Friday, February 6, 2009

Day 290 of our Green Year: Damn Fruit Flies!

Anyone who leaves fruit out finds that fruit flies can become a problem. These little guys will lay as much as 500 eggs at a time, and they can quickly overwhelm your house and become a serious annoyance. Since we are coming up to spring, this will become a problem but there are plenty of natural ways to keep fruit flies from becoming a problem.

First, at our house we will be covering our fruit and eating the fruit before it can become appetizing to fruit flies. Old fruit is a haven for these flies so it is best just to eat it before it gets old and then you don't develop fruit flies.

In extreme cases, where the flies have become a serious problem, we will resort to more drastic means to deal with them. One such way is one we from UrbanGreenGirl.

To eliminate fruit flies, you will need the following:
  1. A little bowl
  2. Apple cider vinegar
  3. Reused plastic wrap or a small plastic bag.

Instructions:

  1. Fill the little bowl with apple cider vinegar so that the depth is approximately 1in/2.5cm.
  2. Cover with reused plastic wrap or plastic bag.
  3. Take a tooth pick and punch a bunch of holes in the plastic wrap. Make sure that the opening is big enough for them to get in, but small enough that they cannot get out. Do not put them around the edge.
  4. Place the bowl(s) on your kitchen countertop or under the sink; where ever they accumulate.
Thank you to Kelly at KBS Radio, who was nice enough to give us a call today and do an interview with us for Our Green Year! :D