How many times have you bought a batch of fresh fruit from the store, only to discover a swarm of fruit flies days later? Rather than dealing with this problem every time you buy fruit, it’s important to know how to prevent an infestation (as well as removing a current one).
Profile
Fruit flies are the tiniest of winged-pests that will enter your home via the fruit and veggies you buy or through small cracks in your home. The reason you see so many fruit flies in a short period of time is because they can lay eggs, hatch, and become full adults in about a week’s time. As long as you have the fermenting fruit in your home, fruit flies will have a food source to survive off of.
Removal
Fruit flies are attracted to things that are sweet — we know, shocking! To remove them from your home you will need to make a homemade trap that will attract and kill them. Simply pour a glass of wine, beer, or vinegar and cover it with a lid that has a few small holes. The fruit flies will enter the cup via the holes in the lid and head straight for the liquid. At the end of each day, clean out the cup and refill it with more wine, beer, or vinegar.
Prevention
Always check the fruit you’re buying before you bring it home. Try to buy fruit that isn’t too ripe because there might be fruit flies inside of an already ripened piece at the store. With that being said, do not keep fruit in your home for too long. Once the fruit starts becoming too ripe you should either eat it or throw it away before the flies arrive. You should also keep a clean kitchen and wipe up any spills as soon as they happen.
The last thing you want to see in your kitchen is a swarm of fruit flies, so it’s important for you to know how to keep them out. When you have an infestation of pests, contact the pest management professionals at Knockout Pest Control. To learn more or to schedule an infestation, give us a call at (800) 244-7378.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!
