TheIndonesia.id - If you see many tiny dots flying over your foods, especially fruits, you are seeing fruit flies. These tiny flying flies don't bite, but they can carry bacteria from one source to another, which can cause danger to your food. This guide will show you how to get rid of fruit flies.
Fruit flies don't only carry bacteria but also reproduce rapidly. One female fly can lay up to 50 eggs per day. Each egg will grow from larvae to adult within a week.
Where do fruit flies come from?
Fruit flies look like tiny reddish-brown flies. You'll probably see them fluttering around your kitchen, possibly near the fruit bowl. Fruit flies are typically brought in from the fruit or vegetable store.
They lay their eggs in rotting produce and sugary surfaces, and they enter fruit in the grocery store through any cuts or knicks on the fruit's surface.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
1. Apple Cider Vinegar Trap
Apple cider vinegar is one of the scents that attract fruit flies. Therefore, it can be used as a trap to get rid of fruit flies.
First, put a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl.
Then, mix the ingredients and place it on the table, close to the fruit. Sugar and apple cider vinegar will attract fruit flies.
On the other hand, dish soap will trap these insects until they drown.
2. Candle Trap
Fruit flies are animals that are attracted to flames. Therefore, use candles to trap them.
First, prepare a candle and place it in a container filled with a little water. Then, light the candle and wait for the fruit flies to turn from the food to the candle. These insects will approach the fire, catch the fire, and fall into the water.
3. Use Pepper or Chili Powder
Fruit flies don't like the spicy smell of pepper or chili powder. This insect will stay away if it smells spicy.
Mix chili powder or pepper with water, and put it in a spray bottle. Then, spray the area where the fruit flies would possibly fly. Besides, you can also put this liquid near the fruits.
4. Clean the breeding grounds of the fruit flies
Look for areas that potentially become their breeding place. Get rid of all the sticky spills and rotten fruits in your house. In addition, to overripe fruits and vegetables, fruit flies also like to lay their eggs in rags and mops, as well as empty cans lying around.
Don't forget to clean the drains which are the pathways for fruit flies to enter. You can pour boiling water into the drains to kill them before they make it into your house.
To prevent fruit flies, save your fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. However, if you still want to put the fruit out in the open, don't forget to cover them.