Fruit flies usually appear out of nowhere and seem to multiply rapidly. No wonder, because each of the tiny females lays up to 400 eggs at once! Read how you can best catch and get rid of those pesky fruit flies.

Fruit flies are very easy to attract

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

    5. Catching fruit flies - The best methods

    Every year the same game starts all over again: As soon as the temperatures rise in summer, the fruit flies invade fruit bowls full of fruit in the kitchens, feast on sweet drinks (which you have carelessly left open) and sometimes develop into a real plague. As their name suggests, these little pests love ripe, sweet fruit (preferably if it is already overripe), but they also don't stop at vegetables and other sweet and sour food or drink leftovers. Fortunately, however, you can catch the beasts with simple means. By the way: fruit flies are not dangerous for humans and pets. The little animals do not transmit diseases, do not bite or sting. They're just pretty unappetizing.

    Commercial fruit fly trap

    Various traps for fruit flies (also known as fruit flies, vinegar flies or fermenting flies) are commercially available, most of which work with an attractant. This is mostly a scent reminiscent of slightly rotten fruit, which lures the pests into the trap. You have the choice between different models:

    • Glue or glue trap
    • live trap
    • vinegar trap

    These work in a similar way to the self-made fruit fly traps, but are significantly more expensive. Basically, there is no need to buy it, because you most likely have the ingredients for such a trap at home anyway.

    Build your own fruit fly trap

    Juice, vinegar and washing-up liquid attract fruit flies and mean their end

    Probably the most well-known home remedy for catching fruit flies consists of a mixture of fruit juice (usually apple juice), some vinegar and a small squirt of washing-up liquid. The latter is supposed to take the surface tension out of the liquid so that the little creatures sink and drown. All fruit fly traps take some time before the animals find them. You can check one of these for the first time about an hour after setting it up and see how well your own mixture works. If the fruit flies don't jump on it, try a slightly different mix ratio or mix.

    tips

    Since liquids evaporate quickly during the hot summer months, you should replace fruit fly traps at least every two to three days.

    Fruit trap against fruit flies

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    You don't have to kill the fruit flies, you can catch them alive. In addition

    • put a few drops of fruity vinegar (e.g. apple cider vinegar) in a small bowl
    • Cut up some ripe fruit (e.g. bananas, grapes, pears etc.).
    • and put that in the bowl too.
    • Then stretch cling film over the bowl
    • and poke a few holes in it with a needle.
    • Now place the trap near the largest accumulation of fruit flies
    • and wait at least an hour.
    • The flies, attracted by the irresistible scent, find a way into the bowl,
    • but due to the lack of orientation no more out.

    Now you can carry the shell outside and release the animals there. To do this, however, bring a further distance from the house behind you, otherwise you will soon have the little animals back in the apartment. Fruit flies have an extremely fine sense of smell, with which they perceive the seductively sweet and sour scents from afar and are attracted by them.

    Catch fruit flies with vinegar

    For the classic (and usually excellent) vinegar trap, mix 50 milliliters of apple juice (or another light-colored fruit juice) with a tablespoon of fruit or brandy vinegar and a small splash of washing-up liquid. In fact, a tiny splash is enough, because the washing-up liquid is only supposed to reduce the surface tension of the mixture so that the light creatures sink into it. However, they must not be able to taste it, otherwise the trap will not work.

    Fruit fly trap without vinegar

    Fruit flies love wine

    If you don't like the smell of vinegar, you can also use these liquids to catch the fruit flies:

    • Wine: A sweet white or rosé wine is also very good for catching fruit flies. Simply put a small amount of leftovers in a bowl or leave them in the bottle - then you can throw away the bottle and the flies.
    • beer: The same goes for fermenting beer, which sometimes smells even more enticing to fruit flies than wine.
    • sparkling wine: A little leftover sweet sparkling wine also works great.

    In addition to fruit and vinegar, fruit flies are also attracted to yeast, so a yeast-based liquid mix is also a good attractant. To do this, mix a packet of dry yeast with a tablespoon of sugar and enough water in a bowl to make a milky liquid. Simply place them near the fruit flies and wait at least an hour.

