Encyclopedia of Fire Safety

House flies. How to quickly get rid of small flies in a flower pot. Scheme for getting rid of Drosophila midges

In almost every home, sooner or later small flies appear in the kitchen. These miniature flying insects do not bite or cause other obvious harm to residents in the apartment, but with their intrusiveness and omnipresence they can be no less annoying than ants or cockroaches.

The reason for the appearance of midges in the kitchen is most often spoiled food - fruits, vegetables, tea leaves

One of two types of small flies can settle in the kitchen of an apartment. These can be fruit flies (or fruit flies) or sciarid flies (or soil flies). The former love to profit from various plant debris, as well as rotting vegetables and fruits. The latter live in flower pots and feed on roots. indoor plants.

Where do these little insects in the kitchen come from? Eggs and larvae are usually brought into the apartment by people themselves on slightly rotten fruits. In addition, having miniature sizes, these insects are able to migrate from neighboring apartments By ventilation ducts, small cracks and sewers. Having appeared in an apartment, these midges can live not only in the kitchen, but also in the bathroom, although it would seem that they have nothing to eat there. It is clear that they find food in the kitchen, and in neighboring rooms enter through cracks and sewers. Drosophila live on rotten fruit. Sometimes the cause of their appearance is a piece of spoiled fruit that has fallen into the gap. They can multiply quickly, settling on damp potatoes or in a rotten onion, from where they scatter throughout the apartment. Fertilizing indoor plants with used tea leaves and tea can also cause the rapid proliferation of small flies. Having found out where these uninvited guests come from, you can think about how you can get rid of them.


Leaving on open places products, you yourself support the vital activity of house flies - you literally feed them from your table

To get rid of small flies, you should do it in your apartment (primarily in the kitchen). general cleaning. At the same time, we must try to find the place where these harmful insects come from - their habitat and breeding places. It could be a tea bag that fell past the trash can, open jar with leftover jam, an unopened juice packet that was not removed in time, spoiled potatoes or rotten fruit. Stuck pieces of food in the pipes and grates of the sink will suffice for them. One of the easiest ways to get rid of small flies is to deprive them of food. If the flies have nothing to eat, they will soon disappear on their own.


The soil in pots of indoor flowers can be watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or sprinkled with ground pepper - this will help get rid of annoying midges
Ways to combat small flies in the kitchen are as follows:

  1. Inspect stored vegetables and fruits and get rid of rotten ones. If possible, put high-quality fruits in the refrigerator.
  2. Place all dry food products in an airtight container.
  3. Rinse the sink, do not pour it into the drain hole a large number of soda and pour in a little vinegar. After the reaction, accompanied by a characteristic hissing, ends, you need to rinse the sink with water (you can clean it with a plunger).
  4. The soil in pots of indoor flowers can be watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or sprinkled with ground pepper. Several matches stuck into the ground with their heads down will help get rid of soil flies. It is advisable to sprinkle the soil on top with small pebbles or marble chips.
  5. Pet feeders should be cleaned and washed immediately after feeding.
  6. Traps for small flies help a lot. They are very easy to make: put a little jam, a piece of fruit in a plastic cup or jar, or you can pour a little beer. Roll up a funnel with a small hole out of paper, insert it into the glass with the narrow tip down and secure with tape. The flies will follow the smell, get into the jar, and will not be able to get out of there. Traps need to be changed from time to time. Used ones should be thrown away along with the caught insects, after filling them with water or detergent. Instead of a paper funnel, you can use cling film, cover the top of the cup with it and poke several small holes in it.
  7. Many insects, including fruit flies, are afraid of the smell of geranium. Even if it does not help to completely get rid of small flies, it works 100% as a preventive measure.
  8. Sticky fly tapes help remove these insects.

These simple remedies will help get rid of annoying little flies in your home without using harmful ones chemicals. The main thing is to be patient, since the insects will not disappear immediately, but after some time. Those who want to quickly destroy fruit flies can be advised to use fly sprays (for example, Dichlorvos) or an electric fumigator, but it should be remembered that there should be no people or pets in the room during treatment.

