Fruit flies or, more correctly, fruit flies (lat. Drosophila) are a genus of rather annoying little creatures that haunt us especially in the summer months and multiply rapidly. These home remedies and tips will help you fight the plague.

Fruit flies can be easily attracted with home remedies

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  1. Home remedies for fruit flies
  2. Where do fruit flies come from?
  3. Prevent fruit flies
  4. frequently asked Questions

    5. These home remedies help against fruit flies

    The annoying fruit flies have many names: fruit flies, vinegar flies or fruit flies. The last name is correct, even if the little animal was popularly named after its favorite food - rotten fruit. But zoologically correct name or not: fruit flies are a nuisance, especially in the summer months. Suddenly, without any warning, they are there and seem to be multiplying by the hour. Now good advice is expensive, because: How do you get rid of the critters again? 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 fruit flies is a vinegar trap that you place near the insects. These will throw themselves in within a very short time and drown in the vinegar mixture. Then simply pour it down the drain and the flies are gone! If possible, use a fruity vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, as fruit flies appreciate the sweet and sour components the most. If you don't have one at home, you can also use balsamic vinegar. Normal brandy vinegar mixed with apple juice (ratio: one tablespoon of vinegar to 50 milliliters of apple juice) is cheaper (but just as effective). Incidentally, instead of apple juice, you can also use cola or another sweet lemonade. And this is how the self-made fruit fly trap works:

    1. Take a shallow dish.
    2. Fill in the vinegar or the vinegar-juice mixture.
    3. Add a squirt (just a little squirt really!) of dish soap.
    4. This lowers the surface tension and ensures that the fruit flies sink into the liquid.
    5. Put the bowl down and wait.
    6. Very important: Find and eliminate the cause of the fruit fly plague! There is more information on this in the sections below.

    Fruit flies drown in a vinegar and dish soap trap

    Fight fruit flies without killing them

    If you don't want to kill the creatures, but rather capture them alive and release them in a more distant place, this vinegar trap might be something for you:

    1. Take a plate or bowl.
    2. Moisten them with apple or brandy vinegar.
    3. Cut up some sweet fruit and put it in the bowl.
    4. Grapes, for example, are good.
    5. Stretch cling film over the bowl.
    6. Poke a few holes in it with a needle.
    7. Attracted by the smell, the fruit flies find a way inside.
    8. However, due to a lack of fragrant orientation, they can no longer find their way back.

    Home remedies for fruit flies without vinegar

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

    Alternatively, you can also try mixtures without or with just a little 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 dish soap. If the mixture does not work as hoped, change the mixing ratio. Incidentally, red wine also works, but the fruit flies are difficult to spot in it.
    • 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 create a milky liquid. Put this in a thin-necked bottle and place it near the fruit flies.
    • beerMission: 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 sticky 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 yourself.

    Sticky traps also attract fruit flies

    tips

    Make absolutely sure that surfaces, mixers, bowl edges and bottle necks are free of the mixed attractant! Otherwise the fruit flies can snack on these harmless places and then escape again.

    What else helps against fruit flies?

    Video:youtube

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

    digression

    Why chemical control agents are unnecessary for fruit flies

    Chemical agents against fruit flies are commercially available or many people use conventional fly or insect spray against the pests. However, you should keep your hands off this for various reasons: These sprays not only harm the flies, but also you, your family and your pets - the toxins they contain also have a damaging effect on other living beings. In addition, these sprays are simply not necessary, since the home remedies mentioned are much cheaper and more effective.

    Where do fruit flies come from anyway?

    Video:youtube

    In most cases, you unintentionally drag the fruit flies home with your groceries, for example because you bought fresh fruit. There are often a lot of fruit fly eggs and larvae on this, but these can be removed with cold or warm water. Be sure to wash each piece of fruit thoroughly before eating! In other cases, the little creatures come in through the open window from outside, attracted by the seductive smell of slightly rotten fruit. Unfortunately, insect screens are of no use here because the fruit flies can still get through the mesh due to their small size.

    digression

    Fruit flies do not only lay their eggs on fruit

    If you don't have a fruit basket, but still have a fulminant infestation of fruit flies and you're wondering: The tiny insects lay their eggs not only on soft fruit, but also in other places. (Organic) waste containers, drains (e.g. the second drain of the sink), food leftovers, open bottles or even the solids filter of your dishwasher are particularly popular. There are often leftovers of food here, which the little animals are only too happy to use as food for their brood.

    How to prevent a fruit fly infestation

    Cut fruit should not be left lying around

    Every home remedy against fruit flies, no matter how good, helps to contain the acute infestation, but not against the actual plague. If you want to get rid of fruit flies once and for all, it is imperative that you do a thorough cleaning.

    • Thoroughly clean all kitchen surfaces. Remove any leftover food that is stuck.
    • Regularly and thoroughly clean all drains and filters.
    • Do not leave fruit and vegetables lying around.
    • Fruit baskets may look pretty, but they reliably attract fruit flies in the summer.
    • Take out all garbage regularly and promptly - even if it's only small amounts!
    • Fruit flies love organic and household waste and multiply very diligently in it.
    • Clean all rubbish containers regularly and thoroughly.
    • Never leave opened fruit juice packs and lemonade bottles open.
    • Also reseal returnable bottles and/or pack them away in an odour-proof manner.

    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 feed primarily on fruit 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 from its cocoon and is sexually mature at the age of 24 hours. As an adult, female fruit flies can live between two and eight weeks, while males have a significantly shorter life expectancy of around ten days.

    Do fruit flies also come out of potting soil?

    Flies in potting soil are usually fungus gnats

    Small flies that come out of the potting soil are usually 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 little creatures with baking soda (no baking powder, as this usually does not contain baking soda!) or vinegar. Give both directly to the potting soil. Commercially available nematodes also help very well.

    Are fruit flies dangerous?

    Fruit flies aren't particularly appetizing - especially when you know you're going to inadvertently eat the eggs and maggots - but they're completely harmless. They don't transmit diseases, don't sting or bite, they're pretty gross for 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 and the fact that there is enough food for the little animals all year round. Fruit bought in winter also contains fruit fly eggs and larvae, which then really wake up when you get home.

    tips

    If you don't have juice or lemonade at home, you can also mix 50 milliliters of sugar water with some apple or brandy vinegar and a squirt of washing-up liquid.

Category:

Animals in the garden