Get rid of annoying fruit flies in your house and garden

Fruit flies are the bane of any gardener’s or fruit fan’s existence! They spoil fruit and vegetables, lay their eggs in just about anything and can make their way inside to annoy you with their loud buzzing as they cluster on any fruit you have on your sideboard.

And fruit flies are especially prominent throughout the summer months, where leftover scraps are often left to rot in bins or in the garden in hot conditions. To avoid attracting fruit flies, it’s important to dispose of  leftovers quickly, using sealed bags. Some people with larger freezers even freeze their scraps until bin day to avoid worrying about them.

Making sure your dishes are put away and your benchtops are wiped down is also important if you want to keep the pests at bay. But if they persist, there are other ways to banish fruit flies from your garden and household for good.

Apple cider vinegar

You can use apple cider vinegar to get rid of fruit flies by making a trap that will attract them away from your fruits and vegetables. Simply remove the cap of a bottle containing some of the vinegar and cover the opening with plastic-wrap, making sure to secure it with a rubber band.

Poke a hole big enough for a fruit fly to enter and watch as the flies make their way into the container. Flies can’t resist the smell of vinegar and will end up getting trapped inside and eventually die.

Fruit fly strips

Available in most pest control sections, fruit fly strips are another effective way to get rid of flies both inside and outside. The strips are made with a special formula to attract the flies.

Once they touch the sticky strip they’ll be unable to free themselves and will bother you no longer. Once the strip has caught a maximum number of flies or starts to become ineffective, simply replace it with another to keep your property fly free.

Milk, sugar and pepper solution

To use this method simply mix together 500 millilitres of milk, 5 grams of sugar and good pinch of black pepper in a saucepan for 10 minutes. After the mixture is combined, place the liquid in a shallow dish. Place the dish inside or outside.

The flies will be drawn into the liquid and quickly drown. Just be careful when placing the mixture outside as it may attract neighbourhood cats and other pests.

A paper-cone-trap

Using a paper-cone trap to capture flies is one of the oldest tricks in the book. This method will draw fruit flies away from your fruits and vegetables.

Simply find an old glass jar and place a piece of overripe fruit at the bottom. Use baking or printer paper to fashion a funnel that fits the jar and place inside. The files will be drawn to the fruit and will make their way through the funnel. Once inside they will be trapped.

These methods are easy and most of the ingredients can be found in any home pantry. The good news is that these methods will also deal with common house flies so you won’t need to worry about them either. Using these inside and outside the home will ensure that you enjoy a relatively fly-free summer.

Do you often have trouble with fruit flies? What methods do you use to keep them at bay?