Fruit Fliesare driving us mad. I’ve put all the fruit in a closely-woven wire basket so they can’t reach it but it hasn’t stopped them from thriving.What is the best way to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen?
Barbara Phillips, Albany, NY
I feel for you because I was overwhelmed by fruit flies in the kitchen once before. You’re smart to make your fruit inaccessible to them. It’s also effective to wash your fruit when you bring it home to get rid of their tiny eggs.
In our home, we solved the problem with cider vinegar traps. But you can also use commercial fly traps or bug zappers if you prefer. For your kitchen, you’ll probably want a zapper with a tray to catch the bodies.
If you want to make your own traps to capture fruit flies, you’ll need apple cider vinegar, a plastic bag, a rubber band, and a cup. Put about an inch of vinegar in the cup and cut a corner off the bag. Only remove enough for the flies to enter, but not escape. Then put the bag over the glass, pushing the plastic down inside so that it forms a funnel. Place the hole near the vinegar. Secure the bag with a rubber band. The flies will be drawn to the apple cider vinegar, and they will die in the trap.
On the other hand, you might try fly repellent to encourage the pests to leave. There are several recipes in the article athttps://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies/You can also learn how to make an essential oil candle to deter fruit flies. It contains scents like citronella, lavender, and spearmint, plus rosemary and citrus. These oils can also be used as simple home remedies to get rid of roaches at home. But lemongrass and geranium are also effective at repelling flies.
Also, you can create a homemade fly-killing spray with vinegar, essential oils, cooking oil, and dish soap. Again, you can view the recipe on the page I referenced above. It’s non-toxic to humans and pets, but a definite deterrent to flying insects.
In conclusion, I hope this helps you clear out the flies from your kitchen as quickly as possible.