Fruit flies can be a problem all year round – even in the winter.
Although most common during summer and autumn, might sometimes see fruit flies in your home during winter because they can’t survive outdoors in the cold. So instead, they come looking for somewhere comfortable and warm – and your kitchen is perfect.
You’ll often find fruit flies buzzing around your fruit bowl, bin or sink, where they tend to lay eggs. Luckily, there are several ways to get rid of these pesky creates – and one way couldn’t be more simple. All you need is two items you already have in your kitchen.
TikTok content creator Em recently saw the hack and decided to try it out herself, and said it “worked wonders” and saved her from splashing out money on so-called fruit fly traps. She explained: “All you’re going to need is a cup of white vinegar to attract them and then olive oil, or liquid dish soap, to make sure they can’t get out.
Em grabbed an empty, and clean, jar she had lying around and “filled it about halfway with vinegar”, added a “bit of olive oil” as well as a some “good smelling handsoap”. With this method, Em said she managed to “trap about 30 fruit flies in less than 48 hours”.
Other TikTok users started sharing their own hacks for getting rid of them. “Also pour boiling water down the drains once a week,” shared one social media user. “I use apple cider vinegar for the sweet smell!” added another.
And many people have tried it out for themselves. “This works! I’ve done this for years!! Thanks for sharing for others!” said one person. Another added: “I’m using the Vinegar and dish soap combo and I love it so much. using it less now, as they arent as much as when I started with it but it’s definitely worth using.”
“Yes, this is a great advice. I am using this method every summer and it really works well. I put two jars – near the fruits and the bin. I do not add oil and mix vinegar with water and it is also good,” added another.
According to TikTok cleaning guru Ann Russell, you also need to make sure you’re getting rid of the reason your kitchen is attracting fruit flies, or they will keep returning. If you don’t, a permanent cycle of fruit fly infestation will ensue and become a “consistent problem”.
Ann’s method involves filling your sink with piping hot, soapy water to “clean everything thoroughly until you find what’s attracting them” whether it’s a rogue droplet of fruit juice behind the bin or your in-house compost bin.
To ensure these pesky invaders are eradicated, she suggests dousing your drains and overflows with boiling water daily. Persevere for about two weeks, insists Ann, and those unwanted guests should vanish for good.
And to cap off her advice, Ann stresses: “Wash your bins. Empty them regularly. Home compost outside. Absolutely scrupulous cleanliness. And that will do it.”
