They appear all year round but there is usually an increase in the number of fruit flies in late summer and autumn
As the summer is coming to an end and autumn is upon us, perhaps many of us are realising that we have a lot of fruit flies around the house.
Over time, they can be a nuisance as they progress from egg to adulthood in around eight to 10 days before reproducing at a very fast rate. Although they do appear all year round, there is usually an increase in the number of fruit flies in late summer and autumn.
According to Pest Defence, fruit flies are very small, usually measuring at around 3mm long. Their body is black on top and grey underneath, however they can appear to be brown or tan, with distinctive red eyes.
You will find more of them this time of year due to fruit ripening. Fruit flies thrive in moist or damp places, making areas of your kitchen the perfect breeding grounds, according to Pest Defence.
In particular, they are attracted to fermenting fruits and vegetables and will swarm around your bin for anything else that is sweet or fermented, including milk bottles, wine bottles and beer cans. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Pest Defence adds: “Anything that contains decaying matter in a moist environment, such as drains, mops, sponges and recycling bins, creates the perfect breeding ground for fruit flies. Once fruit flies have found a suitable environment they can lay up to 500 eggs, so it is important that during a fruit fly infestation you are washing all fruit and vegetable produce thoroughly before consumption.”
Although a nuisance around the house, fruit flies are harmless. But households might want to look into ways of preventing the flies from reaching their food. Experts have shared their handy tips and tricks on how to achieve this in an effective way.
How to prevent them from breeding?
- Keep your fruit and vegetables in fridges or tightly closed cupboards
- Ensure that you remove rotting organic matter as quickly as possible
- Thoroughly clean your kitchen
- Wash all your dishes straight away and don’t leave dirty dishes sitting out
- Wash out any recycling, such as glass bottles, cans, or tins
- Store your recycling and general waste cleanly, ensuring there is no debris or liquids on the outside of your bins
- Make sure drains are running properly and are clean
- Replace old mop heads, sponges and dishcloths
How to get rid of fruit flies?
If you have remaining flies, according to Pest Defence, you can create a bait.
The bait includes:
- Use either use red wine, apple cider vinegar, juice or fermenting fruit
- Place the bait into a container covered with cling film or a plastic wrap
- Poke a few holes into the cover
- Flies will then be attracted to the bait, fly through the hole, will either drown or be unable find their way back out
But for quick removals, Pest Defence advises households to use an insecticide spray.