How to get rid of midges from fruits

Flying flies over rotten fruit are called wine flies or Drosophila midges. And somewhere they are called vinegar or fruit flies. The genus Drosophila has up to 1500 species. Small insects reach up to 5 mm in height.

Develops in three stages:

Eggs that are laid by an adult.
Larva.
An adult specimen.

It turns out that everything is quite simple. Adult specimens lay eggs on ripe fruits. That is, we bring them ourselves to the apartment or house. Special float chambers hold the eggs on a very small surface of 0.5 mm. One female can lay up to 80 pieces. Further, the presence of a spoiled place in the fruit will trigger the reproduction mechanism. Therefore, the next day there is a whole swarm of them.

The environment matters a lot. For example, at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, a midge can live up to 10 days. Reducing the temperature to 17 degrees prolongs its life by half; in winter, this can be 2 months or more.

The appearance of fruit flies is also caused by open windows in the summer.

Improper care of flowers can also cause an infestation of midges:

When the soil is waterlogged. Stagnant water in pots will be a favorable environment for reproduction.
Undisinfected soil leads to putrefactive processes.

Ways to get rid of fruit gnats

Chemical. This method is considered the most effective, since it was invented to combat precisely these parasites.
Folk method . If there are pets and children in the house, people try to use this method for safety reasons. Although the destruction process will take a little longer.
Mechanical . For example, by ventilating the room, when the bulk is expelled. Some flies can still hide in your home. Therefore, the procedure must be performed more than once. You can also use a vacuum cleaner. After collecting the insects, the container is taken outside and shaken out.
With the help of plants . A “Venus flytrap” is planted on the windowsill. This is a predatory plant with scents that attract midges. As soon as an insect lands on its flower, it instantly slams shut. It is not safe for humans, but caring for the flower is quite simple. At the same time, its size is compact, but it is an effective method in the fight against fruit flies.
Installation of a fumigator . A simple and affordable way, just plug the device into a power outlet. To completely destroy them, install a fumigator in the kitchen and close the door at night. The next morning there will be no flies.
Lures . This method uses bowls, glasses, bottles, bags, when various baits are placed at the bottom in the form of pieces of fruit, juice, vinegar, wine, beer.
Incense . A lit candle with a pungent odor has a deadly effect on flies.
This includes camphor. Grind it and heat it in a frying pan until steam appears. Walk around with hot dishes and smoke all the rooms with the resulting smoke.
Turpentine can be added to water a few drops during wet cleaning, the human nose will not smell it, and it has a repulsive effect on flies.
An aroma lamp with the addition of 3 drops of patchouli, cloves, ylang-ylang, verbena has a destructive effect not only on flies, but also on all insects in the apartment.
Duct tape . It should be hung in crowded places and smeared with wine for a better effect. The pleasant aroma will attract midges and leave them on it.
Calling professionals . The team will rid you of annoying guests forever, but the service is considered expensive.

Using baits

Plastic cup:

Bait is placed at the bottom of a disposable cup. It could be compote, juice, a piece of fruit.
The top is covered with cling film.
Use a needle to make holes, not very large. In order to prevent them from going outside.
The device is installed in crowded areas.
Insects will actively flock to the pleasant smell.
As soon as the number of midges reaches approximately 16 pieces, you should throw all the contents outside along with the container.
Continue the procedure until complete destruction.

Plastic bag:

After collecting the sour apple cores, place them in a plastic bag.
Tighten the container a little at the top, leaving room for midges to penetrate.
Leave the trap until the morning.
The next day, carefully close the contents and throw them in the trash outside.

Bottle:

Choose a container with a narrow neck.
Fruit juice is diluted with water and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap.
Pour the prepared mixture into a bottle.
Insects, once inside, will not be able to get out due to the lack of film on the walls of the vessel. Because soap is added to the solution.
During this period, it is worth monitoring the cleanliness of the room; perhaps eggs have been laid somewhere else. Then, a watermelon core, for example, will cause a new chain reaction of fruit fly reproduction.
The entire destruction period will take up to 7 days.

Let’s say that after all the above procedures, midges reappeared, this indicates their new appearance, already eliminated specimens.

Using a paper funnel:

For the procedure, you can use any container, preferably transparent, then you can monitor the process.
Fill the container one-fourth full with fruit juice and tea.
A funnel with a small hole is made from paper.
The device is installed on the inlet hole, with an acute angle downwards.
Secure the top of the container with tape.
The flies flock to the smell of the bait, but they will not be able to get out, since it is difficult for them to find the hole.
Further, as they accumulate, it is worth getting rid of them on the street.

