Get rid of fruit flies for good??

[Smilesbetter]

I know it is a bit late in the year for this, as they finally seem to be leaving, but how do I keep fruit flies out of my kitchen? The little buggers have caused me nothing but hassle the two summers I have lived in this flat. We don't really have cupboards, although we are looking to get some if any good second hand ones come up, but this year we did get boxes with decent lids to store our fruit, veg and bread in an effort to keep the flies out, but somehow they even got into those boxes. In fact, I've even found some in the fridge (which is admittedly terrible)!!

As a result, the majority of the food I keep in the kitchen goes off very quickly, overnight usually, and it's driving me mad! Nothing I do gets rid of them and it makes the kitchen feel absolutely disgusting - I hate being in there! even when it's kept as clean as I can get it, they are everywhere!

Now I should add, I'd rather use methods to keep them away that are environmentally friendly, sorry haha. I have heard that they don't like lime (they certainly love lemons though, grr) but wasn't sure how to use that to keep them away.

Hope you guys can help, if things stay this way I may have to take a flamethrower to the kitchen next year and completely obliterate them. Knowing them though,they'd quickly come back and infest the burned ruins of my kitchen...

[Green Aura]

You can't get rid of them for good but there are a few things you can do to make it harder for them. Mesh insect screens over doors and windows help enormously. and you can make decoys to distract them. Cut a plastic water bottle in half and put a cm of cider vinegar in the bottom. Then invert the top part and insert it, like a funnel into the bottom half. You can stick it down with tape if you want. Put it where it will attract the flies away from your fruit.

[littlemissrose]

You can probably never totally prevent the fruitflies from getting in cause the eggs are allready on the fruit when you buy it. But here's just a couple of ideas to limit them.

You can also use mesh covers to put over the fruit. You can buy them or make them yourself.

Don't leave anything uncovered or out.

Empty your trashcan as often as you can.

You could try washing the fruit as soon as you get home but I don't know if that will work.

Don't buy a lot of fruit in one go. That way the fruit is gone before the flies come out.

Thats all I can think of right now

[Smilesbetter]

Thanks guys! I'll give some of these ideas a go. Would a mesh screen work (for window and/or cover over fruit)? I find that the little buggers manage to even get into places that I'd have sworn were completely sealed!

[Green Aura]

I got some insect mesh fabric Ebay and we built a frame out of 1"x3/4" wood, to fit the size of the window. It's done the trick this year, not a single mosquito got in. In previous years we've had to keep the windows closed and use a fan - yuk, warm soupy air. Mosquitoes aren't much bigger than fruit flies - and we've had none of those either so I'm guessing it's fine enough mesh to keep them out.
We do now have the problem of where to store the frames over winter

[Smilesbetter]

Hm, maybe its not fruit flies that I'm having the problem with. These aren't a huge amount bigger than aphids, but black with wings. The mosquitoes here aren't huge but much bigger than that - I can actually see the features of the mosquitoes whereas these flies are too small.