Keri's Wellness Wednesday: How to get rid of fruit flies

Keri's Wellness Wednesday: How to get rid of fruit flies

Summer is finally here, but that also means fruit flies will be buzzing everywhere! Here's an easy hack to help you get rid of fruit flies so you can enjoy your fruit at room temperature.

Fruit flies hack
Image: Pinterest / FIRST for Women magazine

Yes, you can put your fruit away in the fridge, but why? It’s so much more delicious ripe and at room temperature. With that said, ripe fruit and veggies are not a good combination with warm weather. I came across this fruit fly kitchen hack and it is amazing.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- small (wide mouth) container
- dishwashing liquid
- water
- clingwrap

To create the all-natural fruit-fly trap:

  1. Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to your container. 
  2. Add a few drops of your dishwashing liquid (you can get environmentally friendly soaps now at many stores). This breaks the surface tension of the apple cider vinegar and ensures that once any fruit fly gets near the vinegar, they won't be able to climb out.
  3. Top up with a little water.
  4. Cover the container with plastic wrap and puncture the wrap with something sharp to make several small holes. You could use the wide end of a toothpick or a fork. Don't make them too big: you want the fruit flies to be able to get in and to limit their ability to get out.
  5. Place the fruit-fly trap next to your fruit bowl or wherever your ‘infestation’ is, and watch as they fly straight to it. The flies are attracted to the smell of the apple cider vinegar and then (kind of sadly, but not) meet their fate.

If you don’t like the idea of the apple cider vinegar/dishwashing liquid combo, you can place three or four small pieces of cut fruit in the container and cover with cling wrap, then poke holes in it. Flies will be drawn to it as they enjoy fruit.

Read: Guide: Seasonal fruit and vegetables in South Africa

Enjoy your fruit-fly free kitchen this summer! 

Read: Ten things to do in KZN this summer

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