There are a lot of fly species that can trouble your home, with the housefly being the most common, but you shouldn’t disregard the other fly species just because they are not as common as houseflies. Fruit flies, for example, are just as notorious when it comes to spreading diseases. Here are the causes of a fruit fly infestation you should look out for around your home. If you know the causes, you can actively prevent them and make your home safer from disease-spreading pests such as fruit flies.
1. It’s summer or fall
Fruit flies can be a problem all year, but your home is particularly at risk of a fruit fly infestation during late summer or fall. This is because these are usually the periods fruits ferment and ripen. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you, but fruit flies are attracted to fruits. They are attracted to other organic materials too, but they seem to prefer fruits and vegetables more.
Sure, you can’t change the weather conditions around your home. But there are some things you can do to minimize the risk of a fruit fly infestation.
- Maintain the cleanliness of the outside of your home. Fruit flies thrive not just in fruits and vegetables, but also in any kind of fermenting material. Your garden, lawn, or yard may be rich in these fermenting materials. The sludge at the bottom of your garbage bins is the biggest culprit. Keep the outside of your home clean to prevent a fruit fly infestation.
- Don’t disregard the inside of your home either. Garbage bins are not the only places where sludge can accumulate. You can also find these fermenting materials on your appliances and plumbing. Basically, you have to prevent sludge both inside and outside of your home.
2. You have fruits or vegetables outside your home
Do you have a garden where you grow fruits or vegetables? Here’s the bad news – fruits and vegetables are some of the greatest causes of a fruit fly infestation. And you may even bring the infestation inside your home as you store your harvest in your kitchen. But here’s the good news – you can minimize the risk.
- Pick up the ripe fruits and vegetables. Fruit flies are attracted to ripe fruits and vegetables. So, the most obvious thing you can do is to pick up these attractors before they entice some fruit flies to come over. Micromanaging the fruits and vegetables outside your home may be a hassle, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Throw away overripe or rotten fruits and vegetables. No matter how good you are at micromanaging the ripeness of your fruits and vegetables, you will always end up with overripe or rotten produce. Don’t hesitate to throw them away before they attract pests.
3. You don’t store your food properly
If you don’t store your food properly inside your home, you are basically asking for a pest infestation. Fruit flies are not just the only ones attracted to food. You are also making yourself vulnerable to the likes of ants, cockroaches, and rats. Give particular attention to fruits and vegetables if you want to prevent a fruit fly infestation.
- Keep your fruits and vegetables refrigerated. Store your fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. You are not just making these food items inaccessible to fruit flies. You are also slowing down their ripening. If you can’t put them in the refrigerator, at least store them in a closed container where they can’t be easily reached by pests.
- Wash your fruits and vegetables well before storing them. Whether you get your fruits and vegetables from your garden or the grocery, it’s good practice to wash them well first before storing them.
4. You have overripe or rotten fruits or vegetables
This can’t be stressed enough – fruit flies are particularly attracted to overripe or rotten fruits and vegetables. If you have these around your home, you are putting yourself at risk of a fruit fly infestation. The key is to eliminate these attractors before they lure in fruit flies.
- Consume your fruits and vegetables before they become overripe or rotten. Throwing away overripe or rotten fruits and vegetables is a shame. It can even be argued that it’s wasteful. To prevent wasting food, eat all your fruits and vegetables before they expire.
- Don’t hesitate to throw away overripe or rotten fruits and vegetables. Sure, throwing away food is not ideal. But if your fruits and vegetables are already overripe or rotten, there is nothing you can do about them but throw them away.
5. You have poor waste management
Flies in general, not just fruit flies, like to nest in unsanitary places. You can see them in animal feces, clogged drains, compost piles, sewages, and of course, garbage bins. Garbage bins are great attractors of pests because their contents are diverse. Pests can find food, water, and shelter in garbage bins, especially those that are easily accessible.
- Empty your garbage bins often, especially those with food and water items. Garbage bins are attractors of different kinds of pests. But they can attract fruit flies in particular if they have fruits and vegetables in them. This is why you have to give particular attention to the garbage bins that are likely to have these food items. The garbage bins in your kitchen come to mind. Empty them regularly. But don’t disregard other garbage bins too, as their sludge can attract fruit flies just as much.
- Use garbage bins with lids. Garbage bins with lids are great. They make the garbage a little more inaccessible to pests. They reduce the chances of attracting pests such as fruit flies. It’s ideal to use garbage bins with lids. But don’t forget to empty them often. You don’t want the garbage to overflow. The lids will not do a good job of covering the garbage bins if the bins are overflowing.
These are the most common causes of a fruit fly infestation
Fruit flies are nuisance pests, but you shouldn’t disregard them. They live in unsanitary places and can transport bacteria from these unsanitary places into your home. Avoid fruit flies by understanding the causes of a fruit fly infestation and being proactive in preventing them.