Lord of the Fruit Flies
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 1:38 PM
One recent morning, I was marveling at the bounty of fruits and veggies on my counter—peaches from the farmers market, bananas from the grocery store, green peppers and tomatoes from my very own garden! But as I reached toward my fruit basket to grab something to eat, a swarm of small brown bugs exploded off the produce and into the air.
Fruit flies, the enemy of eating green—unwelcome bugs that congregate near fresh produce and also (I hate to tell you this) breed in your food. And as this is the season for an abundance of fruits and veggies, I thought I’d offer this simple tutorial.
A few years ago, my brother worked as a health inspector and told me how to get rid of these pesky pests. For starters, the only way to officially get rid of an infestation of fruit flies is to kill off any that are currently around. It’s not enough to get rid of the fruit or wipe down the counter. You must exterminate the bugs as well.
But first things first, start by getting rid of the offending produce—I have noticed that the tips of bananas (where the fruit sometimes gets exposed) is a main attraction. And because these places of overly-ripe food are where the bugs like to breed, cut off any portion of food that seems like it could have been touched by the bugs.
Next, set a jar on the counter and drop a piece of the ripe fruit in the bottom. Then either use a cone-like piece of paper around the top of the jar to trap the bugs, or watch closely and when enough have gathered, seal the jar with a lid. That will usually leave only a few bugs left that you can just smack with your palms.
And voila! Bug-free living! For more information, check out this site, which includes helpful hints for dealing with infestations in disposals and drains as well.
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