Fruit Flies are a very common occurrence during the fall, spring, and summer months. They can multiply easily, and depending on what kind of bugs you have in your kitchen, some of them can reproduce quickly and can carry bacteria into the home. Your kitchen can be spotless, yet you will find fruit flies by the fruit bowl, sugary spots on the table, countertop, thrash can, or recycle bin. Regardless of where you find fruit flies, there are steps to take to stop them from multiplying and becoming a nuisance.
- Clean sugar spills on the counter and kitchen table as they occur. Make sure the sugar bowl is firmly closed, and sugary treats are put away in closed lid containers.
- Empty the recycle bin and trash can daily and make sure they are clean before bringing them back to the kitchen. All spills from the bottom of the bins have to be clean with soap and water to get rid of the sugary smell and stickiness from the bottom of the containers.
- Refrigerate your fruits placed in the fruit bowl. Bananas attract fruit flies to the bowl and can multiply quickly if you keep leaving them there. Once the bananas are yellow, put them in the refrigerator and take them out as needed. The less fruit you have outside the refrigerator the better to keep fruit flies at a minimum.
- Pour hot water into the drains. It is not only recommended for the kitchen sinks but bathroom and shower drain as well. A gallon of hot water poured into the kitchen, bathroom, and shower sink should be enough to kill the fruit flies’ eggs and clear any soap build-up. You can add more hot water if you think it is necessary. Also, you can use a solution of 1 cup white vinegar, and 1 cup of baking soda to get rid of any blockage you have in the drains. This will also allow you to have cleaner drains and fewer fruit flies in the kitchen.
- Clean your kitchen sink. Make sure your kitchen sink stays clean overnight. Snack dishes or ice cream bowls used after dinner should be rinsed and put in the dishwasher. Dishes with a sugary smell left overnight will most certainly bring ants, fruit flies, and gnats to your kitchen.
- Do not store potatoes, onions, or any other root vegetable in bins in warm places where they can rot quickly. Make sure you sort all vegetables and wash them before storing them. Make sure any vegetable with a brown or discolored spot is used quickly before it rots and contaminates all the other vegetables. Do not replenish the bins with new vegetables before taking inventory of the old ones. Do not mix new and old ones.
- Gnats can be found in potted plants all year round. Make sure you do not overwater your plants. Potting soil that is too wet is a perfect environment for gnats. Also, make sure roots that are rotting or decaying are put in the trash can outside the home right away.
- Dirty glasses or dishes in your child’s bedroom can also be the reason you have flies or fruit flies in the home. Checking your child’s bedroom for wrappers or dirty dishes might be a starting point to get rid of fruit flies.
Every year there is a season when it seems impossible to get rid of the flies, gnats, or fruit flies in the home. By following these 8 easy tips you can have a cleaner and insect-free home all year round.
Shop Smart: Avoid temptations that lurk in the candy and chip aisles. It is much easier to avoid the danger zones in the grocery store than to avoid the snacks burrowed in your own cabinets. A trick to avoiding the unhealthier items in the store is to shop around the perimeter of your store. The outside areas of the store are usually where the fresh veggies and fruit live. You can also find the freezers and refrigerators with eggs, milk, yogurts, and meats on the perimeter.
From what is reported in the media, it seems like many people did not learn cooking growing up and decide this means it is too late to learn. In fact, it is just a matter of building up your comfort level with different ways to cook and different ingredients. You can do trial and error, starting with easier stuff and building up your competence over time. You can watch cooking channels and try things you see. You can take cooking classes. You could offer to buy ingredients and cook with a friend who is a better cook than you but let them know you want to cook with them and learn.
Work Abroad – It will take months to arrange, but there are many countries that bring in native English speakers to teach English. This is often just a matter of having a degree in anything and being a native speaker. Living a summer or years in another country teaching is very rewarding if you get with a good school and a nice location.
Restaurants – This is the obvious one. Do not got to the big chain restaurants and expect an authentic experience. Instead, seek out locally owned, authentic restaurants where the immigrant families probably make up most of the employees. And do not just go Chinese or Mexican. Ethiopian, Greek, Nepali, Indian, Japanese, Lebanese and Russian restaurants can all provide unique experiences.
