Fruit flies are on the scene just in time for the start of summertime. The pests boldly take fruit baskets, besiege the kitchen in droves and drive us insane with penetrating impertinence. This guide is packed with tips & tricks on how to get rid of fruit flies. Find out here where you can track down the winged tormentors and how you can get rid of the buzzing plague permanently.

Fruit flies never appear alone

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. home remedies
  3. Make your own spray
  4. Build your own fruit fly trap
  5. funnel trap with drinks
  6. Get rid of without juice
  7. Destroy eggs and maggots
  8. Stopgap insecticide
  9. appearance and lifestyle
  10. infestation sites
  11. frequently asked Questions

    12. the essentials in brief

    • Fruit flies can be repelled with strong aromatic scents such as essential oils or cedar wood
    • If the fruit flies are sprayed with at least 70% alcohol, they fall to the ground and can be disposed of
    • A fruit fly trap can be built with a bowl of treats covered with cling film; the vinegar flies fly in but never come out

    Get rid of vinegar flies without killing - with home remedies

    In ecologically managed households and gardens, no animals are sentenced to death because they are a nuisance. This also applies to fruit flies because the insects do not pose a health risk. The consumption of fruit that contains eggs or larvae is considered harmless for humans and animals. Furthermore, there is no damage to property as a result of their presence in living spaces, apart from the odd piece of fruit. Nature-loving people are looking for effective ways to scare away fruit flies without killing the insects. The focus is on the following means with a deterrent effect:

    • Spray ethereal scents in the house or use them in aroma bowls to scent the room
    • Use cedar wood as a decoration or incense in the house
    • Place chestnuts between the fruit in the fruit bowl
    • Dry the olive herb, fill into cotton bags and distribute around the house

    Sufferers of a fruit fly plague report good experiences with fresh basil in a pot. If you place the Mediterranean herbal plant in a sunny, warm spot indoors, there is a good chance that fruit flies will find the intense smell disgusting and will flee.

    Make your own fruit fly spray

    The increasing sensitization to toxic ingredients in insecticides encourages health-conscious people to produce their own spray against fruit flies. This applies primarily to use in family households, because the products promise a long-term effect of many months and are in the room air over this period, even if you air them thoroughly every day. A special advantage of own production is that you know exactly about the content. Furthermore, you play it safe that no beneficial insects fall victim to the insecticide, such as parasitic wasps (€22.99) or ladybugs.

    High-proof alcohol takes the wind out of fruit flies' wings

    You can achieve good results with 70 percent rubbing alcohol, which you can buy in drugstores and online. Fill the high-proof liquid into a spray bottle that creates the finest possible spray. Aim the spray at floating fruit flies, which will fall to the ground and can be disposed of. More powerful, but not safe to use, is 91 percent alcohol. Please wear gloves during preparation and application. Ventilate extensively after use.

    Many glass cleaners contain ethanol alcohol, also known as ethyl alcohol. If you regularly use glass cleaner for your windows, you no longer have to make your own insect spray against fruit flies. By spraying swarming bugs, you can achieve a similar effect as you would with 70 or 91 percent alcohol. It is important to note when purchasing that you use a glass cleaner without toxic ammonia.

    Deodorant is ineffective

    It belongs in the land of fables that you can get rid of fruit flies with deodorant spray. Most modern products do not contain alcohol. If cheeky fruit flies are buzzing through your bathroom, please do not waste your valuable deodorant by spraying the pests. Instead, you should clean and disinfect the sink and shower drains, as these are likely to contain a breeding ground.

    Build your own fruit fly trap

    Keys to the success of a fruit fly trap are a one-way entrance with no escape and an irresistible lure. This is how you build a trap yourself that will help you get rid of fruit flies effectively:

    1. fill small bowl with attractant (recipes see below)
    2. Cover containers with cling film
    3. Pierce the film in several places with a thin sewing needle or pin

    Set the trap in a place that promises the best catch rates. Wait until the next day for the attractant to take effect. Numerous fruit flies penetrate through the holes and feast on the tempting contents. The simply knitted insects cannot find a way out. It's up to you whether to release the prisoners far from home or drown them with soapy water poured into the trap.