The appearance of small flies in the house is always unpleasant. There is an irresistible desire to get rid of them instantly. They can become carriers of infectious diseases. Although the lifespan of small flies is very short, the consequences of their activities are very noticeable.

The midge carries diseases on its paws

Danger to people

Small flies cause a lot of trouble for humans:

  • They are enemies of the food industry and catering. In warehouses filled with ripe fruit, there is an abundance of small flies. They appear instantly, as if out of nowhere. As a result, food is damaged. They are losing appearance and become unusable. If you don't get rid of them, the losses will be huge. Not only housewives suffer from midges, but also transcontinental carriers. During transportation, the cargo may be completely damaged by midges.
  • Small flies are dangerous because they can settle in bags of flour. They love to hide in bags of sugar. One has only to lay out the vegetables on the table and they appear in the apartment. It is necessary to take immediate measures to get rid of them.
  • Midges are unpleasant in themselves. They are capable of dirtying white curtains and staining wallpaper. Their constant flickering, the desire to get into the nose and mouth makes you want to drive them away. But this is not easy to do.
  • Flies also damage the crop. This is a real disaster for gardeners. Midges settle on the fruits and begin to spoil them. Flies living outside are similar to indoor fruit flies. Thousands of maggots, invisible to the human eye, are deposited by flies on tomatoes, apples and peaches. Eating such fruits and vegetables is unpleasant.

Drosophila lays eggs in food

Species characteristics of midges

You can fight fruit flies by knowing their specific characteristics. They are characterized by:

  • They multiply quickly. The female is capable of leaving 20 insects in one ovipositor. The ability to reproduce occurs 8 hours after birth. It is known that the larva becomes an adult after 8 days.
  • Flies lay larvae directly under the skin of fruits that are already ripe or in an overripe state. If fruits and vegetables are whole and without cracks, then the midge cannot penetrate inside and lay larvae. Therefore, fruits and vegetables that have defects or are overripe suffer.
  • It is difficult to fight midges because they are capable of laying offspring in clogged sinks where sewer flies live. This often creates confusion between these species.
  • The appearance of midges occurs in the early morning, so they cannot always be noticed.
  • Flower pots and dirty trash heaps are good for propagation. The great adaptability of flies to food is surprising. They can feed and reproduce on 400 varieties of plants.

The midge larva becomes an adult 8 days after birth

Ways to fight

Flies fly into the apartment through entrance doors or windows. There are black and yellow in color. They live mainly in one place, but in the absence of food they are able to fly. That's why the best way To combat this scourge there will be a hunger strike. Remove anything they eat from your home. Over time, they will leave the apartment on their own.

It is known that midges are very sensitive to odors. Especially sweet and spicy. Therefore, you should spray less deodorants and fresheners with the scent of orange, pear or lemon in your home.

The flies themselves are very slow. But they are very attentive. If you make quick and sudden movements, they quickly hide and fly away. Therefore, you should move smoothly, which will make it possible to get rid of them physically.

It is known that these small midges love moisture. They try to avoid dry surfaces. The surprising thing is that frost doesn't kill them. Therefore, there is no point in hoping that there will be no them in the apartment in winter. He is interested in midges and alcohol.

Lemon essential oil can attract midges with its scent

Traditional methods of fighting midges

Most the right way getting rid of flies means putting your house in perfect order. If flies appear, you should determine their location and destroy them there. But it happens that midges are constantly present in the kitchen. Then they use a whole system to combat them. This includes:

