There is nothing worse than coming home or waking up in the morning and finding fruit flies plaguing your home.
They can seemingly come out of nowhere, with hundreds of the pesky bugs swarming areas of your house.
Fruit flies are caused by moist, fermenting fruits and vegetables and almost always a result of leaving food to rot in the bin for too long.
Worst of all, they can prove to be challenging to get rid of completely once they are in abundance.
Thanks to the expertise of Deborah Looi, a plant expert and founder of Gardening collective, here are some life hacks on how to get rid of fruit flies for good.
How to get rid of fruit flies overnight
Apple cider vinegar
Using apple cider vinegar can be one of the simplest ways to get rid of fruity flies as it can be used to create a natural repellent.
Simply put a mixture of it with water into a spray bottle and get to work on the problem area.
Deborah explained: “Apple cider vinegar is a natural fly killer. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar to a spray bottle and spray it around the fruit fly-infested areas.”
Make your own fruit fly trap
There is no need to head to the shops and buy an expensive fly trap as you can make one of your own at home with leftover items.
Deborah said: “You can make a simple fruit fly trap by filling a small glass jar with water and adding 1 teaspoon of sugar.”
Once this is complete, place it in the problem area and before long it should start showing results.
She continued: “Place the jar on the counter near where you see the fruit flies, and within a few days, you'll see the flies drowning in the sugar water.”
Boric acid
Boric acid can be used to tackle a number of household pests, but it is especially good at fighting fruit flies.
It can be found at most pharmacies, just head to the counter and ask for it.
“Boric acid is another natural fly killer that can be found at most pharmacies or grocery stores,” Deborah said.
She added: “Simply sprinkle it around the infested areas or add it to water so that it will be absorbed by the plants and kill the fruit flies.”
Diatomaceous earth
This is another item that will be wise to keep in the home for when these issues inevitably emerge.
Diatomaceous earth can be purchased from numerous stores and online, from wholefoods shops to Amazon.
Deborah explained: “Diatomaceous earth is made up of tiny fossilised shells that have been crushed into a fine powder.
“When applied to surfaces, they break down insect exoskeletons, killing them in the process.
“It can be sprinkled around fruits or vegetables, or put into water baths to help control pests in general (including fruit flies).”
