Your kitchen is a place for creation, a place for satisfying wants and needs, a place for artistic expression, and even a place for bonding in some cases. Your kitchen is not, however, a place for pests. Unfortunately, not many pests have gotten that memo and we, the homeowners, are forced to deal with these intruders. One of the most common pests encountered in the kitchen is the fruit fly. Although they can be a problem year round, summer is the most common season for fruit fly infestations because of the increase of the presence of their “bait.” Before I can tell you how to quickly and easily get rid of fruit flies, you should understand what attracts them and how to prevent an infestation.

It seems like common sense, but fruit flies are mainly attracted to fermenting fruits and vegetables, as well as any sort of fermenting sugary substance. This includes leftover drops of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, etc. left out in your kitchen for an extended period of time. The flies can enter from outdoors to feed on the sugary goodness you have provided them, or they can set up camp in drains or garbage disposals. Either way, these flies can become a huge nuisance, as they travel in rather large numbers and will constantly fly around your kitchen.

The best way to avoid a fruit fly infestion is to avoid letting fruit rot out in the open and to throw out all empty bottles and cans regularly. For fruits and vegetables that you prefer not to refrigerate, keeping them in a closed bag will slow down the rotting process, and therefore help you avoid unwanted fruit flies. But, as life has it, everybody makes mistakes. Everybody’s life is too hectic and too busy sometimes to make sure the fruit is being checked on daily. So luckily, there is one simple way to rid your home of fruit flies if an infestation does occur.

If you do happen to notice small flies zooming around your rotting food, simply dispose of the food as soon as possible. This should prevent any more flies from appearing. But sometimes the adults will linger in your kitchen long after the initial source of attraction has been removed. Fortunately, a quick DIY project usually solves the problem.

All you need is a glass, a ziploc bag, scissors,apple cider vinegar, and a rubber band. Simply fill the cup up halfway with the vinegar. The sweet smell should attract the remaining fruit flies to your new trap. Place the ziploc bag over the cup, secure it with a rubber band, and poke a small hole in the top with scissors. Place the trap in your kitchen, and you’re sure to catch the remaining fruit flies for good.

Fruit flies are usually easy to get rid of if fruit or empty bottles are the problem. However, if they have nested in your drains or garbage disposal, they can be tricky to remove. Your best bet in a situation like this would be to call a pest control team for help. If you encounter a problem like this, call Arrow Termite and Pest Control at 1(800)569-2936 or 1(225)751-8900 in the Baton Rouge area today for help.

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