Getting rid of fruit flies is easy with this DIY trap using common household items. With just a few simple steps, you can create an effective trap that will help you eliminate those pesky fruit flies quickly. This method uses ingredients like apple cider vinegar and dish soap, which attract and trap the flies, making it a hassle-free solution to your fruit fly problem. Whether you're dealing with a minor infestation or just want to prevent fruit flies from becoming a bigger issue, this DIY trap is a quick and convenient way to keep your home fly-free.
What are Fruit Flies?
Tiny brown winged creatures with red eyes that you track around your kitchen could be very well fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). It is important that you identify them correctly first of all because there are other insects which are similar to them, for example drain flies, houseflies or fungus gnat (the kind of insect attracted by house plants grown in excess water).
What causes fruit fly infestations indoors?
As stated by specialists at Orkin, they are fond of ripe and rotten fruits along with rotten vegetables including alcoholic beverages such as beer, grain spirits or wine. If you have so much food, they will probably be near garbage bins and disposals. For this reason, you should not be surprised when you start noticing two small fruit flies multiply into an entire horde in no time at all.
How to prevent fruit fly infestations?
Clean your kitchen thoroughly and discard any spoiled food items first. The following are some preventative steps you should take to cut fruit flies off their food supply and restrict them from entering your house at all:
- This is a persuasive way of throwing away those rotten fruits and vegetables that we do not even need to mention.
- Fruits and vegetables should be placed in the refrigerator whenever possible.
- Regularly dispose of waste materials.
- it’s important to clean up spilled fruit juice or alcohol very quickly.
- Clean Drains: Sometimes fruit flies breed in drains, so clean them with a drain cleaner or boiling water.
Next, Fruit Fly trap DIY.
1. Paper cone, vinegar and old fruit trap
- Put some vinegar and very ripe fruit into a jar.
- Make a paper funnel and insert it in the jar with narrow part facing downwards.
- This homemade funnel can be disposed of later through recycling or composting.
2. Apple cider vinegar and plastic wrap trap
In your own home, apple cider vinegar (ACV) works best for such a trap as opposed to the white type of vinegar. This is because these little creatures are always attracted to the smell of vinegar and they do not have way of escaping once they get in. To improve your chances, consider setting up a few traps around your kitchen. Here’s how you can do it:
- Pour some little amount of ACV into a glass.
- Cover it with a piece of plastic wrap and use a rubber band to hold it tightly.
- Poke some tiny holes above the fruit flies’ entry points.
3. Vinegar and dish soap trap
In case you discover that the fruit flies are not affected by your plastic wrap or paper cone traps, then try putting in three drops of dish soap in a basin filled with vinegar and leave it open. This happens because vinegar surface tension is reduced by dish soap hence allowing the flies to sink thus drowning them.
4. Alcohol spray
Take a spray bottle and fill it with rubbing alcohol, then give a little burst to the bugs you come across in your house. Do not make the mistake of spraying alcohol on any kind of fruit as this could make them rot thus inviting more fruit flies.
5. Old wine or beer trap
Fruit flies are attracted to the scent of wine. You should try leaving an open bottle with some remnants of liquid inside it - the thin neck will ensure that the flies cannot get out. For attracting these pests in a homemade trap, The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests fermenting fruit juices or stale beer beer. Both options also yield better results if dishwashing liquid is added.
How do I kill fruit flies outdoors?
When you find fruit flies flying above the fruits and vegetables in your garden, it is suggested by our cleaners that you use Spinosad insecticide to get rid of them. Squeeze some to the bottom of the house after filling a garden sprayer with the mixture. Also, you can spray it straight onto your fruits so as to kill flies that might have landed on them already — just make sure you wash your fruits and veggies well before consuming them. In spite of being safe for humans and pets, you may still want to minimize exposure since it could irritate your eyes or cause an allergy response.
Can a fruit fly infestation affect your Health?
Should a fruit fly infestation go untreated, it may pose potential health risks. They are consistently flying about and filet off bacteria which they then deposit onto fresh foodstuff.
Especially, these flies are drawn toward excrement including feces that may contain bacteria associated with Escherichia coli. These fruit flies also continue to transport such bacteria in their bodies.
In addition, female fruit flies put batches of eggs into fresh fruits after copulation. This pollutes the fruits.
Fruit Fly bite Symptom and Treatment
Fruits flies usually do not bite humans because they do not have mouths able to do so. They may however be a nuisance animal by moving bacteria which could contribute to food contamination. If you notice any red itchy bumps it is highly likely they were not caused by fruit flies but other insects such as fleas or mosquitoes.
Insect Bite Symptoms:
- Swelling and/or redness – this happens at the point where an insect has bitten you.
- Itchiness – itchiness associated with insect bites can range from mild itching that is barely noticeable to severe itching so uncomfortable one cannot help scratching them constantly.
- Pain/discomfort – there may be pain associated with certain types of insect bites; while in others, an individual may feel tingling sensations and localized warmth or heat on their skin surface
Treatment Of Insect Bites
- Clean the Area: This is done by washing the area with mild soap and clean running water immediately after an insect has bitten a person before any noticeable changes in appearance occur.
- Apply Ice: Apply ice on the bitten or affected sites for about 10-20 minutes every two hours until redness subsides.
- Use Over-the-Counter Creams: For instance hydrocortisone cream will help relieve itching due to such reactions.
- Take Antihistamines: Oral antihistamines like Benadryl can help reduce itching and allergic reactions.
- Scratching should be avoided at all costs because this would introduce bacteria which could lead infection thus it is essential to keep your hands away from these areas plus cleaning them regularly might also minimize chances of this happening.