Fruit flies are a problem. On their own, these pests aren’t harmful but often indicate that your drains need cleaning – especially to avoid the transfer of germs from a dirty kitchen area onto a clean one. Too many fruit flies could end up carrying bacteria like listeria, E. coli, or salmonella.
Here are some drain cleaning tips that will help keep the fruit flies at bay, including some preventive strategies.
What Attracts Fruit Flies
Wondering why fruit flies are in your kitchen sink? Fruit flies are common near food that’s allowed to ferment and rot. Especially in rotten food stuck in the drain, accessible garbage, and over-ripe products.
To reproduce, fruit flies will lay their eggs often in moist places alongside organic materials. After hatching, small larvae keep feeding on the fermenting mass. The problem is, fruit flies can reproduce by the dozens. If you don’t get rid of them soon, they can lay roughly 500-2,000 eggs.
Plus, it takes just about a week for an egg to mature into an adult. That means the risk of a fruit fly infestation can be pretty high.
Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
The quicker you act, the better the results. Control with kitchen plumbing starts early, and the best tips on how to get rid of fruit flies lie in natural removal and chemical-based options. Here are some of the most effective solutions to try:
- Vinegar and soap solution – In a bowl of vinegar add 3 drops of dish soap and leave it in the kitchen uncovered. The soap interferes with the chemical aspects of the vinegar, so flies that land in the bowl often sink and drown.
- Plastic wrap and apple cider vinegar – Take a jar or bowl and fill it with around an inch of apple cider vinegar. Then, use plastic wrap to seal the jar. Take a toothpick and puncture some holes in the wrap. This trap can attract fruit flies and keep them stuck inside.
- Fruit and paper cone – Take a piece of paper and roll it into a cone shape. Then, take a jar and add a bit of apple cider vinegar, and overripe fruits or sugar water. Place the cone shape in the jar with the narrow part facing down and the wide part up. This trap tricks the fruit flies into following the bait and staying inside the jar.
- Old wine or beer – Is there an old wine you don’t want to drink? Feel free to use it to get rid of fruit flies. Fruit flies enjoy the smell of old wine like no other drink. If there is little liquid left in the bottle, you can leave it open and trap the insects inside. Stale beer can also work well. Pour a few drops of dish soap into both solutions for better results.
- Insecticide fogs – Options like CB80 or PT 565 Pyrethrum Aerosol could be used to remove fruit flies. A three-second spray is more than enough to get desired results.
Extra Tip: Will bleach kill fruit flies in the drain? No. Don’t use bleach to get rid of fruit flies. Bleach isn’t capable of coating the pipes. Therefore, it can’t remove fruit flies.
How to Prevent Fruit Flies
The best kitchen plumbing tactics to prevent fruit flies are to remove any sources that could attract them. For example, take care of any fruits or veggies that are overripe and should be consumed, refrigerated, or thrown away. Cut and remove any damaged or cracked areas of vegetables and fruits.
Otherwise, the small insects will use these spots to feed and grow. Such as rotting potatoes, overripe onions you forget in your pantry or spilled fruit juice in the fridge. All of these things can attract fruit flies. So, you are better off cleaning the sources to prevent the adults from hatching more eggs.
Regularly cleaning the sink can set you on the right track. If you need a professional deep drain cleaning, be sure to contact Green Group LLC. With more than 5 decades of experience in the plumbing industry, our team is happy to accommodate customers in Middle Tennessee.
