A chef has shared his go-to method to ‘get rid of fruit flies’ (stock image) (Image: Getty)
Just when you thought your fly problem couldn’t get any worse – fruit fly season is here! Cue the endless minuscule insects that constantly hover around your face and won’t go away no matter how many traps you set out around your home.
Fruit flies often seem to multiply overnight in the later summer months, thanks to the warmer weather and the quick-ripening fruit that comes with it. On the hunt for food, they often make their way into our homes and make themselves at home in our kitchens – even if we do our best to keep them clean. And once they’re in, they can be a struggle to get rid of. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
To help people with any fruit fly infestations they might be experiencing in their homes, one chef named Charles Kim, better known to his hundreds of thousands social media followers as ‘Chef Fatty’, has shared his three-step guide on how you can get rid of the pests ‘for good’, and it’s not as complicated as you may think.
“Why don’t fruit flies ever go away? You set up the trap, you throw out the fruit, but the next week, they’re back,” he said at the start of his video
“Let me show you how to get rid of fruit flies for good,” he continued, before sharing his tips.
Why do fruit flies keep coming back?
Fruit flies is one of the worst pests to have in your kitchen,” the chef told his viewers.
While fruit flies are harmless, they can still be a pain to get rid of. Charles said:But here’s a fun fact. Fruit flies don’t come for the fruit. They come for the yeast that’s growing in the fruit through fermentation. And the biggest source of fermentation in your house isn’t fruit. It’s actually the gunk inside your drains.
“In fact, one female fly can lay 500 eggs, which will hatch in about a week,” he explained.
So, this means that in order to keep them away for good, you will have to clean areas of your home that you might not have thought to clean before.
Three steps to get rid of fruit flies for good
“Now, here’s three steps to get rid of them,” Charles said before going on to explain the steps.
Firstly, you need to make sure you stop fruit flies from having the option to lay eggs in your home. For this, he urged people to cover any fruit you may keep out on the kitchen counters or tables with mesh. This will prevent the fruitflies to get near and lay eggs.
“Make sure your sink is clean as well as your sponge. And yes, they can lay eggs inside your sponge,” Charles explained.
Next up, you need to trap the already hatched fruit flies. To do this, Charles mixed together apple cider vinegar, beer, and a ripe banana to attract the flies through the fermentation. Then, simply add a splash of dish soap to trap them in the liquid.
“Then rub a plastic wrap with a ripe banana and put it on the cup, banana side down, to enhance the aromas. And then poke holes with the tip of your pen and set this out for a few days, and you’ll start to see results,” che chef said.
Finally, you also need to make sure to clean your drains. And don’t just focus on your kitchen drains, but go on to clean any drain in your home, including the bathroom and the shower.
For this, Charles recommend to use an enzyme cleaner, which is a bio-based liquid that uses natural proteins and bacteria to break down organic waste, stains, and odours at a molecular level.
Unlike traditional cleaners that often mask odors, enzyme cleaners break down the source of organic stains and smells, such as grease and waste, using natural enzymes, although they act more slowly, which is why you should leave it to sit overnight before cleaning it out.
After this, you’ll find that you’ve most likely to get rid of any and all fruit flies for good. To keep them out, make sure to keep your home clean and free from any fermentation.