    Fruit flies find their way into the trap but not out again

    Recipes for the filling

    Easy access and a sealed escape route alone are not enough for the perfect fruit fly trap. In order to attract the winged pests, it depends on the right filling. The following recipe collection may serve as your inspiration for the ideal attractant:

    • Place skinless, overripe pieces of fruit (orange, apple, banana) in 2 cm high sugar water
    • Mix 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar pure or with 1 teaspoon of fruit juice
    • Mix 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar pure or with 1 teaspoon of cola, sugar water or juice
    • mix fresh yeast with 1 tsp sugar in lukewarm water, fill in a bottle with a thin neck
    • Mix 1-2 tbsp of white wine with 1 tsp of vinegar essence and some coriander seeds
    • Dissolve 2 pieces of Kukident denture cleaner or Corega tabs in a little water

    Basically, any recipe that promises a sweet and sour meal for fruit flies will work. You don't have to dig deep into your pocket for a successful mixture. Instead of using expensive balsamic vinegar, an inexpensive blend of vinegar and dish soap from the discount store will achieve the desired results if you add a sweet ingredient like sugar, cola or soda. In this context, it is important to note that sugar-free diet drinks are not suitable as attractants for must flies.

    60 second fruit fly trap

    For the hasty victims of a fruit fly plague, there is the high-speed trap. The following video on YouTube demonstrates how to get rid of a lot of fruit flies very quickly. The clever ambush is ready within 60 seconds. You need 1 part apple cider vinegar, 2 parts water, 3 parts fruit juice, a few drops of washing-up liquid and a bowl. The ingredients are mixed in the bowl. Place the trap in a place frequented by fruit flies, such as a fruit bowl or organic waste.

    youtube

    Funnel Trap with Drinks - Tips & Tricks

    If you are at odds with fruit flies, a simple funnel trap has proven to be a good choice. The heart of the construction is a small funnel (€5.00) as the entrance to a container with attractants. However, the tormentors can no longer find their way out. This is how you build the trap with simple means:

    1. pick up a narrow-necked wine bottle, soda bottle or vase
    2. Fill with sweet drinks such as apple juice, orange juice, lemonade, syrup, lemon juice or simply sugar water
    3. alternatively alcoholic drinks, such as stale beer, stale sparkling wine, fruity wine
    4. add a drop or two of dish soap
    5. Roll the paper to the funnel with the smallest possible opening at the bottom
    6. Alternatively, form a paper coffee filter into a funnel and pierce the base with a toothpick or sewing needle

    Insert the self-made funnel into the opening of the jar. Then position the funnel trap in a place where there are many fruit flies. Leave the trap overnight. The next morning the container should be teeming with fruit flies. Carry the trap outside and dump the contents. Clean the jar with hot water and repeat the process until there are no more fruit flies in the house.

    Not without detergent

    Dish soap is an essential component of any fruit fly trap using beverages or other liquids. One drop is enough to reduce surface tension and thus improve effectiveness as insects sink and drown. For example, it is not enough that you set up a glass with lemon juice without adding a drop of Pril. However, you should leave it at a few splashes, because too much detergent spoils the appetite of fruit flies, so that the effect is in vain, because they turn away in disgust as soon as they approach.

    tips

    If you can declare your home a fruit fly free zone, don't rest on your laurels. With the help of a 'maintenance trap' you can take effective precautions against another plague. Fill a small bowl with two teaspoons of water, one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and two drops of dish soap. The home remedy should irresistibly attract and drown any fruit fly. Changing the mixture every day during the fruit fly season optimizes the effect.

    Get rid of vinegar flies without juice

    In the family household, fruit fly traps with liquids such as juice or vinegar are not useful. The risk of thirsty children and pets grabbing it or knocking over containers is too great. The following strategies put fruit flies through the wringer without juice:

    • overripe fruit: place rotten fruit in a small container under a perforated plastic hood
    • jam: use a tablespoon of expired jam as an attractant for a fruit fly trap
    • lemon: Stud lemon slice with cloves and place in a funnel trap
    • carnivorous plants: Set up Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), Venus Flytrap (Dionaea), Sundew (Drosera).

    The examples mentioned show that liquid attractants are not required to get at the collar of tiresome fruit flies.

    background

    Beacon of hope in early cancer detection

    We should think twice about chasing fruit flies with a fly swatter or insecticide in the future. A research team from the University of Konstanz discovered that fruit flies can sniff out cancer cells with their highly sensitive olfactory organ. The scientists are still at the beginning of their groundbreaking studies. The results so far give reason to hope that fruit flies, thanks to their sensitive olfactory receptors, will soon make a valuable contribution to the early detection of cancer.

