Fruit flies buzzing around? Here’s how to build traps and get them out of your PA home
Fresh fruit and produce are plentiful in the summer, but that means household pests often are, too.
Perhaps the most bothersome are fruit flies, which are particularly active in warm, summer and fall months, according to Pittsburgh-based Witt Pest Management. A single female fruit fly can lay around 500 eggs at a time, which could quickly bring an infestation into your home as eggs become adults in roughly one week.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re hoping to protect your Pennsylvania home from fruit fly infestations this summer.
Why are fruit flies in my home?
Fruit flies are most commonly found in homes, restaurants, supermarkets and anywhere else food may rot and ferment, according to University of Kentucky researchers. These insects are generally most attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables and can breed in several locations, including drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles, cans and trash containers.
Development of fruit fly breeds needs only a moist film of fermenting material, UK researchers write. Infestations can develop from several household sources, including over-ripened fruits and vegetables that entered the home already infested. Adult fruit flies may enter on their own through openings or doorways.
Signs of a fruit fly infestation are generally characterized by insect activity, according to pest control company Orkin. You might spot adult flies buzzing around your kitchen or trash bins, while mature fly larvae may crawl out of breeding grounds to pupate, or grow from larva and adult, in a dry spot nearby. You can distinguish mature larvae from cockroach or rodent droppings by looking for pairs of “horns” on one end of pupae, Orkin suggests.
How serious are fruit flies?
Generally, fruit fly infestations are more of a nuisance around the house, but they can become problematic if insect activity escalates, Orkin writes.
Like many other insects, fruit flies can contaminate food with bacteria and other pathogens that may harm human health, the pest control company says. They may also contaminate food with infectious microorganisms, including salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
How can I get rid of fruit flies in my home?
Due to their tendency to reproduce quickly, removing fruit flies from your home is a challenge. However, there are steps you can take to address the problem before resorting to pest professionals.
If you’re spotting flies in your kitchen and need to take action, consider following these tips from Orkin:
Get rid of over-ripened fruit, damaged produce and other sweet and soft organic materials laying around your home. Removing the flies’ feeding and breeding grounds is key. Be sure to check your garbage and recycling bins and your drains, too.
Store your fruits, vegetables and other food items in containers with tight lids or in the refrigerator.
Wash your dishes regularly, and be sure to avoid leaving them in your sink overnight.
Don’t store food out in the open on counters or tables.
You might also consider investing in an insect-eating plant. One popular option is sundews (Drosera), which have leaves that produce sweet juices that may attract fruit flies and trap them in the plant’s leaves. This is also effective for trapping and neutralizing other household insects.
Building your own fruit fly trap
Several options are available for homeowners who want to catch fruit flies themselves.
Perhaps the simplest is a fruit fly trap powered by apple cider vinegar and dish soap. To get started, pour ½-1 cup of apple cider vinegar into a jar and add a few drops of dish soap to break the surface tension and drown any captured fruit flies, which are attracted by the vinegar’s sweet smell. Finish your trap off with a paper funnel attached to the mouth of the jar to lure flies in, but prevent them from leaving.
Other traps, including those designed to capture insects with sticky materials, may prove less effective since they usually capture flies by coincidence, Orkin says.
Using your appliances can be an unconventional — but potentially effective — approach. Once you’ve removed all possible food sources, consider using the hose attachment on your vacuum, for example, to suck up fruit flies in your home.
If all else fails, it might be time to call the pest control experts. In addition to national companies, like Orkin and Terminix, some local options in the Centre County area include:
