SAY GOODBYE TO PESKY FRUIT FLIES

Steps:

• a) Remove Overripe Fruit: One of the easiest ways to deter fruit flies is to avoid leaving overripe or damaged fruit in the open. If you have a habit of using a bowl of fruit as a decorative centerpiece or kitchen table staple, don't forget to periodically inspect the condition of your fruit. b) Rubbing Alcohol: To rid your kitchen of annoying fruit flies, fill a fine-misting spray bottle with rubbing alcohol [2]. Using just a little mist of the alcohol puts them out of their misery. They fall to the floor, where you can easily sweep them up. Parents tend to favor this method because it provides a much safer alternative to insecticides. c) Apple Cider: Set a trap that a fruit fly cannot refuse by filling an old jar to the halfway point with apple cider. After punching a few holes into the lid, screw on and place in any room within your house. The fruit flies are allowed to enter the jar, but will not be able to escape. d) Basil: Placing a pot of basil on a windowsill or table where fruit flies frequent will help lessen the number of fruit flies. e) Soap: Did you know that dry soap can act as a repellent for fruit flies? Simply sprinkle a little bit in garbage cans and anywhere else the pests like to hover about. f) Lavender Use lavender to deter fruit flies. A couple of suggestions include scattering the herb about your home, distributing oils in a burner, or hanging bunches of lavender close to open doors and windows. You may also repel the pests by soaking a sponge in a saucer filled with lavender oil and setting in a room where fruit flies frequent.
• g) Chili And Vinegar: Do you have fruit trees in your backyard that place you at a disadvantage during the summertime? Mix 2 ounces of beer, 1 ½ quarts of water, 4 chopped jalapenos, and 2 cloves of garlic in a pot to create a decent outdoor home remedy for fruit flies. Add all the ingredients to a pot, cover, and boil for five minutes. Allow the mixture to sit in the pot for 24 hours. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the mix. Strain well. Transport the liquid to a sprayer and apply to the leaves of your fruit trees, making sure to avoid any blossoms. h) Fly Strips: For high populations of fruit flies, cut down numbers by hanging fly strips that offer a sticky solution on both sides. i) Mind Your Mess: Fruit flies are also attracted to soiled sponges; old, damp dish rags; as well as food and drink spills so mind your messes and don't let your garbage overflow if you wish to control your fruit fly problem. j) Wine Trap: Fill a saucer with white wine and add a bit of detergent to it. Leave the saucer in a room where fruit flies frequent. They will sip on the wine and expire due to the wine causing 'gut rot' in pests. k) Clean Your Kitchen: Since fruit flies are attracted to mold and moisture, keeping your kitchen clean is a must. Even the slightest sign of old fruit pieces, peels, and open fruit act like a beacon for these pests. l) Open Your Window: Fruit flies dislike the cold and wind, therefore open your windows to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the room.
• Pat Duran also says another way is A drier softener sheet- gets rid of those pesky gnats too!