Fruit flies can settle in drains, on food, and in cracks and crevices. Once established, they also roam the rest of your house, including your kitchen. They are pure pests that need to be sent on their way! But how do you get rid of fruit flies?
Does bleach kill fruit flies?Â
- Bleach is not effective at killing them all, but it can kill some
- Bleach flows too quickly down the drain to work properly
- Bleach can be dangerous and cause plumbing problemsÂ
Although bleach can kill fruit flies, it does not work on all kinds of fruit flies and won’t kill them all. However, you might get away with this trick if you don’t have swarms of flies and just have a couple floating around.
Here we explain how to use bleach to kill fruit flies and why you should avoid it if you can.Â
Does Bleach Kill Fruit Flies?
When fruit flies (or their cousins drain flies) appear in your drain, it might be tempting to treat them immediately — for instance, by pouring bleach directly into the drain. It will work, at least somewhat. But bleach is not the best solution.Â
First, there is the likelihood that this will only kill some larvae. Secondly, neither the eggs nor larvae will be fully damaged to solve the problem. Third, due to the speed at which bleach travels through the drain, it cannot perform a thorough cleaning.
Decomposing organic matter emits a smell that attracts fruit flies, which you may find in your drains.
Make sure the trash can is also emptied and cleaned. Fruit flies are deterred from nesting in bins by wiping them out with bleach.
How Safe Is Bleach for Killing Fruit Flies?
You should not use bleach in your pipes if other substances are in them. Bleach can mix with residual substances in pipes when put in the sink.
Your pipelines are equipped with P-traps. For example, if a bleach solution is poured into a sink, a portion of the solution will remain trapped inside the P-trap.
Someone who uses the sink after you could pour acid, alcohol, or ammonia. In the presence of these substances, bleach reacts aggressively. Unfortunately, you don’t know the gasses are poisoning you in most cases until it’s too late.
Someone who uses the sink after you could pour acid, alcohol, or ammonia. In the presence of these substances, bleach reacts aggressively. Unfortunately, you don’t know the gasses are poisoning you in most cases until it’s too late.
In order to prevent the bleach from contaminating your sink, never pour it in if you use those substances.
Furthermore, if this happens accidentally, bleach can be flushed away with plenty of water.
Ammonia and Bleach: What Happens?
After pouring bleach down your drain, you may think no harm will be done. But, it’s about to get interesting. There is only one thing that could go wrong! Chloramines are toxic gases formed by mixing bleach and ammonia.
If the gas escapes the pipelines, it will poison the air and spread throughout the house and kitchen. When someone is exposed to chloramine gas for an extended period of time, the exposure can harm the health of the individual and may even result in death.
Here Are a Few Nifty Tricks to Killing Fruit Flies That You Can TryÂ
Near-Boiling Water
If you’ve got fruit flies or drain flies, you can boil them with hot water just off boil. Fruilt flies won’t be able to handle the heat, and they and their eggs will perish. You may need to do this a few times a day for up to a couple of weeks in order to completely eradicate an infestation in your drain and kill all the eggs.
But it’s much safer than bleach!
Use a Lidded Jar with some Vinegar and Soap
Many recommend using a bowl with soap and vinegar, but often that doesn’t work as well as advertised. Instead, use a lidded or sealed jar with some holes poked into it. Fruit flies can get in, but will have a harder time getting out.
A Paper Funnel Can Be Used to Funnel Wine From an Almost-Empty Bottle
As a result of fermenting fruit, wine emits a scent that attracts fruit flies. In a wine bottle, you need about a centimeter of wine. The funnel can be made simply by inserting it into the opening using a paper sheet. Now, wait for the fruit flies to swarm inside the funnel.
They won’t be able to escape once they are inside.
As a result of fermenting fruit, wine emits a scent that attracts fruit flies.
What Is the Best Way to Keep Fruit Flies Out of the House?
Your kitchen is likely infested with flies that are coming from outside. Fruit flies can easily slip through door and window screens due to their small size.
However, it is also possible for them to fly inside by flying through doors or by entering through plumbing
1. Fruit Bowls Should Be Covered
Healthy snacks can be easily accessed from a fruit bowl on the counter. Left uncovered, however, fruit flies will begin to breed in it, quickly becoming an infested area. If you keep fruits on the bench, you can use a cake dome or sheet of plastic wrap to prevent fruit flies from getting at them.
Onions are the same way. They contain a lot of sugar and should be refrigerated or stored in a sealed container.
And while fruit flies can survive for a little while in the fridge, eventually they will perish. Refrigerate whatever veggies and fruits you can!
2. Maintain a Clean Counter
Among their favorite foods are spilled wine, leftover biscuits, and fruit juice. Anything sweet will do.
By cleaning your counters daily, you don’t let your counters become a snack bar for pests.
Your cloth will be more effective at preventing other fruit flies if you add peppermint essential oil to it.
By cleaning your counters daily, you don’t let your counters become a snack bar for pests.
3. Make Sure You Wash Fruit as Soon as Possible
Bananas and melons are the fruits where these flies most often enter our homes. Unfortunately, their larvae can be on the fruit you don’t notice.
So when keeping fruit and vegetables on the counter or in a fruit bowl, wash them with a fruit and vegetable wash.Â
4. Help From a Professional May Be Worth It
If you’ve tried at-home solutions without success, you might want to consider seeking the help of a professional exterminator. The problem with fruit flies is that their reproduction is extremely fast, causing infestations to grow quickly.
Therefore, getting rid of the adult flies by simply killing them won’t resolve the issue. Instead, it’s important to find out where the fruit flies are coming from and take steps to eliminate the infestation.
The team will also advise eliminating them and how to fruit fly-proof your home.
Conclusion
Having fruit flies in the house can be an absolute nightmare! They take up residence in drains and cavities filled with decaying food, and buzz around and drive you nuts. We naturally want to eliminate them.
There is a possibility that bleach could work for some people.
However, bleach is less effective and less safe than other methods. Why not try them, and if those don’t work, hit the flies with essential oils.
It’s time to get fruit flies out of your life for good!
