Small flying insects around your home are most likely the small bugs known as fruit flies and gnats. Fruit flies and gnats are attracted to ripened produce that may be present in your home. They also love sweet and fermented substances, such as fruit juice spilled under the refrigerator. Fruit flies lay their eggs in or around liquids that will provide their young with sustenance when they hatch. It is important to keep all sweet liquids, including beer, wine and cider, tightly sealed to avoid getting fruit flies inside of them. It is also best to keep produce in the refrigerator after ripening.
Things You'll Need
- Wash cloth
- Warm water
- Multipurpose cleaning spray
- Drain cleaner
- Glass jar
- Notebook paper
- Apple cider vinegar
- Scissors (optional)
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Vacuum up all of the flying insects if there are a lot of them. Keep these areas in mind when you vacuum them up. These are potential breeding grounds. The insects can be dead or alive. If you wish to release the live ones, take the vacuum outside and open it up to release the live bugs.
Discard all rotting produce, and store ripened and fresh produce in the refrigerator. The smell is what attracts the insects, so putting the produce in the fridge will keep them away.
Clean up all spilled messes with a warm wash cloth before cleaning it with a multipurpose disinfectant cleaner. This will get rid of the spill and kill all eggs that may have been laid on the spill.
Pour drain cleaner down the drains where the fruit flies and gnats are breeding. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it away with hot water.
Make a fruit fly and gnat trap by rolling a sheet of notebook paper into a cone shape and taping it in place. Pour half an inch of apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a glass jar. Place the cone inside. Use the scissors to make any adjustments on the cone that you need. You want the smallest part of the cone to be at least a finger width above the vinegar. Make sure the hole of the cone is small enough so that the bugs won't fly out. If it is larger than a pencil eraser, it is too big.
Keep the house spotless for a few weeks to get rid of the fruit flies and gnats. This includes cleaning up all spills and dirty dishes immediately after using them and storing juices and produce in the fridge or in a sealed container at all times.