How do I get rid of fruit flies in my home without nasty chemicals as I have kids, any home remedies???

Question

I had heard of some home remedies to get rid of fruit flies, I don't want to bomb as I have kids, I keep a real clean home but get these each fall.

I have tried teh tape things and also have the bug attracters with the bluew light and catch a few but not nearly enough.

Answer 1

Very easy to get rid of fruit flies, and that is to get rid of the source (the fruit). The fruit flies come with the fruit, when you buy the,m, they then hatch while you have them sitting on the counter. YOur best bet is to buy enough fruit that will last you a day or two at aq time. Your first step is to get rid of the fruit you have right now, start with new fruit, and only buy enough for a few days. When you start to see the flies, throw it out. That will get rid of your problem, we had the same problem.

Answer 2

We had flies really bad this summer. I too, tried everything including the tapes, water in a bag over the door, chemicals, and home remedies. The best and only solution was to purchase a fly swatter, and start killing them. We also quit buying fruit ,and keeping all foods in fridge, or sealed container, making sure that no more flies came into the house while the doors were opened, and not putting food of any kind in the trash unless it too was sealed in a bag.

Answer 3

I have the same problem and to fix it I made a fruit fly trap using a plastic cup with some apple cider vinegar in the bottom and then putting one of those paper cones/funnels on top of it. The fruit flies get in but they can't figure out how to get back out :) Also, Lee Valley sells fruit fly traps but I haven't tried them yet.

Answer 4

we love fruit flies, but sometimes they get crazy and escape their bottles so we've got to catch them again! I can understand how they can be quite a nuisance in the home because they breed rapidly and prolifically. and they certainly can be pesky.

1) get a snapple bottle, put orange juice or wine vinegar in it, they will fly in there and drown

or check out this trap
http://www.gardengrapevine.com/FruitFlyTrap.html

2) get rid of all fruit/vegies/onions around the house, put in fridge if necessary. look in drains, garbage cans, etc. for breeding grounds...look for pupae. i have heard fruit flies even breeding in dish sponges

3) my favorite way of capturing & killing them is with a vacuum cleaner. get them off the walls (they like to sit on white surfaces) and suck them up midair, it's a lot of fun and even the kids could get into it. a really strong vacuum cleaner with a big nozzle would work well. once they are in the bag they can't get out.

4) you could turn this into a learning project. http://www.wormman.com/fruit_fly_care_sheet.cfm
and show your kids the various life cycle stages
http://www.mamkschools.org/chatsworth/class/fruitfli.htm

Answer 5

Small flies and Ants are become a nuisance when they enter homes. Instead of spending money on costly pest control, you can get rid of these by removing the food source and using soap water. I found the information at http://tinyurl.com/mdhlm useful.

Answer 6

try a little bit of wine in a cup covered with plastic wrap with some holes poked in it. after awhile you should notice some drowned drunk fruit flies, lol! also, wash all produce and either keep it wrapped or refrigerated. good luck! i hate those pesky bugs, too.

Answer 7

Get rid of the food source (fruit).

Answer 8

Great answer NYbron, the vacuum with an attachment worked wonderfully.

Answer 9

Put your fruit in the refrigerator, added benefit, they last longer.

Answer 10

use those tape things that stick them on to it