  • Destruction of products that attract insects. Even one rotten apple can provoke the appearance of many flies in the house. Then the room should be ventilated and washed clean.
  • You should keep the sink perfectly clean and throw away leftover food in a timely manner. Food should be covered with napkins or stored in the refrigerator.
  • Glasses and shot glasses must be washed clean immediately after drinking juices, drinks and alcohol so as not to attract midges.
  • You can get rid of midges by regularly washing rags and washcloths. There is such a rule of cleanliness and health. Dishwashing rags and washcloths should be changed every Monday. They should just be thrown away. They attract flies with their sour smell. Surface gas stoves should be washed with special products at least once a week. You can’t keep garbage in your apartment for a long time, especially in summer. On the 2nd day, small midges may appear.
  • To prevent flies from entering the apartment, it is recommended to hang Mosquito nets on the windows. A fan should be used. It is placed in the place where the fruits are located. The wind will blow away the annoying midges and destroy most of them. Even a slight breeze will drive away the flies.

One rotten apple can attract crowds of midges

Specific methods

Exist original ways fight against flies. Among them:

  • You can get rid of them using a regular vacuum cleaner.
  • Use a spray bottle to moisten the flying monsters. Then destroy them.
  • The use of ultraviolet light does not really attract midges, but there is an effect, albeit small.
  • Homemade repellents help remove flies from your apartment. Repulsive odor of horseradish, mint, vanillin or laundry soap flies don't like it;
  • Using poisonous sprays helps remove flies.

Traps

This method of struggle is effective. They make traps. It is known that midges love bananas. Therefore, place its remains in a plastic bottle. Use a toothpick to make holes in the container and leave it in areas where insects are most concentrated. After a while, most of the flies will be in the bottle. They are not able to fly back, as they move chaotically, after which they are destroyed.

A liquid trap will help remove flies. Syrup or a mixture of juices, or wine vinegar is poured into the bowl. The midge will drown in the liquid. You can cover the dishes with film with holes. The flies will not be able to fly out and will remain in the water.

There are ready-made traps for midges. They can be purchased in specialized stores.

Cover the glass with the sweet liquid with film and make holes in it

Among the most acceptable options for dealing with annoying midges are the following:

  • Application chemical solutions and insecticide aerosols. There should be no one in the room when using them. For safety, processing should be performed with gloves, a gown and a respirator. It is important to carefully read the accompanying chemicals instructions.
  • You should sort through and throw away all rotten food from the house. Use a refrigerator to store quickly perishable products.
  • Indoor flowers can be sources of flies. Larvae in the form of white worms often appear in the soil. You can get rid of them by using special drugs, such as Fitover or Actellik. The soil in the flowerpots should be changed periodically. There is no need to flood indoor flowers with water. Loosening the soil and drainage are useful.
  • If you find midges in the sink, it’s good to turn on hot water, the jets of which quickly wash away insects. The products “Mr. Muscle”, “Mole” or “Domestos” are effective.

Do not neglect folk methods of combating midges:

  • You should plant a tomato in a flowerpot. Midges do not like the smell of this plant and will leave the room forever.
  • Cloves are effective on flies. Take 5 g per 1 tbsp. water. Boil (2 hours) and leave indoors. The pungent odor will drive away uninvited guests.
  • An aroma lamp helps. Refueling it aromatic oils such as basil or eucalyptus can help get rid of flies.
  • It's good to use such a simple technique. Place the rotten product on the bottom of an empty container. Cover with film with small holes. The midges will collect in a jar, which is periodically cleaned and the contents are periodically changed.
  • The smell of camphor drives away midges. Heat it in a frying pan and smoke the entire room with it. Heat until steam appears.
  • To combat midges, you can use a beer bottle. You should leave some beer at the bottom. After a while, the smell of beer will attract flies.

If all the proposed methods do not give a positive result, then invite the sanitary service. Specialists will immediately remove harmful insects.

But a reliable and proven way would be to restore order in the apartment and observe hygiene standards.

Sometimes a person unexpectedly discovers small flying insects in his home. Moreover, these midges can be different in appearance: gray, red, white, black. It's time to think about whether they pose a danger, whether they bite, and how to get rid of them. These questions can be easily answered by understanding which small flying insects most often appear in a house or apartment.

Types of small midges found in human housing

Drosophila

Drosophila are small insects of the fruit fly family. Small size, easy to breed, short life cycle made fruit flies indispensable as an object of study for geneticists. Drosophila also has popular names: vinegar fly, wine fly, fruit fly.

These insects live next to humans because here they find food for themselves, which is rotten berries, fruits, and sour juices.

The length of the insect is 1.5–3 mm, the wings are longer than the body.

The eyes are red, and the insect itself is yellow-brown in color.

Drosophila reproduce very quickly. In just 10 days, development occurs from egg to adult. The very next day after emerging from the pupa, the Drosophila lays eggs, and during its life it can lay up to 2 thousand eggs. With such a rate of reproduction, fruit flies quickly conquer space in the apartment, and although they are quite harmless and do not bite, confused residents urgently look for effective ways get rid of them.

It is believed that fruit flies are not carriers of diseases, but the very flickering of these flies before the eyes is unpleasant.

Where do fruit flies come from? They cannot fly from afar, because these midges fly no more than 180 meters per day. The most common reason for the appearance of fruit flies, biologists say, is fruits and vegetables brought home that already contain eggs of these insects. As soon as the fruit begins to deteriorate and rot, larvae appear from the eggs, and flies from the larvae.

Drosophila can be brought into the house with soil for planting indoor plants. Adult flies emerge from eggs and larvae in the ground. They multiply especially actively when the flowers are waterlogged and the soil is acidic.

Theoretically, you can get rid of fruit flies by simply doing a thorough cleaning and depriving them of food, but this can take a long time.

Whiteflies

Microscopic white insects on indoor flowers are malicious plant pests - whiteflies.

They may arrive with new indoor flower or fly in from the street. These small insects lay eggs on back side leaves. Hatched whiteflies suck out the juice and leave behind a sugary secretion. The leaves of the plant become deformed and then fall off along with the flower buds.

Pests reproduce extremely quickly and are extremely tenacious. If you do not start fighting whiteflies in time, indoor flowers will die. It especially damages begonia, fuchsia, and balsam.

Flower midges (sciarids)

Adults sciarids(flower midge or fungus gnat, or soil gnat) are black insects about 3–4 mm long.

They lay eggs among the roots of plants. The mosquitoes themselves do not cause much harm, but their larvae, which are worms up to 5 mm long, are very dangerous for flowers. The larvae eat the roots of the plant, causing it to die.

Flower midges enter a house with soil contaminated with larvae. They might even fly out the window. These insects are often found in damp basements houses, and from there they make their way through the ventilation. Midges may be interested in food waste, rotten fruits and vegetables.

Sciarides do not bite, but they must be fought, otherwise they will destroy all indoor flowers.

Butterflies

Butterflies (sewer flies) are small insects up to 2 mm long.

The larvae of these insects and pupae live in sewer pipes Oh, and they feed on decaying organic matter. Adults have wings and a body covered with hairs. One butterfly clutch contains up to a hundred eggs. There can be a lot of infection on the legs of these nasty insects. In addition, there are known cases of allergies to butterflies.

The butterflies themselves can also be food for spiders and other large insects that will appear in the house if the sewer fly is not exterminated.

Ways to get rid of little black midges

Fighting fruit flies at home

Folk remedies: juice, cereal, vinegar, etc.

  1. Pour kvass or fruit juice into a glass jar. You can put some fruits or berries instead. Make a funnel and insert it into the neck. The flies will easily penetrate the bait, but will not be able to fly out of the jar. It is better to make a funnel out of yellow paper, because insects are attracted to the yellow color.
  2. If fruit flies appear in flower pots, you need to dry the soil and stick 4-5 matches into it, heads down.
  3. IN plastic bag put apple cores, watermelon rinds and wait until flies collect in the bag. Then tie the bag and throw it away.
  4. Place the bait in a plastic cup and cover with cling film. Make small holes. When the flies collect in the cup, you can throw it away.
  5. Pour apple cider vinegar into a container and add dish soap. Vinegar attracts fruit flies, and dish soap prevents them from getting out.
  6. Flies can be caught perfectly with a vacuum cleaner.

