By DoMyOwn staff
The key to getting rid of fruit flies is finding their food source. After you do, you can get rid of them by space spraying, using fruit fly traps, and following up with insect growth regulators.
If you are seeing small yellow-ish tan flies around your home, you may have a fruit fly problem. Fruit flies are best identified by their gathering spots. They hover and often breed around moist organic material, fresh or rotting produce, drains, and garbage receptacle areas. By following this step-by-step treatment guide, you can get rid of fruit flies and prevent them from returning. As the name suggests, fruit flies are attracted to the aroma of fruit and other decaying matter. They can smell fruit from far away and can show up very quickly.
The first step to get rid of fruit flies is to eliminate their food source. They require fruit, vegetables, or otherdecaying material to complete their life cycle. If fruit flies have made their way into your home, you might be able to spot them around trash cans under trash bags, on counters where produce is stored, under kitchen appliances where fruit or vegetable juice has been spilled, in sink or floor drains, and other locations.
If you are having trouble locating where fruit flies are breeding,you can place glue boards in the room where fruit flies have been found, you might place glue boards under and near kitchen appliances, on counters where produce is stored,and around sink or floor drains. Once you have found the source, you should sanitize the area where you have found them. You should keep trash in a receptacle with a tight-fitting lid, promptly dispose of rotting produce, clean food spills or messes,wipe down countertops, clean sink and floor drains, and clean under floor mats and rugs.
Once you have found and eliminated the source, you can get rid of the adults by three methods: fruit fly sprays, lights, and traps.
Depending on the level of infestation, using an aerosol insecticide space spray or an insect growth regulator could be the right fit. An aerosol insecticide space spray will knock down fruit flies around the room. Before you use in the space spray, close all doors and windows in the room, store food, utensils, and pet bowls in airtight containers, and remove all pets and children from the room. Then, shake the can, remove the cap off the can, spray the aerosol in the middle of the room,and leave the room. Read the label on your aerosol for precise application instructions.
Using a fly light is helpful where insecticides are not allowed or desirable. Placement is important to consider when installing a fly light. Make sure to read the label of the specific fly light you select for correct placement. Typically fly lights are installed away from sensitive areas, doors,and windows to the outside to reduce flies being attracted to competing light sources.Glue boards should be checked on a weekly basis. Glue boards that are dusty and full of insects are ineffective and should be changed. To maintain effectiveness, light bulbs in fly lights need to be replaced on scheduled dates, normally every 6 months, even if they have not burned out.
Fruit fly traps are a great option for people who keep lots of fresh produce in their homes. These traps can help monitor a fruitfly infestation and are a low-maintenance and pesticide-free solution. Most traps contain a fruit-based attractant to lure fruit flies into the trap. Generally, fruit fly traps come ready to use and should be refreshed every 30 days. When used as labeled, fruit fly traps can help reduce the fruit fly population by up to 80%.
Once your fruit fly problem has been resolved,make sure to follow the sanitation practices mentioned previously. Also be sure you wash all produce when it is brought inside to remove any existing fruit fly eggs and do not store produce for long periods of time as this will attract more fruit flies.You may need to use an insect growth regulator every 30 days in areas where fruit flies have been a consistent problem. Insect growth regulators help break the infestation cycle by preventing immature fruit flies from breeding into adults. These products are usually applied to cracks and crevices in a room.
Be sure to read and follow the usage and application instructions on the label of any product you select to safely and effectively control fruit flies. And it's that easy with the experthelp from DoMyOwn.com. Subscribe to our channel for more DIY and product videos.
