Fruit flies thrive at this time of year, thanks to the accelerated rotting of fruit and other food due to the heat. These tiny little flies can carry salmonella, e-coli and other food poisoning inducing diseases that can make you seriously unwell.
In a single breeding season, fruit flies can produce 500 offspring, even though their life cycle only lasts seven days maximum. After the female deposits her eggs, they will usually hatch within 24-30 hours. This means that fruit fly populations can grow very quickly in your home, and ultimately puts them in the category of pests as they infest rapidly.
So how do you get rid of fruit flies and keep them away?
EMPTY BINS MORE REGULARLY
In the warmer weather, food rots faster and in turn creates a swarm of fruit flies, making sure you empty your bins regularly and emptying them daily when the weather is hotter than usual is essential for keeping fruit flies at bay.
WASH FRUIT & REFRIGERATE
Washing and refrigerating your fruit is a great way to avoid fruit flies. Fruit flies are carried in on your fruit when you buy it, so making sure you wash it all when you get home and then put into a sealed container in the fridge or a clean fruit bowl, will really help with avoiding fruit flies.
FIND THE SOURCE FAST
Fruit flies multiply at a rapid rate, so finding the source of the problem fast is essential for calming the infestation. They are not exclusive to fruit either, potatoes and onions that have been forgotten about in the cupboard will attract a fruit fly infestation, so make sure you are regularly checking your fresh fruit and veg.