Although they are harmless, fruit flies can easily become a nuissance in the house. Kitchens are especially prone to having them because of food and moist places like the sink.
Getting rid of them is a two part problem. First you have to find a way to kill some of them. More importantly you have to make sure they don’t come back. Luckily we got you covered with regards to both parts. First we will look a how you can get rid of the fruit flies you already have.
It is important to understand why the fruit flies are there to begin with. They are looking for food (fruits, vegetables and other things) and a moist area to lay their eggs. This is why they are often found in the kitchen.
How to get rid of fruit flies with apple cider vinegar
One easy and effective trick for getting rid of fruit flies is with apple cider vinegar. You can use other things like old fruit or soda, but apple cider vinegar will be better. Pour some of it into a bowl og cup and add a tiny bit of dish soap. 5 drops or so should suffice for the most part.
The apple cider vinegar attracts the flies and the soap makes it so they can’t fly away after they land on it. If you leave it overnight you will wake up to a bunch of dead flies.
Fly Strips
Alternatively you can use fly strips or other traps. It varies a lot how effective they are, which is why we recommended the method above. The important part is to kill as many fruit flies as possible, so if you have a product or method that works, you can use it.
Prevent Fruit Flies from Coming Back
So now that you have killed a bunch of fruit flies, what do you do next? You’ll want to make sure that they don’t come back (meaning there are no more eggs in your kitchen). This is a lot easier than it sounds but if you follow all of the steps below, you’ll have a high chance of getting rid of them.
Clean Kitchen Sink
Keeping your kitchen sink clean will really work in your favor when it comes to fruit flies. A kitchen sink can contain the two most important things to fruit flies; food and moisture.
If you have a garbage disposal you’ll want to take extra care of cleaning it since it can be a hotspot for fruit flies. Additionally, people often forget to clean underneath the sink and the overflow hole.
If you aren’t doing a deep clean of your garbage disposal, then you can just run it for a minute with some soap and water.
Find The Source
It is important to find the source of the fruit flies (meaning where the eggs are). This can be a hard task as it is sometimes impossible to actually see it with your eyes. For this reason we go over a few areas where it is mosy likely to be.
Moist Areas
Even if they are not in your kitchen, any moist area can host the fruit fly eggs. You should try to have a look in vases with flowers (especially dead ones). Your bathroom can also potentially be problematic because of the higher moisture level. So clean and check your sinks, drains and any other area in your bathroom. Aditionally, the obvious places are things such as trashcans and surfaces you eat at.
Clean Drains
In the majority of cases the fruit flies will lay eggs in one of the drains in your home. It is important to clean every single one in your house, but start with the kitchen and bathroom. They are most likely to be the right drains.
Luckily the actual cleaning part is easy. Simply pour some boiling (or very hot) water down the drain along with a bit of soap. Their eggs can’t survive it and you’ll hopefully avoid anymore flies in the future.
Get Rid of Any Leftover Food
Any leftover food is a potential hotspot for fruit flies, so you’ll want to get rid of it asap. This includes spilled soda, fruits, and any other food.
Clean Surfaces
Clean all surfaces in the kitchen, even the ones where you think there might not be anything.
A Quick Summary
Here are the things you need to do to get rid of fruit flies in your kitchen sink:
– Make a trap
– Clean your kitchen sink
– Find the source