Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies can be a nuisance, especially when there are a lot of them inside your home. Generally brought indoors along with items purchased from the store, they may be overlooked at first but will quickly make their presence known. Attracted to rotting produce, as well as other sources of decay, the flies seek these out for food and as the ideal spot to lay their eggs. These then hatch in as few as 30 hours. Overall, the fruit fly lifecycle lasts 8 to 10 days, during which time the next generation will again mate and reproduce. It will not take long before homeowners search for a way to eliminate these pests.

There are several treatments that can be used to get rid of a fruit fly infestation. The best initial approach is to not just focus on the flies themselves but to find their breeding ground and source of food. Check your produce to search for anything rotting or overripe and look for areas in the kitchen that have been improperly cleaned. Sticky residue left for days could support a fruit fly population. Another area that will attract them is the bottom of trashcans if fluids are allowed to pool and ferment. Whatever their main source of food, once it is found, remove it immediately. If you discovered any food that looks close to spoiling during your search, either place it in the refrigerator or discard it as well. Refrigerating future purchases will also help, as the flies cannot reproduce in climates that cold.

Next, clean out your drainage system by putting bleach down your sink. This will wash out additional and unseen residual food and kill any flies that are feeding off of it. Take out any used beer or soda cans that have been sitting around, as well as damp mops, both of which can attract flies.

Traps are an additional approach to quickly eliminate flies. Insect light lamps are one option that attracts the flies with an UV light and then uses an electronic current to shock them. Fly baits often contain sugars and various pleasant pheromones to lure unsuspecting insects into their trap. Liquid residual insecticides are yet a further option that targets both adults as well as larvae. This is important as larvae will otherwise grow to replace the flies that have been killed.

Overall, these treatments work best when used along with an expert fly removal approach. Pest professionals can identify the source of an infestation as well as help determine the best solution to eliminate the pests. However, once eradicated, homeowners should take steps to ensure the problem does not happen again. They should refrigerate all produce, check foods over time, and remove them as they start to go bad. Further, it is important to clean all surfaces on a regular basis, and disinfect drains, sinks, and garbage cans. The right steps will make it far less likely that fruit flies become a problem in the future.