Fruit Flies in Drain: How to Get Rid of Them for Good
Have you ever been irritated by any household pests? Have you tried everything to get rid of fruit flies but all in vain? Don’t worry; you’re in the right place. This article will help you deal with these nagging pests once and for all.
An infestation of a fruit fly in your home can indeed be an annoying experience. Once you have them, they’re very hard to control as they can lay eggs on everything, even the smallest little morsels.
Although they’re not disgusting to look at, and you can also temporally scare them off with the flap of your hands, they can make you feel a bit humiliated, like you have a dirty home. They also may carry disease-causing germs from the drain, which can contaminate your food.
What causes fruit flies in your drain?
Are you worried about the cause of fruit flies in your drain? Do you think it is a cleanliness issue? No, they come in your drain when you dispose of your grocery waste there. They are also mostly attracted by the smell of ripening fruits, especially the over-ripening one.
Why do they always end up in the drain?
Besides eating your rotting or ripe fruits, fruit flies require a place to reproduce and live. What they best like is a damp, dark place. Then what fits the bill? Your kitchen drain. It’s like a dream home for the fruit flies. It’s dark, wet, and also full of food residue.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can get rid of the fruit flies for good and prevent them from coming back. Below are simple and effective ways of getting rid of fruit flies in your drain. Try to follow them diligently.
How can you get rid of the fruit flies?
As with any effort to get rid of household pests, a sluggish approach won’t work. You need to be well set to fight these pests. You can use household chemicals, insecticides, or natural ways to do away with those troublesome pests. The first step you need to do is cleaning out the drain.
Below are the steps on how to do it;
- Pour ½ cups of baking soda, ½ cup of salt, and one cup of vinegar and leave it overnight. The following morning, follow up with hot water. Repeat if necessary.
- To sanitize the drain, pour a half-gallon of water and one cup of vinegar down the drain
- To loosen the rotting matter, pour hot water down the drain. Clean the pipelining by using a metal pipe brush. Follow with more hot water.
After sanitizing the drain, you can now make a homemade trap to entrap the remaining flies. The most effective remedies to make a homemade trap include;
- Plastic wrap and apple cider vinegar
- Old fruit and a paper cone
- Dish soap and vinegar
- Old wine or beer
Are you wondering how they’re made? Relax, and read through the following steps. By the time you’ll be reading the last step, you’ll be a pro.
How to make homemade traps using;
- Apple cider vinegar and plastic wrapTake several jars or glasses and fill them with apple cider vinegar (or old beer) to 2/3 full.
- To each jar, add a drop of dishwashing liquid and gently mix with a spoon.
- On top of each jar, put a plastic wrap to make it tight and hold in place the plastic wrap with a rubber band.
- In the plastic wrap, punch about ten holes and put the glasses near the drain. Ensure that the walls are wide enough for the fruit flies to pass through. They’ll be attracted by the smell, move in, and finally drown in the mixture.
- If you don’t have the plastic trap, take some pieces of paper and roll them into cone-shape in every glass. The fruit flies will be able to crawl in but not out.
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- Paper cone, old fruit, and vinegar
- Place a chunk of over ripen fruits and a little vinegar in ajar
- Roll a paper into a cone-shape and stick it in the jar, the narrow opening facing down.
The rotting smell from the produce will entice the fruit flies into the mixture. However, due to the cone part of this fruit fly trap, it would be difficult for them to find their way out.
- Vinegar and dish soap
If the fruit flies are resistant to your plastic paper or wrap cone traps, take a bowl of vinegar and add three drops of dish soap, then leave it uncovered. The soap would cut the surface tension of the vinegar leading to sinking and drowning of the fruit flies.
- Beer or old beer
Fruit flies like wine, just like vinegar. So, leave out an open bottle with a little leftover liquid- the fruit flies will be lured in the stale beverage and will be trapped by the skinny neck. For surer success, add a couple of dish soap.
There is also an abundance of over-counter products accessible for controlling household pests, including the fruit flies. Like the homemade traps, these products only tackle part of the issue-killing only the present adult fruit flies. Below is the list of the top-rated over-counter products for killing fruit flies and other household pests. You can also give them a try to kick the flies out of your drain once and for all.
- Fruit fly barpro
- Aunt Fannie’s fly punch
- Catchy indoor insect trap
- Terro fruit fly trap
Note: To entirely get rid of the fruit flies, you’ve to find and eliminate all the breeding and food sources.
How can you prevent fruit fly infestation?
These flies are like ants- once you let them take over, it will seem impossible for you to control them. However, there are simple ways to prevent them from invading your home including;
- Keep your sink drains free from food debris and clean and cover them at night. This would keep the flies away and prevent egg-laying and breeding.
- Fix quickly any drain clog to keep the fruit flies at bay.
- Dispose of the garbage frequently.
- Always stock up produce in the refrigerator.
- As soon as you bring your produce home, wash them to remove larvae, which may be present.
- Always keep trapping them using the dish soap and apple vinegar trap. An almost-empty bottle of beer or soda can do the trick.
- Fling away old vegetables and fruits which can attract the fruit flies.
- Avoid leaving dirty dishes overnight.
- Rinse out your beer bottles, wine bottles, beer cans, juice jugs or bottles before throwing them into your trash can.
If you have keenly passed through this article, I can bet sure that fruit fly infestation in your drain, will be a forgone case.