How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in 3 Easy Steps

* What’s New: Vibrant Living Expo

* Feature Article: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in 3 Easy Steps

Vibrant Living Expo

Today is the last day of the Vibrant Living Expo, a weekend long raw food event in Fort Bragg.  Usually, I’m not particularly interested in these events.  From what I have heard, it’s mostly a bunch of raw food gurus pushing their supplements, superfoods, and other processed products.

However, I was very interested in the Vibrant Living Expo when I learned that both Dr. Douglas Graham AND Frederic Patenaude were scheduled speakers!  AND Dr. Graham had two outside events on all three days called “Walk This Way” and “It’s All Play” that sounded really fun.

But alas, I  was unable to attend this event.  However, I just learned about another option.  For $138, you can have access to video footage of all the speakers for the entire month of September!

This is the LAST DAY this offer is available.  Sorry I’m so slow on the uptake/update!

Just visit Vibrant Living Expo to register!

Now, on to this week’s article!  As lighthearted as this post is, fruit fly infestation is serious business.  If you don’t believe me, take a look at Sarah’s insane fruit fly invasion!  You’ll never look at another tiny insect the same way again.

Swayze

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in 3 Easy Steps

You come home from a long day at work, hungry and tired.  You go into your kitchen, full of beautiful and fragrant fruits.  You pick up a delicious looking mango, only to find that its underside is completely rotten.

But wait…what was that?  Is there something hovering around you?  Suddenly, you realize you are not alone…

*You Have Fruit Flies!*

Don’t panic!  There is a solution and it is relatively painless.  But first, let’s take a look at these fascinating little devils.

What are fruit flies?

Fruit flies, or Drosophilae melanogaster, are tiny two-winged insects.  They are brown in color with large red eyes and are only 3mm in length!

Fruit flies feed on alcohol and, despite their small size, have an excellent sense of smell.  A fruit fly can sense an overripe mango from several miles away.

This is actually how the fruit fly enters your home in the first place.  It senses the fermenting fruit, locates it, and then begins feeding and breading on and near the food.  Or it was already in or on the fruit when you bought it and took it home.

Fruit flies do *not* originate inside the food, as some people seem to think.

Fruit Fly: Friend or Foe?

As much as I love animals, and even some little insects, and do not wish to harm them, I do *not* like fruit flies.

They’re tiny and annoying.  One moment you are peacefully enjoying a delicious peach.  The next you are surrounded by tiny little devil bugs, all looking to steal a piece of some prime peachy real estate.

And because they are so small, it’s almost impossible to swat them away.  This becomes very frustrating very quickly.  You end up looking like a jackass, swinging your arms around your head as if in some crazy, fruit-induced rage.

Needless to say, I hate these little bugs.

3 Easy Steps to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Thankfully, there are many different ways to win this bug battle.  The method I use is only 3 steps and doesn’t involve physical destruction on your part (i.e. crushing, smushing, smudging, etc.) of the fruit flies.

Actually, that might be pretty rewarding…

*Tools*

• Small bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Something sharp and pointy (i.e. knife, scissors, pencil, toothpick, etc.)
• Sweet and fragrant fruit scraps (melon works very well)

*Method*

• After you have successfully devoured some tasty fruit, put what’s left into the bowl.  You could also use beer, maple syrup, sugar water or honey…anything sweet and fragrant.
• Take the plastic wrap and place it tightly over the bowl.  You want it as tight as possible.
• With your pointy instrument, poke tiny holes all throughout the plastic wrap.

The bugs will be attracted by the sweet aroma and travel through the holes into the bowl.  Unbeknownst to them, there is no escape…

Muwhahahaha!!!!!!

Preventative Measures

To prevent these agents of aggravation from returning to your humble abode, all you have to do is remove the source.

The source, of course, is fermenting fruit.  Keep track of the raw foods in your house and check them daily for soft spots, mold, and the smell of alcohol.  If you encounter any of these, tie the offensive fruit up in a bag and put into an outdoor trashcan.

If you do happen to see some more fruit flies, you know what to do…

Muwhahahaha!!!!!!

P.S. How do you like the little fruit fly drawing?  It’s my brother’s handiwork and I think the devil horns and pitchfork are pretty accurate.  Then again, my hate for the fruit fly and my love for my little bro make me pretty biased.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze