They are small and easily make their way into the home’s ripe fruits and vegetables! Once there, they lay their eggs! And they multiply quickly! It also happens that eggs are already in the fruit in the supermarket and without knowing it … well, we bring them home!
And we don’t always have what it takes to get rid of it easily. That’s why we’ve put together a list of tricks here to give you more options! You are sure to find a recipe among those ingredients that you already have at home to chase away those nasty little critters.
To make a trap:
Choose a deep bowl and choose a recipe of your choice from the list below. Then you can cover this bowl with plastic wrap, or wrap a paper towel and make a cone that you place in the mouth of the bowl. This type of trap works very well for a jar of olives or jam, for example. This type of trap is effective because you can make a very small hole in the paper towel. Suck some of the trap liquid on the paper so the flies stick to the paper.
You will have the choice between:
red wine
Fruit flies and mosquitoes are attracted to red wine because of its aroma. Mix 126ml (12 cups) of red wine with 375ml (1 12 cups of water) in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap that you will pierce with a toothpick or a paper towel cone. Leave the jar on the kitchen counter, where you see the most fruit flies. And change the mixture after a week or when it contains a lot of dead flies. It takes about two weeks to eliminate all fruit flies, as they lay eggs very quickly.
Apple cider vinegar:
This is the most popular trick for getting rid of fruit flies, and it’s cheap. Heat 125ml (12 cups) of apple cider vinegar for a few minutes in the microwave or in a saucepan to increase its strength. Add a few drops of dish soap and mix well. Then add this potion to the trap and follow the directions for the red wine trap. The vinegar attracts flies, and the soap kills them.
moldy food
Strange as it may sound, this is actually what lured these little creatures in the first place, perhaps not to your home, but to the supermarket and they were carried on to fruits and vegetables afterwards… Replace liquids with spoiled food in a trap. Fruit or vegetables will also work. Submerge the pot under the water as soon as it becomes full of insects.
Milk, pepper and sugar:
Heat 500 ml of milk, add 8 tbsp. tablespoons of white sugar, add 4 tbsp. black pepper. Leave it to simmer for 10 minutes. Then leave this potion in a covered deep container like the previous bars. Flies are attracted to the sweet scent. They will stay there.
Lemon scented spray:
Mix 500ml (2 cups) of hot water and 10-15 drops of lemon oil in a clean bottle and spray on your kitchen surfaces. If the problem persists. Mix 1000ml (4 cups) of hot water and 2 tbsp. Lemon-scented dish soap and spray infested plants.
Tip: Keep in mind that it takes more than a week, almost two weeks, to get rid of fruit flies completely, because they multiply very quickly by laying eggs. Keep the kitchen, counters, and refrigerator clean at all times.
Especially when it’s very hot.