How to get rid of fruit flies. Video

Fruit fly trap. Video

There are also special means , which can be used to combat fruit flies, as well as other insects.

You can use some kind of insecticide in the form of an aerosol or fly strips, but this is not advisable in the kitchen where the food is located. It is better to use sticky traps and tape.

Some modern chemical-based products for controlling fruit flies

  1. The Aeroxon Sticky Trap is designed to kill harmful insects on indoor plants. The trap has an attractive color. The glue is odorless and non-toxic.
  2. Sticky tape for Raptor flies. Yellow attracts flies that stick to the adhesive layer.
  3. Aeroxon Window Flycatcher Tape. Efficient and safe remedy from midges.

Breeding whiteflies and sciarids on indoor flowers in an apartment

Simple remedies for whiteflies

    The simplest and most harmless way for humans to destroy whiteflies is manual cleaning insects from indoor plants. To do this, you need to remove the whitefly-infected leaves and loosen the soil in the pot. The entire plant must be treated with a soap solution.

    You can place sticky tapes near indoor plants: adult whiteflies will stick to them.

    Since the whitefly likes to live in the shade on the underside of leaves, you can scare it away with light: place sheets of foil near the flowers. Sun rays, reflected, will fall on the underside of the leaves, where this pest lives.

    If one of the indoor plants is most affected by the whitefly, then it may be better to donate it and not spread it dangerous insect to other flowers.

    Make an infusion of yarrow. Add a couple of spoons of dishwashing detergent to it. Treat the leaves of affected plants with this composition.

  1. To prevent the appearance of whiteflies, spray the flowers with an infusion of dandelion leaves and roots every 10 days.
  2. At the initial stage of whitefly spread, wipe the plants with garlic infusion (3-4 crushed cloves and 2 glasses of water).
  3. Infuse for a day orange peels in water, then add 2 tablespoons of liquid soap. Spray on plants for several days in a row. Keep the product in the refrigerator.

Whitefly is a pest of indoor plants. Video

Means of combating sciarids

  1. Dry the top layer of soil by 1–2 cm. Then the egg laying will die.
  2. Make top drainage. Cover the soil with a layer of gravel or expanded clay. The drainage dries quickly after watering, and the pest is unable to lay eggs.
  3. Remove dried leaves and flowers in a timely manner. Avoid watering plants with broths, drunken tea, milk, etc. Food products simply rot in the soil and help pests multiply.
  4. Water the soil several times with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This remedy is considered quite effective.
  5. Draw “Mashenka” chalk (for cockroaches) stripes on the top of the flower pots.
  6. Use traps and adhesive tape.
  7. Keep the house clean and tidy, promptly remove food waste that can become food for sciarids.

Sciarides. Video

The use of insecticides in residential areas should be treated with extreme caution. The most popular are Aktara and Aktellik. You must strictly follow the instructions for using such products.

How to get rid of midges in the bathroom

In the bathroom, a butterfly (sewer fly) may appear near the drains. This insect is attracted to trash cans and clogged bathtub and sink drains.

Hence the methods of combating this disgusting insect.

Means to combat the butterfly

  1. The main thing in the fight against the butterfly is cleaning the sewer pipes. Pipes must be cleaned both mechanically (with a cable) and modern means for clearing blockages. You can at least use the old one folk way: pour baking soda into the drain and extinguish it with vinegar.
  2. The trash can must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
  3. Constantly monitor cat litter if it is in the bathroom.
  4. Hang adhesive tape in areas where insects appear.
  5. Use midge traps.
  6. Place containers in the bathroom with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil. Midges land on the surface of the mixture, but cannot take off, as their wings stick together.
  7. Sewer flies really don't like the smell of chlorine. Treating bathroom surfaces with chlorine-containing cleaning products will help get rid of the unpleasant environment.

