Fruit flies - These home remedies help against the pests

These home remedies help against fruit flies

The annoying fruit flies have many names: fruit fly, vinegar fly or fruit fly. The last name is correct, even if the animal was popularly named after its favorite food - rotten fruit. But regardless of the zoologically correct name: fruit flies are a nuisance, especially in the summer months. Suddenly they are there - without any warning - and seem to multiply every hour. Now good advice is expensive, because: How do you get rid of the critters? The home remedies presented in the following section have proven to be very effective.

Home remedies for fruit flies with vinegar

By far the most effective home remedy for the fruit fly is a vinegar trap that you place near the animals. These will rush in within a very short time and drown in the vinegar mixture. Then simply pour this into the sink and the flies are gone! If possible, use a fruity vinegar, for example apple cider vinegar, as fruit flies appreciate the sweet and sour components most. If you don't have one at home, you can also use balsamic vinegar. More economical (but just as effective) is normal brandy vinegar, which you mix with apple juice (ratio: one tablespoon of vinegar to 50 milliliters of apple juice). Instead of apple juice, you can also use cola or another sweet lemonade. And this is how the self-made fruit fly trap works:

Take a shallow bowl.
Fill in the vinegar or the vinegar-juice mixture there.
Add a splash (just a tiny splash, really!) Of dish soap.
This lowers the surface tension and ensures that the fruit flies perish in the liquid.
Put the bowl down and wait.
Very important: Find and eliminate the cause of the fruit fly plague! There is more information on this in the sections below.

Fight fruit flies without killing them

If you don't want to kill the animals, but instead want to catch them alive and release them in a more distant location, this vinegar trap might be something for you:

Take a plate or a bowl.
Moisten this with apple or brandy vinegar.
Cut up some sweet fruit and place it in the bowl.
Grapes, for example, are well suited.
Stretch a cling film over the bowl.
Make a few holes in it with a needle.
Attracted by the smell, the fruit flies find a way in.
However, due to the lack of fragrant orientation, they can no longer find the way back.

Home remedies for fruit flies without vinegar

"If you don't like the smell of vinegar, you can put a carnivorous plant against the fruit flies in the kitchen."

Alternatively, you can also try mixtures with or without vinegar.

Wine : Fill a small shot glass with (sweet) white or rosé wine, add a few drops of apple cider vinegar and a small splash of washing-up liquid. If the mixture does not work as expected, change the mixing ratio. Incidentally, red wine also works, but the fruit flies are difficult to spot here.
Yeast : Crumble some fresh yeast or a teaspoon of dry yeast into a bowl. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Mix the mixture with a little lukewarm water to form a milky liquid. Fill this into a thin-necked bottle and place it near the fruit flies.
Beer : Just leave an open bottle with some beer in it near the pests. However, sparkling wine (also in the bottle) also works well.
Glue trap : The classic glue trap against house flies also works very well against fruit flies. Simply attach it to a suitable place and be careful not to get caught in it.

Tips

Make sure that surfaces, mixers, bowl rims and bottle necks are free from the mixed attractant! Otherwise the fruit flies can nibble in these harmless places and then escape again.

What else can help against fruit flies?

video: Youtube

You see, there are many ways to get rid of pesky fruit flies. If there are too many, you can simply vacuum them away with a vacuum cleaner (then dispose of the bag tightly closed and take it outside!). Alternatively, you can set up one or more carnivorous plants in the kitchen: These are not only decorative, but literally eat the flies (and not just the fruit flies!) Away from you. Unfortunately, you would need quite a few carnivorous plants to cope with the plague. That is why the best home remedy for fighting fruit flies is to find out the cause and get rid of it as soon as possible. Cleanliness and hygiene in the kitchen are an important step.

Digression

Why chemical pesticides are unnecessary on fruit flies

Chemicals against fruit flies are commercially available, and many people use conventional fly or insect spray to combat the pests. There are a number of reasons why you should keep your hands off this: These sprays not only harm flies, but also you, your family and your pets - the toxins they contain have a harmful effect on other living beings. In addition, these sprays are simply not necessary, as the home remedies mentioned are much cheaper and more effective.

Where do the fruit flies come from anyway?

video: Youtube

In most cases you unintentionally drag the fruit flies home with your shopping, for example because you have bought fresh fruit. There are often a lot of fruit fly eggs and larvae on it, but they can be removed with cold or warm water. So be sure to wash each fruit thoroughly before consuming it! In other cases, the animals, attracted by the seductive scent of slightly rotten fruit, come in from outside through the open window. Unfortunately, insect screens are useless here because the fruit flies can still get through the mesh due to their small size.

Digression

Fruit flies don't just lay their eggs on the fruit

If you do not have a fruit basket, but still have a fulminant plague of fruit flies and are surprised: The tiny insects do not only lay their eggs on soft fruits, but also in other places. (Bio) garbage bins, drains (e.g. the second drain of the sink), leftover food, open bottles or even the solid filter of your dishwasher are particularly popular. Here there is often leftover food that the animals are only too happy to use as food for their brood.

How to prevent fruit fly infestation

Every good home remedy for fruit flies helps to contain the acute infestation, but not against the actual plague. If you want to get rid of the fruit flies once and for all, it is imperative that you clean them thoroughly.

Thoroughly clean all kitchen surfaces. Get rid of any stuck food.
Regularly and thoroughly clean all drains and filters.
Don't leave fruits and vegetables standing around openly.
Fruit baskets may look pretty, but they reliably attract fruit flies in summer.
Bring out all garbage regularly and promptly - even if it's only small amounts!
Fruit flies love organic and household waste and reproduce very diligently in it.
Clean all garbage containers regularly and thoroughly.
Never leave opened fruit juice packs and lemonade bottles open.
Also close the returnable bottles again and / or pack them away odor-tight.

frequently asked Questions

How long do fruit flies live?

A single female fruit fly lays up to 400 eggs at a time, from which the tiny larvae hatch within a few days. These prefer to feed on the pulp and pupate after about three to five days. This phase does not last long either: after another three to four days, the finished fruit fly hatches out of its cocoon and is sexually mature as early as 24 hours. As an adult, female fruit flies can live between two and eight weeks, the male have a significantly lower life expectancy of around ten days.

Do fruit flies also come from the potting soil?

Small flies that come out of the potting soil are mostly so-called fungus gnats. These are just as tiny as fruit flies, but black, which is why they are sometimes referred to as “black fruit flies”. In fact, it is a completely different species. You can get rid of these animals with baking soda (not baking powder, as this usually does not contain baking soda!) Or vinegar. You put both directly on the potting soil. Commercially available nematodes are also very helpful.

Are fruit flies dangerous?

Fruit flies are not particularly appetizing - especially if you know that you are accidentally eating the eggs and maggots - but completely harmless. They don't transmit disease, don't sting or bite, they're pretty gross to us humans in the first place.

What do fruit flies do in winter?

Traditionally, fruit flies overwinter in the larval stage and only become active again when it gets warmer in spring - at least in the wild. Unfortunately, it is now the case that a fruit fly plague can occur all year round. This is due to the good living conditions in our warm apartments and houses as well as the fact that there is enough to eat for the animals all year round. Fruit bought in winter also contains fruit fly eggs and larvae, which will only really perk you up at home.

Tips

If you don't have juice or lemonade at home, you can also mix 50 milliliters of sugar water with a little apple or brandy vinegar and a splash of dish soap.