How do I get rid of fruit flies?

Fruit flies can be very annoying and they seem to come out of nowhere to infest your kitchen and other areas in your Central Florida home or business. Attracted to the smell of fermenting fruit and vegetables, fruit flies are drawn to high-fructose substances. Overripe and rotting fruits and vegetables make ideal places for female fruit flies to lay their eggs on the surface or inside decaying fruit. To make matters worse, each fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs at one time! Fruit fly larvae feed on the rotting fruit before becoming adults in a few days. Fruit flies can mate two days after becoming adults. So, it’s important to get rid of fruit flies when you first see one. Like most flies, sanitation is the #1 key to solving a fruit fly problem. To eliminate fruit flies and other insects, start by cleaning up and organizing your kitchen.

• Compost or discard overripe fruit and vegetables
• Scrub your countertops and wipe down all surfaces including your pantry shelves
• Sweep and/or vacuum kitchen and dining area floors
• Mop tile and vinyl floors
• Keep sink drains free of food particles
• Remove garbage frequently and clean garbage container regularly

Still seeing fruit flies? Try some of these common home remedies for getting rid of fruit flies.

• Trap fruit flies
  Fill a glass or a bowl with apple cider vinegar. Using plastic wrap, cover the top of the glass or bowl sealing edges with a rubber band. Poke small holes in the plastic film. Attracted to the apple cider vinegar, fruit flies will fly into the bowl or glass but won’t be able to get out.
• Add dish soap
  Some people suggest adding a few drops of dish soap to your bowl or glass of apple cider vinegar. The theory: The apple cider attracts fruit flies, while the dish soap decreases the liquid’s surface tension, immediately immersing fruit flies who are then unable to escape.
• Beer or wine
  Some people say that placing an open bottle of old beer or wine near places where fruit flies have been spotted will lure fruit flies to the stale beverages. Once inside the bottle, fruit flies aren’t able to escape from bottles, remaining trapped.

For a persistent fruit fly issue, contact Uprooted Pest Control at (727) 871-0721 in Dunedin, FL. We are proud to be your source for local reliable and affordable pest control in Central Florida

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