Updated on July 29th, 2024
You take a sip of your iced green protein smoothie, wiping away the cool mint-colored mustache that tickles your upper lip. You slowly lift your tired legs up onto the beige ottoman of your new plush sofa and lean your head back.
Then, something tiny darts in front of your eyes. Whack. You got it. A tiny black insect, with translucent wings, lies (dead) in your palm. You smear it on your jeans, determined to take a five-minute break before your children awake from their naps.
Then you see another and another. Noiseless, they zip around in front of your wild eyes. Whack. Whack. Whack. Quickly, your children begin to scurry down the hall. "Mom, what was that noise?" Rest time is officially over.
Fruit flies won’t bite. They do transmit germs. They are a nuisance. Their life cycle is wicked fast. Who wants to go to take a drink of their earthy, full-bodied wine, peering into their wine glass as they bring the drink to their lips, only to see a winged vermin swimming wildly in their beverage of choice? Who wants to find a swarm of these pests lingering over their bunch of ripening bananas? Not me.
Will a population of fruit flies eventually die off?
It depends. If your kitchen counters are spotless, your floors are promptly cleaned from any spills, your fruit bowl is filled with only the freshest fruit, your garbage disposal and sink are clean, your trash can remains free from goopy sludge and…and…and, then, yes, fruit flies will eventually die on their own. (This list, my friend, may seem inexhaustible. There is, though, another solution.)
Too, if you’re up for it, you could attempt to freeze these pesky intruders out. But what temp do fruit flies die? Cold temperatures impact their survival significantly. At 60 degrees, their lifespan shortens. Below 53 degrees, they stop developing entirely. However, fruit flies have a sneaky ability to 'overwinter'—essentially entering a survival mode when temperatures drop too low. This means that while freezing them out might work temporarily, some may still survive and return. And let’s be real, no one wants to sleep in a house that’s below 53 degrees. Brrr.
How do I get rid of fruit flies?
If maintaining such a thorough level of cleanliness in your home proves challenging or if keeping your home below 53 degrees for extended periods isn't feasible, then you might find that your fruit fly problem persists. Too, remember that you must rid your home of both the fruit flies and their eggs. You can trap the adults, but you must kill those eggs also.
For the adult fruit flies, I suggest our Sweet Surrender Fruit Fly Trap. This savvy solution includes a reusable trap and two doses of our plant-based attractant. The trap effectively captures fruit flies, while the natural attractant cleverly lures them in.
For more insight, read The sweet escape: How Dr. Killigan's Fruit Fly Trap revolutionizes pest control. With Sweet Surrender Fruit Fly Trap, you'll quickly have the fruit flies swimming with the fishes.
For the eggs, I suggest our Six Feet Under Plant-Powered Insect Spray, a non-toxic kill-on-contact spray. Use this spray to wipe off countertops, the bottoms of fruit bowls, kitchen floors, the insides of garbage cans and recycle bins and anywhere else where you’ve seen fruit fly activity. Using Six Feet Under will ensure that no eggs hatch into tiny fruit-eating larvae (and adults) that will reinfest your home.
The final word on fruit flies
Freeze those ripe bananas (they’d be a great addition to your green smoothie). Get a trap—and then take that five-minute rest. I promise there won’t be any whacking this time around.