    Destroy eggs and maggots

    In order to finally get rid of fruit flies, all hatcheries with eggs must be destroyed. Wikipedia states that a single female lays up to 400 eggs. Fruit flies invest a lot of time and effort in the search for the ideal kindergarten. Locations with fermenting plant matter, which serve as a food source for the larvae, are preferred. In addition, the winged parents no longer care about their offspring. It follows that a second plague can strike you even though all of the adult fruit flies have been expelled or destroyed. How to find and eliminate eggs and maggots permanently:

    • possible breeding grounds: drain in kitchen, bathroom, washbasin, shower, rubbish bin, compost bin
    • immediate action: dissolve liquid soap in boiling hot water
    • chemical control agents: Disinfectants and detergents, drain cleaners, diluted bleach

    Pour the scalding hot soapy solution down all drains in the house and apartment. Likewise, please clean the rubbish bin and compost bin thoroughly, including the lid. If you are unsuccessful, resort to stronger means. Tackle the breeding grounds with sanitizers that include Danklorix, Sagrotan, Dettol, or diluted bleach. Take this opportunity to dispose of all empties. Vinegar flies prefer to use empty bottles and cans as breeding grounds. It is important to note that you do not leave damp sponges and cleaning cloths lying around, as this is where female fruit flies like to get rid of their eggs.

    digression

    Effectively prevent fruit fly plague

    Close-meshed fly screens on windows and doors prevent cunning fruit flies from gaining access. To prevent lone intruders from finding food sources in the house, please store all food in sealable containers. Cold is the best option to protect fruits and vegetables from infestation. Ideally, store your supplies in the refrigerator. By regularly spraying endangered surfaces with essential oils, you can deter the pests in the long term. Open bottles of juice, wine and beer are also popular destinations for fruit flies to feast on.

    Fine-mesh fly screens also keep fruit flies out

    Toxic insecticide as a last resort

    Under high infestation pressure, it is difficult to maintain composure and to do without chemical insecticides. With myriads of fruit flies contaminating food and drink, the last resort is to use fly spray. Modern insecticides pose a moderate risk to children, adults and pets when used properly. If you want to get rid of fruit flies in the long term, these products have worked well:

    • Bio 3000 fly spray from Schopf, free from synthetic active ingredients, starts at 8.75 euros for 500 ml
    • Nexa Lotto natural insect spray with plant-based active ingredients at a price of 4.99 euros for 500 ml
    • Permanent fly spray from Neudorff with permethrin starting at 9.15 euros for 500 ml
    • ARDAP vermin spray with immediate and long-term effect at a price of 9.89 for 500 ml

    For proper use, please remove all food and open beverages from the room. Put on gloves and respirator. Lock windows and doors. Spray the bug spray evenly. Leave the room for 30 minutes. After entering, open the windows immediately to ventilate thoroughly.

    Flycatcher - compromise in harmony with nature

    Instead of spraying a chemical insecticide in living spaces, we recommend using flypaper as a compromise. Undoubtedly, the sticky strips add little to the decorative appearance when dangling from the ceiling, attached to thumbtacks. In return, the adhesive strips do not contain any toxic components and can be used without hesitation in the family household, in the kitchen and pantry.

    appearance and lifestyle

    Fruit flies belong to the fruit fly family, as a suborder of the dipterans. From 3,000 species worldwide, 50 species are represented in our regions, which spoil our joy in summer. The tiny insects are not only up to mischief in the garden on fruit trees and in the compost. As culture followers, fruit flies have long since adapted perfectly to human life and boldly invade houses and apartments. Other names such as fruit fly, cider fly or vinegar fly are due to this bad habit. Fruit flies can be recognized by the following characteristics:

    • body length: 2-4 mm (half the size of a housefly)
    • color: yellowish brown, often with black stripes on abdomen
    • wing: two delicate wings
    • special feature: many species with bright red compound eyes

    Fruit flies become active when temperatures rise to a comfortable level in spring. In their search for food, the insects use their keen sense of smell to guide them, targeting overripe, damaged fruit and any targets that emit sweet and sour or fermenting scents. Some species, such as the famous Drosophila melanogaster, are becoming unpopular by invading human habitation as ancestral species. The small invaders not only have possible food sources in their sights, but also abuse fruit, vegetables, leftover drinks or drains as breeding grounds for the offspring.

    If the mercury column rises above 25 degrees Celsius, the larvae hatch in masses. The yellowish, footless maggots go through all 3 larval stages within 9 days, reach a body length of 2.5 mm and are sexually mature after just 12 hours. An adult fruit fly has a life expectancy of up to 9 weeks. Mathematically, each female fruit fly has the potential to produce thousands of offspring.As a result, affected residents complain about an explosive increase and look for strategies to get rid of fruit flies quickly and effectively.