It can be assumed that a sufficient number of people have encountered a terrible scourge - small flies that interfere with even ordinary household activities. free time. Often, the problem associated with them is that a person has already removed all possible sources of their appearance, but they continue to fly. Who are they? Why do they appear? And perhaps main question, how to get rid of them?

Who really lives in the house?

More than once, everyone has noticed in themselves various places apartments or houses of flying tiny creatures. They can prevent you from eating at your table, relaxing in front of the TV, reading a book, working, and generally performing any activities related to household issues. But what to do with them? In order to understand this, you first need to find out their real nature.

These flies are fruit flies. This is the name of fruit flies, a genus of small flying insects. They are small in size and very difficult to see with the naked eye. These creatures live for a relatively short time (about two weeks), but during their existence they manage to spoil the life of other earthly inhabitants. They look a certain way: yellow or red eyes and a tiny body. Of course, you can’t limit yourself to the appearance of one fly because they have a peculiarity. They live in flocks and reproduce quite quickly. So if you wanted to get rid of them, this feature will significantly complicate the task.

Why do small flies appear?

A person who carefully monitors the state of cleanliness in an apartment or house will be greatly surprised by the appearance of these creatures. After all, there is no heap of garbage in the trash can, cleaning happens often, dirty things don’t lie on the bed for a long time, since laundry is done several times a week, the dishes are washed, and things are in their places. But, you need to know that if there are fruits lying around the house that are clearly not edible, wilted flowers in a vase have been standing for a long time, or one of the “household” waters the flowers too much, then do not be indignant. It is the formation of such conditions for fruit flies that will be most favorable for the reproduction of their species, nutrition (the same spoiled foods, etc.) and existence in general.

If, after reading all of the above, you deny the reasons for the appearance of fruit flies, then there is a second option. This will be the sewage system, which in itself can bring a lot of trouble, or ordinary ventilation.

How to “show” uninvited guests out of your home?

Let's start with the most difficult - sewer and ventilation holes, heating pipes and basements. The very first thing that can be done, for example, with a sewer system is to clean it at certain intervals. The same principle applies here as with stagnant water. They live quite comfortably in such an environment because there are various remnants of products and things that people used or consumed. To clean the holes, proceed as follows: heat water to boiling temperature and pour it into a pipe cleaning mixture, which can be purchased at any store.

The fact is that boiled water will help better in such a situation. It will remove layers of accumulated fat that is located on the walls drainpipe. If the method is ineffective, then repeat the procedure. Be sure to check the condition of the external joints of the fittings and the elasticity of the fuliment. And don't forget that if there is water oozing somewhere, then its accumulations can create an ideal breeding ground for flies.

What to do if flies appear over fruit?

Fruit flies are quite unpleasant creatures. They constantly fly over spoiled food, disturb others and can be an unpleasant addition to the interior of the house.

After they burst into our lives, the question logically arises: “how to remove them.” There are several ways to get rid of such small insects.

The most common and in an effective way is any vessel with a neck. A bottle or jar, even a vase is quite suitable for us.
Knowing the preferences of our enemy, it is necessary to take different sweets and put them at the bottom of the selected container. Such sweets can be a variety of syrups, honey, sauces, drinks (including alcoholic ones, like wine), as well as a variety of overripe or rotten fruits.
After the bait has been chosen, you need to take a sheet of paper and make a kind of watering can out of it. If you twist the sheet, you get a kind of bag with a hole. It must be inserted into a jar in which sweets have already been placed. However, you should not place the paper watering can so that its tip touches the bait.

How it works?

This device works quite simply. Midges, sensing the smell of food that attracts them, rush in search of it. When they fly inside the jar, they cannot escape through the narrow passage and remain there.

Given the fact that fruit gnats multiply very quickly, such operations should be carried out until they completely disappear. Otherwise, they will constantly increase their population and spoil food.

If after many attempts they still fly, then you should pay attention to the source of their appearance - eggs. If you destroy them, then you won't have to worry about the little flying creatures anymore.

