I get fruit flies around the house sometimes? I do have plants around the house ...?
Question:I get fruit flies around the house sometimes. I do have plants around the house and they are often cleaned and monitored. They do disappear every so often. Also, I'd like to have the house always smell nice. I have Yankee candles, wall-plugins, jasmin plant... anything else? :)
Answers:
Fruit flies eat and breed in moist, organic materials. This means fruits and vegetables (especially when over ripe or rotting), dirty sponges and wash-cloths, juices, spills and messes. If your infestation is typical, they are centering around your kitchen, so that’s where we’ll start.
Kitchens:
1. Remove standing liquids and any soft materials or fabrics that are wet.
2. Flush your drains and garbage disposals with ammonia or drain cleaners. Do this once every few hours for a while or partially plug the drain and fill the sink so the cleaners trickle down slowly and stay present in the pipes.
3. Empty your trash before it overflows and invest in trash containers with tight-fitting lids, make sure they close securely.
4. Check your dishwasher for grime collecting in the bottom and the filter. Refrain from storing dirty dishes in there until you’ve eliminated the incursion.
5. Scour your cabinets and pantries for exposed and forgotten foods - sacks of potatoes are common culprits, so are bags of grains and legumes that have become moist (These will breed moths as well). Store fresh fruits and vegetables in the fridge until the fruit flies are eradicated.
6. Check under your refrigerator and other movable appliances and furniture for hidden spills and messes.
7. If you have an electric stove, lift up the burners as well as the entire top surface and check for spills inside.
8. Dry the surfaces in the sink when you are not using it.
9. Relocate any potted plants or herbs outside (if the weather allows) and / or apply an insecticide that is safe to use on houseplants and edibles.
10. Clean underneath your sink, look for leaks and soft, moist or rotting wood
11. Dispose of or clean old towels and sponges.
12. Use your nose! Sniff around for anything rotten or out of place.
13. Check the cracks between your kitchen appliances and the cabinets for anything that may have fallen between them.
keep your fruit in the fridge and that will keep the fruit flies away.
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