If you’re the type of person who loves always having farm-fresh produce available in your home, then you’re no stranger to kitchen or fruit flies. These tiny pests are always looking for a sweet snack, and they can become a nuisance when the fruits they find are the ones you planned to enjoy. However, these kitchen flies do not have to last forever. With a few easy tricks, you can get rid of them and get your kitchen space back.

What Are Fruit Flies?

Kitchen flies, also known as fruit flies, are tiny brown flies only reaching 3 to 4 millimeters in length fully grown. They breed in dark, damp places usually where leftover food has been, such as a garbage disposal, trashcan, or drain. These fruit flies have the ability to reproduce very quickly, and in some cases, the female can lay over 500 eggs at a time. It’s important to not allow the fruit flies to reproduce because that can lead to a much more serious infestation. The danger of these flies comes from their ability to carry bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, so to stop the spread of the bacteria it’s important to eliminate the flies right away. 

What Causes Fruit Flies?

Since the flies are so small, you may not notice one hitching a ride on your grocery bag or sneaking in through a window, but once they are inside your home, they can become difficult to manage. Fruit flies are attracted to rotting fruit, meat, or fermented liquids such as beer and wine, and the presence of these items in your kitchen could be the reason for their sudden company. Oftentimes fruit flies will be attracted to the garbage bin where these items can most commonly be found, so it’s essential that you stay on top of taking out the trash. 

How Do I Get Rid of Fruit Flies?

There are a few ways to prevent fruit flies from getting in your home in the first place, as well as home remedies for getting them out. Keeping all doors and windows shut or screened can prevent the flies from sneaking inside, and washing all the fruit that you bring in can rid the fruit of any fly larvae that may be on them. Throwing out rotting fruit and vegetables immediately instead of keeping them around can help defer the fruit flies from detecting it. Taking the trash out regularly can stop the spread of any fruit flies so they don’t lay eggs on any of the objects in your trashcan. When you spill fruit juice or an alcoholic beverage, cleaning it up right away can stop the fruit flies from smelling the sticky liquid. 

The potential for fruit flies to infest your home can lead to the spread of bacteria, inedible produce, and most of all, some extremely annoying uninvited guests to dinner. It’s crucial to get these pests out of the house as soon as possible, and there is no one better to take care of this issue than ProStaff. Give us a call at 515-279-PEST (7378).