Preventing Fruit Fly Numbers From Exploding
Every year you will probably notice that at least twice, fruit flies seem to swarm around in your kitchen. Fruit flies are creatures that are very sensitive to temperature changes, and can only thrive in conditions that are neither too warm or too cold. That’s good news, because when conditions are ideal they can really get annoying.
You probably won’t be able to prevent fruit fly numbers from increasing around your home during the prime time of year; they often just seem to skyrocket in numbers. There are some things that you can do to keep the population from getting too out of control; let’s take a look at them.
* Proper wine storage. Fruit flies are just as attracted to the fermenting agents found in wine as they are to those in ripe fruit. If you are a wine lover, the best way to take care of the fruit fly problem without compromising the quality of your wine is to drink the whole bottle after you open it! Fruit flies are much more attracted to red than white wine, so that is a bit of a pain for the real connoisseur; the best place for food that attracts fruit flies is in a cold refrigerator.
* Proper fruit storage. You will also need to store any ripe fruit in the refrigerator, where it is too cold for the fruit flies. As with wine, this can prove to be a problem for picky eaters, because fruits like bananas will grow brown in the fridge. If you just can’t stand the thought of eating a brown banana yet also can’t stand large numbers of fruit flies, better wait to buy your bananas until it gets a little bit colder!
* Wipe up any spills. Fruit flies can lay their eggs in even the smallest available spots, and that means partially dry spots of spilled wine, juice, and other strongly smelling liquids. Make sure that you completely wipe up any spills right away!
If all else fails and you find that the fruit fly numbers in your home have grown to an annoying extent, take heart; once the temperature dips or rises a little bit you will be free of the problem, and will probably forget about these little pests until the next time conditions are perfect for them!