Fighting vinegar flies: 9 effective remedies for traps

Vinegar flies are a real nuisance, especially on warm days, as they multiply explosively. You don't have to despair now, because you can get rid of the nuisances with simple traps.

Vinegar flies

Vinegar flies, also called dew, fruit, fermentation, must or fruit flies, are one to six millimeters in size. Around 3,000 species of the Drosophilidae family are known worldwide. Around 50 of them live in Germany. A distinction is made between wild species and cultural successors. The latter have adapted to human habits and are magically attracted to rotting fruit and leftover drinks. Since they feed on fermenting substances, residual and organic waste are also popular gateways for pests. The female fruit flies lay up to 400 eggs, which are invisible to the human eye. The offspring are deposited in fermenting plant substances such as those found in rotten fruits. Because bacteria and yeast, which decompose the fruit, serve the maggots as food. The development time of the larvae to the adult insect depends on the temperature. Development takes nine days at 25 degrees Celsius. After a further twelve hours, the offspring are sexually mature.

Fight vinegar flies

In this country, fruit flies usually appear in summer, when the warm temperatures cause stored fruit to rot quickly. Once they have established themselves, they multiply explosively and are often difficult to get rid of. Although the fruit flies are not harmful to humans, they are considered an annoying pest. To fight the fruit flies, you can hit them with their own preferences.

Garbage can

Fruit and fruit residues in organic waste are a welcome source of food for fruit flies. Therefore, you should empty the bin more often than usual, especially in summer or on warm days. So flies plus offspring go into the bin with the garbage. To keep the fruit flies away, you should clean the trash can thoroughly after emptying it.

Falling

You can get fruit fly traps in specialist shops. However, since these work on a very simple principle, you can easily recreate them. To do this you need

• a glass of water, a bowl, an empty jam jar or a bottle
• some splashes of detergent
• Attractant

The glass or bowl serves as a container for the trap. The detergent has the effect of reducing the surface tension of the liquid attractant. So the fruit flies can no longer stay on the surface and drown. As an attractant for the liquid trap, you can use various means, such as:

• Vinegar, such as fruit, wine, or balsamic vinegar
• fruit juice
• Wine, beer, whiskey, liqueur or sparkling wine

Tip: Vinegar can also be added to the trap in diluted form as a remedy. If sugar is dissolved in the vinegar water, this should increase the effect. This also applies to fruit juice.

How long the traps stay depends on the number of flies caught. In any case, however, you should change the remedy every two days so that the traps do not lose their effectiveness.

Extended fruit fly trap

You can also close the fruit fly trap so that the fruit flies can no longer escape the trap, for example if they are at the edge of the container. You need cling film and a rubber band for the closure.

• Close the jar with cling film
• fix with elastic band
• Poke holes in the cling film with a thick needle

So the fruit flies get caught in the trap, but can no longer find a way out.

Live trap

If you don't want to kill the flies, you can also set up a live trap. However, handling them is a bit more complicated. For this trap you need:

• a large plastic bag
• a piece of overripe fruit or a banana peel

To control the fruit flies, do the following:

• Put the fruit or banana peel in the plastic bag
• Wait for the flies to take hold of the delicacy
• If the flies are in the plastic bag, seal the plastic bag
• Bring the plastic bag outside
• Open the plastic bag and release vinegar flies

Tip: To prevent the flies from returning, you should release them at a large distance from your house or apartment.

Keep fruit flies away

You should keep the kitchen clean so that fruit flies do not attack the fruit in the first place. Make sure that no used glasses or drinks, such as wine or non-alcoholic sweet drinks, are standing around openly. You should also clean work surfaces and sinks well so that the flies are not attracted.

Remove soft fruits and vegetables

You should remove fruit that has soft spots. You should also check the fruit bowl to see whether juice has already leaked out. Because this attracts the flies.

Lemon with cloves

Cloves and lemons should help to keep the fruit flies away from the filled fruit bowl. To do this, cut a fresh lemon in half and sprinkle the pulp with cloves. Place the peppered lemon half next to the fruit bowl. The smell drives the flies away and keeps them away from the fruit. However, to ensure permanent protection, you should replace the lemon after two to three days.

Onions

A cut one onion Placed in the fruit bowl helps in two ways. On the one hand, fruit flies don't like the smell of onions, on the other hand, it masks the sweet scent of the fruit. To prevent this positive effect from turning into a negative, you should check onions regularly. If it starts to rot, it loses its effect and becomes a fly magnet.

Herbs

The scent of various herbs, such as fresh basil or dried olive herbs, is said to drive away pests.

Protective hood

A fine-meshed protective hood prevents access to the fruit. However, you should keep in mind that fruit flies rarely grow larger than three millimeters.

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