    Fruit flies are in season all year round

    Peak season for fruit flies extends from spring through fall. As long as temperatures are above 12 to 15 degrees Celsius outside, the insects appear in masses. That doesn't mean you're spared the winged troublemakers in winter. As followers of cultures, female fruit flies dare to lay their eggs in living quarters until late autumn. Under the influence of warm heating air, the larvae hatch happily, regardless of whether it is snowing and freezing outside.

    To make matters worse, fruit flies use our winter fondness for citrus fruits to get indoors via the route of infected fruit.

    Fruit flies provide convincing evidence that four chromosomes are enough for an ingenious survival strategy

    Common and optional infestation sites

    Trick and treats bring fruit flies to the table. Vinegar flies have a particular soft spot for a mix of both. Likewise, the bold little creatures cannot resist putrid, fermenting smells. The diverse preferences of the little beasts result in a wide range of possible infestation points in your direct living environment. The following table lists common locations in the house and apartment that fruit flies like to colonize:

    kitchen bath optional infestation sites
    fruit bowl shower drain open beverage bottles
    Garbage can Bath Drain empty beer and coke cans
    vegetables wet bath sponge damp cleaning mop
    open dishes soapy surfaces yellow recycling bag
    filled food bowl
    drain in the sink
    damp dishcloth
    sticky work surfaces
    Dishwasher with dirty dishes
    defective garbage disposal

    Plant pots and terrariums are not among the places where you will find fruit flies. If dark clouds of tiny insects rise from the potting soil or terrarium substrate, they are usually fungus gnats. At first glance, the tiny dipterans look confusingly similar to fruit flies. However, the species are only distantly related and have different lifestyles. Fungus gnats prefer to lay their eggs in soil so that the larvae feed on the roots of plants.

    frequently asked Questions

    Where do fruit flies come from?

    Fruit flies always get into your home from outside. Since the insects fly, they use open windows, terrace and balcony doors as access. Of course, fruit flies only use this portal of entry if there are promising smells coming out of the house and apartment that indicate a sweet, sour or fermenting food source. Vinegar flies often get into the house with your last week's shopping because the tiny beasts are hiding between the fruit and vegetables.

    Is there a method of catching fruit flies alive and releasing them back into nature?

    The Trapango live fruit fly trap is very popular with nature lovers who want to get rid of fruit flies without killing them. The future-oriented product is available from Amazon at a price of 12.95 euros for two traps. The live trap consists of a cup with a viewing window, a slotted funnel and a transparent lid. Put a slice of banana or a piece of apple in the cup, place the funnel on top and choose a spot with lots of small fruit flies. The next day, release the winged captives outside, well away from the house.

    How can I get rid of fruit flies vegan forever?

    For the vegan version of a fruit fly trap you need a bowl, rotten fruit, a piece of cling film and a pin. Place rotting fruit, such as a banana, peach, or apple, in a bowl. Cover the jar tightly with cling film. Perforate the foil with tiny pin pricks. Attracted fruit flies squeeze through the tiny holes in their greed for their favorite food, but cannot find a way out.

    Where can I get the ingredients for home remedies for fruit flies?

    Good shopping sources are local drugstores such as DM and Rossmann. Here you can get many ingredients for powerful home remedies, such as Kukident, Corega Tabs, washing-up liquid or apple cider vinegar, at a reasonable price. If you don't feel like trawling through regional shops, you will definitely find what you are looking for at Amazon and have the goods conveniently delivered to your home.

    Getting rid of fruit flies with the vacuum cleaner - is that possible?

    A vacuum cleaner with a filter is best suited for fighting fruit flies. The stronger the suction power, the more insects you catch. A nozzle that is as wide as possible also contributes to successful control. A high catch rate is guaranteed if you set up some bait, like a bowl of rotting fruit, stale beer, or fruit juice. In this way, fruit flies located in the room congregate in a central place. It should be remembered with this method that you only get rid of a few annoying fruit flies and reduce the pressure of infestation. Under no circumstances can a vacuum cleaner be used to permanently end a fruit fly plague.

    How can I get rid of vinegar flies without vinegar?

    Vinegar flies not only fly on vinegar, but are just as magically attracted to sweet, fruity and alcoholic beverages. Apple juice, orange juice, red wine and sparkling wine have proven to be excellent attractants for a funnel trap. The liquid becomes a deadly trap by adding a drop or two of dish soap.

    tips

    Frankincense is traded as an insider tip for naturally combating fruit flies. When incense burns as resin or sticks, the smoke attacks the tiny respiratory system of fruit flies. The insects depend on a permanent supply of fresh air, which prevents inhalation of incense. Either the pests quickly run away or suffocate within a short time.

Category:

Animals in the garden