How will the appearance of flies affect the life of a child living in your home?

Of course, there are many ways to overcome annoying guests, but how can this be done without harming little family and friends? When a situation arises in which there is no way to take pets or small children somewhere, and disinfection is urgently needed, then here is what can be done. First you need to purchase apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. Pour it into a small container and add detergent. Even the most ordinary liquid soap will do, the main thing is the effect. It would be a good idea to add household chemicals that have a pleasant aroma from wine or fruit compote. Because of this, fruit flies will fly to the smell, but as soon as they get to the surface of what is in the container, they will no longer be able to fly away and, accordingly, will die there. This method, of course, will be the most the best option. It is only important to remember that you should place the homemade product higher on the shelves and away from children’s hands.

How to deal with them if they live around flowers?

You may not have noticed flies as often near food, drains or ventilation as you did near indoor plants. Believe me, their appearance in such places is not uncommon.

It is clear that by frequently watering indoor plants, you give them a chance to continue their existence. Therefore, the very first rule: stop watering flowers in such quantities and so often.

It is necessary for the top soil to dry out because this is where they store their larvae and laid eggs. If there is no wet surface, they will simply die. Second and no less effective option will remove the top layer of soil. It is in it that the ill-fated larvae are located.

How to avoid buying spoiled products?

When shopping, carefully inspect the vegetables and fruits that you buy at spontaneous markets or in large supermarkets and stores. It is especially important to monitor product quality if you live in small town. In such cities, product updates do not arrive in stores as often.

If you understand that, most likely, you will not eat these products for a long time (for example, you bought unloved fruits), then it is better to postpone the purchase. Buy such things only knowing that you will definitely use them. And do not forget that there are certain instructions for storing any product.

Representatives of the genus of small insects, which has about 1.5 thousand species. The lifespan of flies depends on temperature environment: at 25ºС it is about 10 days, at 18 ºС – almost twice as much. With favorable air temperatures in winter, the life cycle of small flies can increase to 2.5 months. These insects are dangerous because they transfer various microorganisms and their waste products to food products. The entry of Drosophila larvae into the human digestive tract can cause intestinal myiasis.

fruit fly

How to get rid of flies in an apartment?

Small flies live in large numbers in places where vegetables and fruits are processed and stored. Then they are transported to markets, shops, and supermarkets. Once they enter a person’s home, they begin to multiply quickly, so getting rid of them is quite problematic. Small size allows insects to easily spread throughout multi-storey buildings through small cracks, through ventilation ducts, appearing where the food source is. Garbage chutes, trash cans, missing vegetables and fruits, even plant crops- all these are favorable conditions for the life of fruit flies. To exterminate pests, they must be deprived of food and suitable places for breeding.


Maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen - preventing the appearance of fruit flies

How to remove flies from apartments:

  1. If insects are noticed in the house, you need to trace where they came from. Their food can be rotting vegetables and fruits; it can even be a small piece of apple that has fallen into some crevice. After identifying the source of attraction of fruit flies, you should immediately get rid of spoiled food.
  2. Pets' plates and feeders should be washed thoroughly after feeding. Keeping your pet's dishes clean will also help in the fight against fruit flies.
  3. It is necessary to take out the trash in a timely manner and close the bin tightly.
  4. Check the condition of vegetables and fruits regularly. Spoiled fruits should be thrown away immediately.
  5. The kitchen needs to be kept clean. Wash dishes immediately after eating to prevent them from accumulating in the sink.
  6. Drosophila can also live in indoor plants. To remove them, you need to reduce the number of waterings and mulch the substrate. It is also recommended to move green crops to another room to deprive insects of food.
  7. Fruit flies are very sensitive to temperature. On cool days, you need to open the windows and ventilate the rooms; on cold days, also open all the cabinets in the kitchen. In such conditions, pests will die from hypothermia.

