Being in the pest control industry you can imagine we have had hundreds of calls from customers dealing with fruit flies. Their stories rarely differ, “They came out of nowhere”, “They are everywhere”, “They showed up overnight” etc. After a brief conversation of where they may be coming from, they are shocked to hear what I say next. “Give them a glass of wine”! Yes! Pour those little suckers a glass of wine. If you catch the fruit flies early on when you first notice them you can stop the infestation quickly! Pour the wine into the glass filling about half way. The fruit flies are attracted to it and once they land the are unable to fly out. Bada bing, bada bang, problem solved.
Ok, this may not be 100% fool proof, sooo if your infestation is a little more than wine can handle, read on!
Fruit Fly Fun Facts:
Contrary to their name, fruit flies aren’t attracted only to fruit. In fact, they aren’t picky at all and are attracted to all decomposing foods, trash, dirty drains, and even spills that haven’t been cleaned. They should probably be called “not only fruit” flies.” If there is a source of food, you might be getting a visit from these flies.
Here’s what you need to know. Infestations have to start somewhere. Whether it starts with the overripe food on the counter or in the trash can in your kid’s room, fruit flies can get out of hand really quickly. Given their rate of reproduction, it won’t take long before you’ve got a serious infestation on your hands.
Here is how they work. Fruit flies are super breeders. They typically lay their eggs directly on rotting fruits and vegetables or in drains, or basically any place that is not kept clean. They can produce up to 500 offspring in any mating season. Five hundred. Each fly, five hundred. To add to this, it only takes one week for the entire lifecycle to take place. One week, 500 fruit flies. And that is just from one. You can imagine how fast the infestation can grow.
How To Get Rid of Fruit Flies:
Well, you’ve got them. Now what? Prevention is the best way to avoid fruit flies but since we are past that point, here’s how to get rid of them.
Step 1:
Eliminate the source of attraction. Whatever is bringing in the flies, get rid of it. Overripe fruit and veggies on the counter? Toss them. Nasty stink coming out of your drain, get a drain cleaner. Rotten potato in the pantry? Since this has the potential of providing the breeding grounds for thousands of fruit flies, it has got to go. Anything that attracts fruit flies needs to be discarded.
Not only are fruit flies annoying, they are also known to spread disease-causing bacteria. For so many reasons, they have got to go. If you’ve gotten rid of all potential food sources and you are still having a fruit fly problem, it is time to bring in the professionals. HowToPest.com has a number of professional grade fruit fly control products that can help remedy your fruit fly infestations, and our professionals are on hand to help you with your pest solution needs.
Take back your countertops, your drains, and anywhere else fruit flies may have taken up residence.