    Carnivorous plants against fruit flies

    Carnivorous plants are also quite reliable when it comes to catching fruit flies. Venus flytrap, sundew or butterwort: These plants attract the little creatures with their sweet, sticky droplets and then snap quickly. However, in order to contain a fruit fly infestation with these plants, you need several of them. It is best to place them close to the swarm and wait a few days.

    digression

    Which plant scents also help against fruit flies

    Just as fruit flies are irresistibly attracted to the smell of fruit, other scents repel them. One or more pots with basil in the kitchen - preferably directly on the window sill or (if it is bright enough there) next to the fruit basket also keep the fruit fly plague at bay.

    How to prevent a fruit fly infestation

    "When cleaning, never forget the second drain at the sink!"

    Each female fruit fly lays up to 400 eggs

    Anyone who has ever had to fight a plague of fruit flies knows how difficult it is to get rid of the insects. Each individual female lays up to 400 eggs - from which adult and sexually mature fruit flies develop within only around ten days. So it's no wonder that the little animals multiply so explosively! Before you go to the trouble of catching fruit flies, it's better to invest time and attention in prevention. If you follow a few simple rules, fruit flies no longer have a chance in your kitchen. With these tips you can keep the fruit flies out of your apartment or house permanently:

    • Never leave fruit out in the open.
    • A fruit basket is decorative, but certainly attracts the animals.
    • Store fruit in the refrigerator.
    • Even if there are eggs and larvae on the fruit, they die in the cold.
    • If that doesn't work, you should cover the fruit with a hood.
    • Adding a few cloves also keeps the insects away.
    • Fruit flies don't like that smell.
    • Take out the trash daily in the summer.
    • Clean the rubbish bins regularly and thoroughly.
    • Fruit flies like to nest in it.
    • Also clean and disinfect all drains regularly.
    • The solids filter in the dishwasher also has to be cleaned frequently.
    • Do not leave any beverage bottles (including empty returnable bottles!) open.
    • Wash used dishes promptly.

    Where do fruit flies come from?

    Fruit flies often already live in the fruit

    Fruit flies not only get into the apartment through the open window, but above all via fruit bought in the supermarket or at the weekly market. There are often already fruit fly eggs and larvae on this, which, provided they find good living conditions in your home, will multiply quickly there. So make sure from the start that the little animals don't feel comfortable with you! By the way: Washing fruit thoroughly before eating removes most of the eggs and larvae that are stuck to the skin.

    frequently asked Questions

    Why do I have fruit flies in the apartment in winter?

    In nature there are of course no adult fruit flies in winter, after all they can no longer find enough food outside. In the apartment, however, there are ideal breeding conditions even in the cold season, and there is also sufficient food there all year round. This is why the little animals multiply diligently even in winter, with the eggs or larvae being carried home from the supermarket together with the fruit.

    How can I avoid accidentally eating fruit fly eggs or maggots with my fruit?

    The only way to avoid adding unwanted protein to a fruit meal is to thoroughly wash and/or peel the fruit. It doesn't matter whether you use cold or warm water for this. However, you won't catch all the eggs and maggots here either.

    Are there also black fruit flies that come out of the potting soil?

    If the supposed fruit flies are black and come from the (possibly newly purchased) potting soil, then they are fungus gnats. You can also fight these with vinegar, but also with baking soda or baking powder containing soda.

    Are vinegar flies and fruit flies the same?

    In zoological terms, fruit flies are actually called fruit flies. Fruit or fruit fly is just a popular term that refers to the favorite food of the little animals. In some regions of Germany, Drosophila (the Latin species name) is also referred to as the vinegar fly, because the animals also fly on vinegar - probably because it reminds them of the characteristic scent of rotting fruit. Thus, vinegar flies and fruit flies are actually the same species.

    How old do fruit flies get?

    The larval and pupal phase lasts only about four days in fruit flies, then the sexually mature adult animals hatch after another 24 hours. Female fruit flies can then reach an age of between two and eight weeks, while males are no more than ten days old.

    tips

    Fruit flies don't like the smell of lavender any more than that of basil. So set out pots with blooming lavender, hang sachets of dried lavender in the room or use a lavender-scented room spray. This will help keep the critters away.

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Animals in the garden