Housekeeping Tips Wood Dale IL: Get pro tips on how to get rid of fruit flies
How will you enjoy eating when there are tiny flying insects that keep hovering over you and your food? You find yourself shooing them away, but they keep coming back.
It’s fascinating how fruit flies seem to always know when you are about to chow something down. Does it mean you must clean the Wood Dale home again, even if you just cleaned it? Relax because it’s not always about how clean your home and surroundings are. The fruit flies are attracted to something in your house, and you have to find out what it is fast.
The Interesting But Rotten Truth
All annoyances aside, fruit flies are fascinating creatures. They have no noses but rely heavily on smell to find their mates and avoid dangers. That’s because a big part of the fruit flies’ brains is assigned to process smells. They also have a certain gene responsible for their ability to process and respond to scents.
Fruit flies have an amazing sense of smell. They can smell something as far as 7 – 10 kilometers and can even fly to that location by just following the scent. Fruit flies find damp, fermented, high-fructose substances and sweet-smelling scents to be irresistible. They will go crazy at the smell of vegetables, ripe fruits, and rotting and fermenting food.
The carbon dioxide released by fermenting food is their favorite scent of all. Don’t be deceived by their name. They don’t actually eat the fruits when they land on them. They feast on the mold and the rot on the food they land on instead.
It’s a good thing fruit flies don’t bite. But they are potential carriers of germs and bacteria as they fly from one rotten food to another. A female can produce around 500 eggs a day. In one week, the eggs will turn into larvae and finally into adult fruit flies. The annoying presence and rapid reproduction are more than enough reasons to learn how to get rid of fruit flies.
Where Do Fruit Flies Come From?
They don’t just pop out of nowhere. They probably were already in the fruits and vegetables you brought home from the supermarket. Or maybe they got inside the cracks in your window or the small space under your door while following the scent of something rotten or fermenting inside your house. Remember, they have a stronger sense of smell than you. The food that might still look and smell okay to you is probably starting to become stale. You better trust the fruit flies’ instincts on this one.
Shoo the Fruit Flies Away
It’s easy to get a fruit fly infestation with how quickly they can reproduce and mature. They don’t like clean surfaces, so make sure to keep your house surfaces clean as much as possible. Since they are too tiny to swat, the best option you have is to trap them before getting rid of them permanently. Check out the tips below on how to get rid of fruit flies.
Rotten Fruit Trap
Get a small piece of rotten fruit and place it inside a jar with a bit of vinegar. Make a paper cone and insert it into the jar’s mouth. Fruit flies will follow the fruit’s rotten smell, and once they go through the paper cone, there’s no way of getting out.
Red Wine Trap
Because red wine is a type of fermented fruit product, fruit flies will be naturally drawn to it. The principle is the same as the rotten fruit trap, but instead of rotten fruit and vinegar, you use red wine to attract and trap unwanted guests.
Vinegar Trap
This one is a certified fruit flies magnet. In a bowl, prepare 1 and ½ tablespoons of both sugar and vinegar, and add some water, just enough to dissolve the sugar. Add a little dishwashing liquid.
You can make 8 to 16 ounces of this mixture by adding more water, depending on your available containers or the degree of fruit fly infestation. This fruit flies trap can last up to 14 days. Researchers found out that while fruit flies are attracted to the scent, they also prefer to land on round shape appearances because they associate it with fruits.
Apple Cider Trap
Fill a container with apple cider vinegar and then cover it with plastic or cling wrap. Secure the plastic to make sure the containers stay in place. You may use tape or a rubber band to keep it in place. Poke small holes in it to allow the scent to diffuse, attracting the fruit flies to go inside the container through the small holes you made.
Keep Fruit Flies Away for Good
Do you want to get rid of fruit flies permanently? Yes, it is possible to keep them away for good. Here are a few tips to follow.
Pour Vinegar Into the Drain
Fruit flies love anything and anywhere damp, so a good breeding spot for them would be the drainage. You can start by boiling some water or vinegar and pouring it into your kitchen, bathroom and shower drain.
Use Essential Oils
Certain herbs can tick the fruit flies off. They love the smell of rotten and fermented food, but they hate the ones smelling fresh and clean. They don’t like the smell of eucalyptus, basil, lemongrass, peppermint, cloves, and lavender. Try hanging the fragrant herbs around the house or use their essential oils counterpart in a diffuser.
Clean Clothes and Sponges
Keeping your surfaces clean is never enough. You should also keep your kitchen cloths and sponges clean. Make it a habit to wash them after each use and let them dry afterward to avoid attracting fruit flies.
Check Your Foods
Always check your food and toss out decaying, rotting food. You can also keep your food in the refrigerator to keep it safe from fruit flies since they cannot smell the food from the inside.
Take Out the Trash
Always take out the trash and place it inside covered trash bins outside your house. You have to make sure the bins are covered to avoid fruit flies from getting in and out. Don’t give them the chance to land and breed there. If the trash bins are already full, use a secured trash bag instead.
You are also free to try chemical sprays available in the market that promise to eliminate fruit flies.
Trouble Cleaning Your Wood Dale IL Home?
The best solution is to ask professionals to do the cleaning for you. Get top-notch cleaning services. Helping Hands Cleaning Services in Wood Dale IL is one of the best to handle all your cleaning needs. For appointments or to request a quote, call (630) 530-1324.