will have a bug-free home in no time, so choose the best method from our list of suggestions and eliminate the fruit flies now.