Using bowls:

In this method you need to use wine or beer.
Take any bowl and pour one of the listed ingredients into the bottom.
Left in the place of accumulation.
The smell of these products strongly attracts midges.
After a certain period of time, flush everything down the toilet and repeat the procedure until completely destroyed.
In some cases, once is enough.

Use of chemicals

The method of destruction by chemical means is, of course, considered the most effective and requires a more responsible approach.

It is worth choosing the most suitable means:

For example, dichlorvos, a dangerous product with an unpleasant odor, although an effective drug.
Get is a more modern remedy and does not cause side effects.
Red, there is no chemical smell. The residual effect lasts for another 4 weeks. When spraying, maintain a distance of 100 cm from the furniture and press on the valve for 7 seconds.
Raptor, you need to wear a respirator to work with it.
Neo, the aerosol contains ethyl alcohol. The drug is harmless to humans when used.
Agravertine is an insecticidal drug. One ampoule of it is dissolved in water (1 liter), filled into a sprayer and the surface is treated.
Bazudin, with a pungent odor. After 6 hours it begins to act, but the residual effect lasts 6 weeks.
Actellik. One ampoule per 2 liters of water is required.
Karbofos. Has a two-week residual effect. You can fight flower midges.

Algorithm for working with chemicals:

Hide the dishes in plastic bags.
Remove food items.
Process according to the drug instructions.
Work in a respirator and gloves.
After treatment, thoroughly wash the floors, preferably with white.
Ventilate the room.
Remove children and animals; if there are fish, cover the aquarium.

Repellent plants

Let's say you don't want to use chemicals; for this case, there are repellent plants:

Fern.
Elder.
Tansy. But if there are people in the family who have weak blood vessels, it cannot be used, as the plant causes headaches.
The leaves of the listed plants should be placed in all rooms, the flies will fly away.
Growing tomato seedlings will repel insects due to its pungent odor.
Geranium, eucalyptus, myrtle tree in a pot on the windowsill.
Bay oil. They should be used to rub window frames and door frames.

Why are fruit flies dangerous?

Attitudes towards fruit flies range from complete disdain to unjustified fear. They are practically safe for humans: they do not bite and do not cause allergies. But the appearance of these insects in the house has several harmful consequences:

Flies carry the remains of rotten fruit along with bacteria on their legs. Once in food, these bacteria multiply quickly, which leads to food spoilage. Rotten products accumulated in spoiled food can cause food poisoning.
An annoying midge, flickering in front of the face, landing on the skin, crawling into the eyes and nose, can quickly drive even the most patient person to white heat. Since fruit flies do not feed on blood, humans are not particularly attracted to these insects. But with a strong infestation, the intrusiveness of fruit flies already turns into a problem.

The fruit fly is a popular subject for study in genetics. Thanks to her, many fundamental laws of nature were discovered. But outside the scientific laboratory, this insect does more harm than good.

Despite the relative harmlessness of Drosophila, you should not hesitate to start the fight. The more time passes from the moment the infestation is discovered, the greater the hordes of flies you will have to fight.

How to get rid of eggs

Since adult insects lay eggs on ripe fruits, getting rid of them is quite simple:

Wash the brought fruits or vegetables thoroughly under the tap.
Next, pour boiling water over them.
All vegetables and fruits must be kept in the refrigerator, since the reproduction process does not occur here.

It is a little more difficult to get rid of midge eggs from indoor plants:

The flower from the pot should be replanted.
The leaves should be wiped with soapy water or alcohol.
Next, the soil changes. It is good to use a purchased substrate. It is specially treated against all kinds of parasites.
When using soil from planting, you need to do your own preventative measures.
Place the soil on a tray and put it in the oven for a couple of hours.
All parasites in the soil will die during this period.
Plants are treated with a floral remedy against midges.
Rotten roots are cut off.
Next, prepare a warm solution with potassium permanganate, into which the plant is lowered for a few minutes. A weak concentration is used.
Then plant the flower in a pot. All fruit fly eggs will be destroyed.
When further caring for the plant, do not forget to loosen the soil and monitor excess moisture.

About the insect

Drosophila, small flies, breed in fruits. In everyday life they are called fruit or wine. These two-winged insects contributed to the development of biology by serving as a model specimen. In addition, an individual Drosophila visited space on a “scientific mission.”

The life cycle of the insect reaches up to twenty days, depending on the temperature, but rapid reproduction with the ability to lay up to four hundred eggs during this time creates the preconditions for a rapid increase in numbers under favorable conditions. They are even bred specifically for feeding terrarium inhabitants and aquarium fish. Rotten fruit is an ideal place for fruit flies.

