As we move into spring and summer, many people start feeling a bit more tropical. Fruit tends to become more available and affordable. After a long winter, it’s such a treat to stock up on your favorite fruits to eat through the season. However, when purchasing fruit, make sure you don’t get too much. Overripe fruit attracts fruit flies. These tiny pests can cause big problems. Learn how to prevent them with the help of Big Blue Bug Solutions.
What Are Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies are tiny black flying insects. And they can be extremely obnoxious since they can appear in large numbers and fly around the kitchens, dining rooms, and the whole house. Fruit flies usually appear in homes because they’ve found food there. They eat and lay their eggs on rotting and overripe fruits, garbage, and other organic materials. They’re attracted to sugary foods and will multiply quickly once they appear. In addition to food, fruit flies may infest your home if you have high humidity levels. They like moisture and warm temperatures.
Are Fruit Flies Dangerous?
At first glance, fruit flies appear to be harmless. They don’t bite or sting, and they aren’t known to transmit any diseases to humans. However, they can sometimes spread bacteria which can be dangerous for your family.
Because they are attracted to decay, they can pick up bacteria from rotting organic matter and bring these bacteria into your house. They’ll contaminate food and cooking surfaces and could make your family sick. Recent studies have shown that fruit flies may even be linked to the transmission of E. coli.
Preventing Fruit Flies
The first, most obvious tip, is to remove rotting fruit from your house. Keep an eye on any fruit sitting on the counter and check for signs of ripeness. If possible, store fruit in the fridge to keep it out of reach of fruit flies. Toss fruit once it has gone bad.
Keep garbage in containers with lids. This is especially important for organic trash and compost. If fruit flies can get into your garbage, they’ll find plenty of food. Make sure that your indoor and outdoor trash cans have tight lids.
Don’t leave food sitting out. Store all food properly during the day and at night, fruit flies aren’t only attracted to fruit. Any food, especially sugary food, might attract them.
Use DIY traps. One common approach to fruit flies is to put apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap into a jar. Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke some holes in the top. Fruit flies will fly in through the holes since they are attracted to the apple cider vinegar. But they will be unable to find their way back out and will eventually get stuck in the liquid at the bottom and die.
Do-it-yourself approaches like this can lower the number of fruit flies in your kitchen, but contacting Big Blue Bug Solutions will result in quicker and more effective elimination. We have the tools and experience to eradicate fruit flies from your house. We’ll also work with you to create lasting prevention. Fruit flies are annoying, to be sure, but the bacteria they carry can also be dangerous. Don’t take the risk. Contact Big Blue Bug Solutions today to find out how we can help you protect your home from a fruit fly infestation.