Get Rid Of Fruit Flies Now

7/2/2020

That's right... We said it: Fruit Flies. Though this is not a happy topic, these little flies are a hot topic in Dallas right now and we've received a lot of calls in regards to how to get rid of them, especially when they're coming from your drains.

A friend recently shared one of the grossest fruit fly stories with me. She had fruit flies for a few weeks at her home and didn't know where they were coming from. She cleaned her entire house, wiping everything with a rag she dipped in water with a dash of bleach. Though this helped, the fruit flies continue to invade her home. One morning, she realized they need to always be around her kitchen sink and though she heard they tend to build a nest inside garbage disposals, hers weren't living there... Instead, they were inside the recycle bag she kept for her coffee pods! She opened the bag and found a small village of fruit flies, baby lards and all. She immediately disposed of the bag, but I'm sure she will be remembering this moment for a while. One day, we'll all remember this story and laugh about it over drinks... One day. In the meantime, let's talk about how we can get rid of our little fruit flies friends.

TO BEAT THY ENEMY, YOU MUST LEARN WHO THEY ARE FIRST

Fruit flies love moist areas, and what's more moist then your kitchen or bathroom drains? Though harmless (yet incredibly annoying), they can carry bacteria from rotting foods that can contaminate other foods. Fruit flies are known for their rapid reproduction and relatively short lifespans. The average lifespan of a fruit fly is about 40 to 50 days. Fruit flies cannot bite or chew, so in order to eat, a fruit fly will repeatedly eject its own saliva on to food and then suck up the resulting mixture.

This is an extremely unhygienic process, leaving behind bacteria and organisms that were once inside the fly. Fruit flies can also carry and transmit disease-causing germs. When fruit infested with fruit fly larvae is consumed accidentally, it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. Ready for the next fact? Females fruit flies lay approximately 400 eggs, about five at a time, into rotting fruit or other suitable materials. The eggs, which are about 0.5 millimeters long, hatch after 12-15 hours. The larvae grow for about 4 days, during which time they consume the yeast and microorganisms that decompose the fruit as well as the sugar of the fruit itself. Enough about who our fruit fly friends are... Let's get rid of them.

A HOMEMADE FRUIT FLIES TRAP YOU MUST TRY

Good Housekeeping has several options including creating a trap inside a glass of apple cider vinegar using plastic wrap and a rubber band. Another option is rolling a paper cone into a jar of ripe fruit. The narrow end of the cone makes it difficult for the flies to escape. Vinegar and dish soap is another idea, as using a bowl of the mixture uncovered can lead to flies drowning to death. Check out this video from EZPZ DIY:

GETTING RID OF FRUIT FLIES IN YOUR DRAINS

While some insecticides and household chemicals can be used, there are also many natural ways to take care of things. First things first, you’ll want to clean out the drain in question. There are a few ways to do this:

Pour a 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar and allow it to work its magic overnight. Follow up with boiling water the next morning. Repeat if necessary.
Pour a half gallon of water and 1 cup of vinegar or bleach down the drain to sanitize.
Pour boiling water down the drain to loosen rotting matter. Use a metal pipe brush to clean the pipe lining. Follow with more boiling water.

After sanitizing the drain, you may want to create a homemade trap to catch the remaining flies.

Place a small piece of ripe fruit in a cup covered with plastic wrap. Next, make small puncture marks in the wrap with a fork. This method is perfect for catching fruit flies.
Mix a cup and a half of apple cider vinegar and 5 drops of dish soap and place near the drain (heat in the microwave for 15 seconds to attract more flies).

CLEAN ALL PRODUCE BEFORE STORING IT AWAY

Fruit flies catch a ride on your produce long before it enters your home, especially on the backs of bananas and melons. This is why it’s important that you wash the produce you plan to leave on the counter. You can purchase a fruit and vegetable wash for this purpose. Just be sure you do it as soon as you get back from the store to rid your food of any flies and their eggs. Now that you know fruit flies love rotting fruit and vegetables, it's time to go on a cleaning binge. Cleaning up rotting vegetation from your garbage can, compost bin, and kitchen garbage disposal unit — as well as thoroughly and immediately cleaning up any spilled wine, beer, or other sweet, sticky items is key according to the Farmer's Almanac.

ELIMINATE INSECTS AROUND YOUR GARDEN

If the bugs are feasting on the fruits and vegetables in your garden, give them the boot with this simple, nonpoisonous trap. Fill a 2-liter soda bottle with 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 cup sugar. Next, slice up a banana peel into small pieces, put them in the bottle, add 1 cup cold water, and shake it up. Tie a piece of string around the neck of the bottle and hang it from a low tree branch, or place it on the ground, to trap and kill the six-legged freeloaders. Replace used traps with new ones as needed.

DETER THEM WITH SCENTS

Fruit flies can’t stand the smell of basil, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender and clove. If you’ve had a fruit fly problem in the past, try placing these fragrant herbs in muslin sacks or tea bags and hanging them around the house. You could also buy them in essential oil form and use them in a diffuser.

CHANGE YOUR SPONGES AND DISHCLOTHS REGULARLY

Since fruit flies are attracted to food and odors, it makes sense you’d want to keep the things that come in contact with their favorite snacks as fresh as possible. Never mind the fact that fruit flies can breed on these common household items. Yuck!

KEEP YOUR KITCHEN SPARKLING

Much like with your sponges and dishcloths, it’s important you keep your whole kitchen, specifically your counters, as clean as possible. Dirty dishes should never be left in the sink, surely, but you should also wipe down your counters at least once a day with an all-purpose spray and a microfiber cloth. This will remove the fruit flies’ snack bar.

If these methods do not work to kill drain flies, you may have an issue with your p-trap. Every kitchen or bathroom drain has a self-sealing water trap, which stores about two cups of water in a U-shaped bend that sits below the piping and the fixture. When there is no water in the pipe due to cracks or non-use, odors and flies can escape. If the flies come back, there may be something wrong with your p-trap or a drain line.

Need help? Give us a call at (214) 214-4718 or email us at metroflow@metroflowplumbing.com and let us know how you heard from us. One of our certified plumbers will be ready to assist you.

We would love to hear from you and the remedies you use to get rid of these pesky flies. Please comment below.

Sources: Coast Mountain News, EZPZ DiY, Family Handyman, Insider.

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