Prevention of occurrence

If you use the following recommendations, you can reduce the risk of fruit flies:

Do not leave fruit cores or leftover food on the kitchen counter.
They should be placed in a plastic bag, tied and thrown into the trash.
Take out the trash daily and keep the bin with a lid.
After the garbage is thrown out, the bucket is thoroughly rinsed and dried.
Dispose of excess liquid from the potted plant tray.
Wilted plants should be replanted.
Pet bowls should be clean and free of food residue.
Carry out daily wet cleaning of the kitchen with a disinfectant.
Remove crumbs from bread bin.
Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink.
Store cookies in bags.
Store vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator.
Onions should be sorted and rotten specimens removed.
Throw away coffee and tea leaves on time.
Place repellent drugs in the apartment.

Drosophila will not reproduce, since there is no favorable environment, and, therefore, they will die without additional destruction.

Where do they come from in winter?

First of all, it must be said that they cannot tolerate cold, much less frost; contact with low temperatures will immediately lead to death. In addition, if other insects can survive the winter due to diapause, when they hibernate and all processes stop, and resume with the arrival of warmth, then midges do not have this ability. Therefore, for a person, the appearance of these insects in an apartment in winter causes bewilderment.

But in fact, everything is quite simple and there is no science fiction in their appearance in winter. The fact is that in winter they are also active, but they do not live on the street, as in summer, but in rooms where food supplies are stored, for example, in warehouses.

There, females lay eggs on fruits and vegetables, which end up on the shelves of markets, shops, and then in living quarters. Just like in the summer, they can get into the apartment from neighbors through the ventilation holes. They can also fly in from basements, especially trees that store food and where cleanliness is not maintained.

Tips and tricks

Take 100 grams of milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 tsp. pepper Soak toilet paper in this mixture and place it on a saucer.
Place a piece of rye bread in a plate and pour the following solution over it : 3 tbsp. spoons of milk, 4 tsp. baking soda and ½ tsp. formaldehyde.
Place a napkin soaked in 10 g of honey and 1 g of saccharin on the windowsill.
Stick a match into the flower pot , sulfur into the soil, the fruit flies will die.
An ultrasonic trap and cleaning the room with ultraviolet light , with a frequency of use once every 7 days, help a lot.
Leave the kombucha overnight.
Caught flies must be placed in the freezer for a while ; they die instantly.
In order not to throw away the glass jar with flies , you can place them in the microwave and turn them on for one minute (power 600). The flies die, and wash the dishes thoroughly with detergent.
Mix apple cider vinegar with water and detergent and pour into a jar. Leave for several hours. Vinegar strongly attracts insects, and detergent will not allow them to get out. Renew the solution periodically (once every 7 days).
Place the raptor plate in a sunny place. When heated, a pungent odor will be released, which is poisonous to fruit flies.
Put the remaining horseradish in the bag , the midges will all disappear.

There are many and quite simple methods of dealing with uninvited guests. Choose what you like.

How to deal with midges in an apartment using traditional methods?

Our distant ancestors knew how to remove midges from an apartment. They left many recipes for getting rid of them yourself.

They do not pose any danger to human health and allow you to get rid of midges for a long time, and sometimes even forever.

Homemade midge trap

The easiest way is to use an ordinary glass jar. This product is especially effective in the kitchen.

Take a container and then put the spoiled vegetable or fruit in it.
Cover the neck tightly with film or polyethylene.
They leave holes in them.
The jar is kept on the table all night.
In the morning, boiling water is poured into it, and then thrown away or its contents are flushed down the toilet.
If necessary, these actions are resumed the next night.

Beer bottle

It has been established that alcoholic drinks based on sweets, fruits or hops strongly attract midges. Therefore, a standard magazine container becomes no less effective after the beer has been drunk from it. It allows you to get rid of wine midges.

Place an empty bottle of wine, beer or liquor at places where insects accumulate.

After some time, the inside will be covered with parasites. Afterwards, the bottle is hermetically sealed and taken to the trash.

Recipe with detergent

Another great way to get rid of midges forever is to use a special type of bait. It is based on the fact that such insects have always been attracted to fruiting apple trees. Fruit flies are especially attracted to it.

A similar trap is constructed using the appropriate vinegar. It is poured into a bottle with a volume of at least 0.5 liters, supplemented with water at room temperature to the required volume and a little of any detergent is added.

Parasites will quickly attack the strong smell of apples, and then become firmly stuck in the soap suds.

Formaldehyde recipe

Another proven folk method is no less effective.

A plate is placed on the room or kitchen table. 20 g of formaldehyde, half a glass of sugar syrup and a glass of milk are poured into it. Food products attract midges, and the poison quickly destroys them, acting through the gastrointestinal tract.