WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT FRUIT FLIES
What do you know about the humble fruit fly, besides the fact that they drive you nuts and breed like crazy? Are you aware that your home can be completely fly free and still get an infestation of fruit flies? Do you know that some of the fruits you purchase from the grocery store already have eggs on them? These are fairly common facts. But we’re betting that the fact that we are about to cover in this article is one that you don’t know. What’s worse, is that it is a fact every family should know about these tiny little pests. But, unlike those 60-minute infomercials on television, we’re not going to make you wait sixty minutes to find out what it is. We’re going to tell you right out of the gate and get to the business of figuring out how we can protect your family.
What Do Fruit Flies Look Like?
Fruit flies have a hairy body and sticky feet. These two attributes can make them a danger in your home. If they have access to dirty things, they can spread harmful bacteria to your family (like a bee pollinating flowers). There are many ways this can play out. The most common is when fruit flies walk around in your trash and then walk on your cooking surfaces, toothbrushes, plates, and glasses. If you have a trash can in your kitchen that doesn’t make a good seal when closed, this is a real hazard.
Can Fruit Flies Spread Disease?
Sometimes this spread of illness is started by something rare, like replacing a refrigerator and leaving the old refrigerator in your house with the door closed. Fruit flies breed in rotting organic material and you would be amazed how little material they need.
When fruit flies spread harmful bacteria you may not even know it. You might ask, “If I don’t know it, why should I care?” Oh, you’ll know something is wrong. You may just miss the fact that it was fruit flies that caused it. You may think those abdominal pains and frequent trips to the bathroom are just the symptoms of a cold. When your kids get a fever and have to vomit, you’ll probably think they have the flu. It is hard to make the connection between fruit flies and illness.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
If you find one fruit fly or a thousand fruit flies, here are the steps you can take to get rid of them.
- Get a flip top garbage can that seals.
- Clean all the surfaces in your kitchen and look under the fridge for the remains of an old juice spill. This happens more often than you might think.
- If you have old fruit on the counter, throw it away or put it in the fridge. When that fridge is plugged in, it is the best place to store your fruit before you eat it.
- Swap out old sponges with new ones.
- Be sure you don’t have anything rotting in your potato storage area. Yes. Fruit flies like potatoes.
- Clean dishes that are sitting on the counter.
- Put down some fruit fly traps. The more traps you have, the faster you’ll stop the problem. Look online for instructions on how to build a fruit fly trap that uses vinegar and dish soap.
If you continue to get fruit flies, give us a call, and we’ll send a certified professional, who will be able to help you identify breeding areas in your home and take care of the problem. Fruit flies may be tiny, but they can be a big problem.
Call Viking at 800-618-2847 to learn more about pest control and extermination services, or get a fast, free quote online today!