To protect your apartment from fruit flies, you need to follow preventive measures. If you keep your home clean, you can forget about using chemicals. They will have to be resorted to if the main condition has not been met.

Trap for small flies

To get rid of annoying insects, it is not necessary to use expensive products, since there are more economical ways to deal with them.


Fighting fruit flies

Types of homemade traps for small flies:

  1. Pour apple cider vinegar into a deep plate (height 3-4 cm), add a couple of drops of liquid detergent for washing dishes, 40-50 ml of water and mix thoroughly. Then cover the container with the contents with cling film and make small holes in it with a toothpick at a distance of 1-2 cm. Small flies will sense the acidic environment and climb through the holes under the film. Once trapped, they will not be able to get out.
  2. Place several pieces of rotten fruit (apple, banana) in a large glass or beer glass and leave it like that in a room where there are fruit flies. When a sufficient number of fruit flies have collected in the container, you need to fill it with water and pour it into the sink or toilet. This method of dealing with annoying guests is very labor-intensive, since the event has to be repeated several times, but it is effective.
  3. In a room where insects live, you can leave a bottle of beer with a small amount of drink left at the bottom overnight. In the morning a large number of flies will gather in it.
  4. Place a plastic cup with bait on the table, which can be juice or pieces of fruit, cover it with cling film, and make several holes in it with a toothpick or a needle. Insects will be attracted to the bait, and once they fly into the trap, they will no longer be able to get out.
  5. A decoction of cloves will help get rid of small flies. To prepare it, you need to pour 250 ml of water into a container, add 5 g of flowers, boil and leave in the room. The strong smell of the product will force insects to leave the house.
  6. To make this trap, you need to make a cone from a sheet of paper and place the narrow side in a glass jar with bait. This could be juice, pieces of rotten fruit, for example, banana, peach, apple. Next, you need to glue the paper funnel to the neck of the container. The result of a homemade trap will be noticeable within a day.

Small fly repellent



To combat fruit flies, they are used not only homemade traps. Many chemical preparations have been developed, and essential oils of plant crops also work well.

Popular remedies for small flies:


  1. The substrate of indoor plants is a favorable environment for the larvae of small insects. To detect them, you need to very carefully dig up the soil without damaging the root system of home crops. If small worms are found, you need to change the soil or use insecticides such as Actellik, Fitoverm and others.
  2. If there are flies in the sink, you can get rid of them in two ways. The first is to wash it off the surface. hot water. The second is to use one of the following means: Mr. Muscle, Domestos, Mole, Floop and others.
  3. To destroy fruit flies, you can resort to aerosols from well-known brands, for example: Dichlorvos, Raid, Raptor, Combat. They help to quickly and effectively deal with flying insects indoors. Before processing the room, you must remove all food and remove people and pets. After spraying the product, you need to wash your hands and wash your face, and after a while ventilate the room.
  4. Small flies do not like the smells of eucalyptus, anise, and basil. To scare them away, you can use an aroma lamp and essential oils. The operating principle of the device is quite simple. A classic aroma lamp consists of two parts: a container for water and a body where the candle is installed. Oil is added to water. As a result of heating, it evaporates and fills the room with a smell hated by flies. The optimal product consumption is 5 drops per 15 m² of area.
  5. Electric fumigators with plates are great. Just plug the device into a 220 V network and wait until all the insects die.
  6. An effective way to get rid of fruit flies is to hang them. One or more traps should be placed in areas where pests are concentrated. Fruit flies are attracted to the substance with which the surface of the tapes is treated. Traps should be changed as they become full of insects.
  7. Drosophila cannot tolerate the smell of camphor. The way to use it is to pour the product into a frying pan and heat it to maximum temperature, or rather until steam forms. Then walk with it through all the rooms so that the aroma spreads evenly throughout the house.

Currently, there are a large number of means and methods to combat fruit flies. But the most important thing is to keep the house clean to minimize the likelihood of uninvited guests. If you cannot cope with fruit flies on your own, you can turn to the sanitary service for help.

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