What are fruit flies?

  Fruit flies, also called vinegar flies, fruit flies and flies are the same insects of the order Diptera, but their individuals are much smaller than flies. Fruit flies belongs to the genus of small flies, its body length is about 1.5-4 mm, so it can easily pass through your window’s screens and get into your apartment, even get into the screens on your dining table. Most fruit flies are saprophagic, and adults and larvae like to live on fermented fruits and plants. Some are herbivorous and feed on fungi; a few are carnivorous and prey on mealybugs and coccoidea. Fruit flies has to go through four stages: egg, larva, pupae and adult. Fruit flies reproduces rapidly, and it only takes 8 days to hatch a new generation. Fruit flies like to eat rotten fruits and vegetables, and lay eggs and breed in them. Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs on the surface of fresh produce. The life span of fruit flies exceeds 24 hours. Under good conditions, they can live up to 40-50 days. 

What causes fruit flies in your apartment or house?

  Fruit flies are a common household pest and can be a terrible nuisance in your apartment. These pests are harmless by themselves, but they may indicate unsanitary household conditions.Fruit flies are mainly attracted by moist, fermented fruits and vegetables. However, they are also attracted to things like sewers, garbage disposal, empty bottles and cans, garbage bags, rags and mops. Essentially, they are attracted to food waste and humid environments. Fruit flies only feed on food surfaces, so the chance of ingesting these pests is close to zero. In addition to laying eggs on your ripening bananas, female fruit flies lay eggs in trash cans, drain pipes, and those empty jars and bottles that you are going to recycle.

How to get rid of fruit flies in apartment?

  Maybe you have tried your best to keep your apartment spotless, and you have taken various measures to prevent these small insects from entering your home, but they still appear. Almost every household is a victim of these kitchen pests-fruit flies, constantly buzzing around your fruit. Trying to slap them becomes the ultimate battle between humans and flying insects. They seem to move at the speed of light to defeat us, and they even fly away before we are ready to slap. The buzzing fruit flies not only make people irritable, they can also spread diseases and infections. They will fall on almost everything, especially excrement. Then, they will defecate on what they are on, which is why you can't let them appear in your home, especially in your kitchen. Fortunately, we have compiled a series of natural methods to eliminate these pesky pests, so please read on to learn more.

  * Make a fruit fly trap

  This kind of fruit fly trap can easily find materials for its manufacture around the home. You can easily make all kinds of fruit fly traps of this kind. All you need is a jar, a piece of tissue paper, and a poison. Don't worry, this "poison" is only harmful to these small insects, and is generally harmless to humans.

        1. Vinegar trap

  If the poison you choose is vinegar, just fill the vinegar into the bottom of the jar. Remember to use pungent vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or red vinegar. Use tissue paper to make a funnel and form a funnel on top. Another way is to use plastic wrap. Just cover the top of the jar tightly with plastic wrap and poke a few small holes. It can make the fruit fly crawl in, but can't get out.

        2. Banana trap

  Since fruit flies will be attracted by the smell of ripe fruits, just use ripe bananas or any fruit and put a little bit in the jar. You can also choose to add a little vinegar. Make the same funnel and let it catch fruit flies for you. If you are uncomfortable with the method of placing ripe fruits in an open space, you can consider the following methods.

        3. Soap trap

  This method is very similar to the vinegar trap. First, you must mix a few drops of cleanser and a tablespoon of vinegar in the water. You can continue to use the jar and funnel method, or pour the mixed liquid into a small bowl or cup. Fruit flies will be attracted to the trap by the smell of vinegar, while soap will destroy the surface tension of the liquid, allowing the flies to fall into the water and drown.

  * Make use of plants

  Sometimes, the best way is to let nature handle it. You may consider placing carnivorous plants, such as Venus flytraps, on the kitchen countertop. As the name suggests, these plants use their adhesive leaves to capture fruit flies and then digest them. On the other hand, you can also use other herbs to fight off these bugs. Recommended green plants such as mint, basil, bay leaf, wormwood, lavender and marigold. Fruit flies hate the smell of these plants, so placing a few pots of these plants in your home will help prevent these pests from invading your home.

  * Remove breeding grounds

  In order to resist any form of intrusion in the home, the first rule is to keep the home clean. Make sure not to put the utensils around the sink and wash them after each meal. Drosophila will lay eggs on dirty dishes. In addition, you should change the kitchen towels regularly, especially damp towels, to prevent fruit flies from breeding here. Don't forget to throw away foods that are too mature or rotten. If you don't want to waste, you can use these spoiled foods to make your own indoor composting system.

  * Use essential oils to disperse fruit flies

  Although fruit flies are attracted by a strong pungent smell such as apple cider vinegar, you will also be surprised to find that they are also disgusted with essential oils. Try putting eucalyptus and lavender essential oils in the kitchen to drive them away. You can also put 5 to 10 drops of lemongrass essential oil in the sprayed water, and then spray it around the kitchen, especially in the sink or trash can where it is easy to attract fruit flies.

  * Clean all the food

  Another measure you can take is to clean all the food you bring home from the grocery store. Don't just limit yourself to fruits and vegetables, develop the habit of cleaning eggs, and fruits that are not generally cleaned, such as bananas. It is a good habit to rinse them, as they may be covered with adhesive substances that attract fruit flies. Therefore, remember to organize and store all cleaned food.