Preventing Fruit Flies

Since I live in a part of the country where fruit is seasonal and I like to buy a lot of it, I am wondering if anyone can give me a tip on how to avoid fruit flies or, at least, control them. I keep a bowl of fruit on the table covered with a cloth and the remainder I refrigerate until I am ready to use them but the flies are starting to bother me. I will appreciate any help I can get. Thanks.

Orva from Toronto, Canada

Answers:

Preventing Fruit Flies

I read somewhere to mix up a concoction of Dawn dish soap, apple cider vinegar and a little water. That is supposed to draw the fruit flies and then they drown. I haven't tried it but heard it really works. (07/31/2007)

By Terri Borders

Preventing Fruit Flies

To Terrijb: You are absolutely right. I tried it and it works. It's amazing how that solution attracts the flies and drown. Thank you. (07/31/2007)

By Stainless

Preventing Fruit Flies

Once you have fruit flies in your house, they are a pain to get rid of. They can also live in garbage, some house plant soil, and in recycle bins. In my school, we sometimes have a fruit fly problem in the bins where we recycle juice boxes and pop cans. We used to keep a big bin of composting earthworms, and the worst thing in that was the peel from Christmas oranges. We controlled them in that bin by keeping a toad, but that is not something you can do in your kitchen!

Fruit flies have such a short life span, that even if you kill them, with Raid, or some less poisonous method, they hatch another batch, so you have to figure out where they are breeding and living, besides in your fruit bowls.

Another place they like to infest is a bucket I keep for compost, before I put it out into the garden. If this gets infested in the winter, I just put it outside for 1/2 an hour or so, and that kills the flying ones. (07/31/2007)

By Louel53

Preventing Fruit Flies

The fruit fly only lays it's eggs on 'ripening' fruit. Even if just a section of it is say bruised and starting to rot somewhat. Try to seperate that out and maybe can that or process it first (if thats what you do) That May help. (11/13/2007)

By Jerry