How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

                                              
I  love bananas, but I don't love the pesky little fruit flies that frequently accompany them. 

Have you ever had those tiny little flies invade your kitchen? They can be very difficult to eliminate. However, I have found a natural way!

Where do these little tiny flies come from? 
I am probably bringing the potential pests into my kitchen as larvae which has already been laid on the fruit in the store.

Adult fruit flies have a very short life span and will usually die in about a day. 
However, they do lay eggs on fruit. Especially on soft fruit like bananas, peaches, tomatoes, pineapple, berries, and cherry tomatoes. 

How can you get rid of them naturally? 
You  need to eliminate the breeding grounds in order to eliminate the fruit flies or you will have a continuous problem.

They are ready for slicing and freezing for smoothies

I keep a large bowl of  bananas on my kitchen counter. Sometimes, we forget to eat them, and they get overly ripe. ( When fruit becomes overly ripe,  I then peel, slice, and freeze them to use in smoothies or just mash them and use them in baking)  

Lately, I've noticed that I've been getting invaded with fruit flies. They have been driving me crazy, and I decided it's war.

Do they do any harm? 
'
Don't think that those little buggers are harmless. 
Fruit flies multiply quickly, and they actually lay their precious little eggs all over your ripened fruit that you intend to eat. Unfortunately, they can carry disease and bacteria that can make you sick. I know- gross !! 

Therefore if you have fruit flies buzzing around, be sure to wash you fruit very well and if some of the fruit is cracked or open, consider discarding it. 

Here are two solutions that I found to help get rid of them 

1. How to Prevent larvae from hatching
When you get home from the store with your fruit, soak your bananas or other fruit in a bowl or tub full of water and 2 TBSP vinegar or liquid soap for about 5 minutes. Rinse well and towel dry. This helps remove any larvae that might already be on your fruit and thus prevent eggs from hatching and producing the adult fruit flies. ( don't buy any cracked or bruised fruit)

2.  How to Trap the ones you already have. 
I found this amazing little trap on Pinterest. This is genius.
You can read how to make it at  The Idea Room

Delicious Recipes to use up ripe bananas

Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies  ( made with mashed ripe banana, no sugar)

Banana Peanut Butter Spread ( Delicious whipped spread to use on pancakes, crackers, etc.)

Banana Loaf with Coconut Flour ( my favorite- a moist grain free sliceable loaf)

13 Convincing Reasons to Eat Bananas  



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