Fruit flies turn up just about anywhere, and your fridge is no exception. All they need is overly ripe or spoiled fruit, and you’ll be dealing with an infestation. If you’ve already encountered these annoying insects in your fridge, it’s time you dealt with them.
While fruit flies are not harmful, removing their source and trapping the rest is the easiest way to eliminate them. However, it’s best to prevent their infestation by washing your fruits and vegetables before storing them in the fridge.
In this post, we’ll detail how to get rid of fruit flies in the fridge. We’ll also tell you how fruit flies get into the refrigerator and how to clean a fruit fly-infested fridge. By the end, you’ll be able to tackle the problem and prevent fruit flies from ever being a nuisance in your kitchen.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the Fridge?
The best way to eliminate fruit flies is by removing the food source and trapping the remaining ones.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to removing fruit flies from the fridge.
Step 1: Remove Rotting or Overripe Fruits and Food
Remove all food from the fridge. Then inspect it, including those in containers, and dispose of any that’s gone bad. Check the rest and ensure you place anything that ferments in an airtight container. Also, ensure that anything that will go back in does not have fruit flies hiding in it.
Step 2: Use a Vinegar Solution to Clean Your Fridge
Unplug your refrigerator and remove the compartments. Next, mix two parts of water, one part of vinegar, and a few drops of lime juice in a spray bottle. Spray the interior of your fridge, making sure to cover the corners. Now, take baking soda and dust it over your sprayed areas.
Let the solution sit for 15 – 20 minutes. Then use a clean towel with warm water and soap to wipe it down. Be sure to remove any sticky residue that might have built up. Next, clean the various compartments separately in the sink.
Step 3: Turn on Your Fridge and Put in Fresh Food
Once you have cleaned your fridge, put back the compartments and place your food. Remember to wash the fruits and vegetables. It’s good practice to wipe the excess water on fruits and veggies before storing them in a fridge.
How to Trap Fruit Flies in the Kitchen?
When you open the fridge doors to clean it, any remaining fruit flies will hover in the kitchen, looking for their next meal. Hence, it’s better to rid your kitchen of these too. To this end, we’ve found a quick way to trap them using a wine bottle.
Take a wine bottle, preferably red wine, and place it on the counter. Make sure there are a few drops of wine still in the bottle. All you have to do is wait because the fruit flies will come seeking the aromatic smell of the wine. They will follow the path of the narrow neck into the bottle; they won’t find their way out.
Another popular method of trapping fruit flies is using a clean glass and vinegar. Fill the glass with vinegar and rub its opening with dish soap. The fragrance from the vinegar will attract fruit flies while the dish soap will trap them.
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How to Prevent Fruit Flies Infestation in the Fridge?
Use Herbs
The intense fragrance in herbs like eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, and cloves will keep fruit flies away from your fridge. They cannot cope in a highly fragrant environment.
Keep Your Fridge Clean
Fruit flies are attracted to overripe, rotting fruits or decomposing foods. The easiest way to keep them out is by keeping your fridge free of anything that could be a food source. In addition, be keen to wipe off any sticky residue that may attract fruit flies.
Cover Food
Keep food stored in the fridge in airtight containers. In addition, always wipe the outside of the storage containers or bottles to get rid of food spillovers.
Wash Farm Produce
Vegetables and fruits may come loaded with eggs and pests of all kinds. Remember to wash them before storing them.
How Does Your Fridge Get Infested with Fruit Flies?
Fridges and freezers may seem safe from fruit fly infestation, but they aren’t 100% pest-proof. Fruit flies may find their way into your fridge in various ways.
Through Farm Produce
Fruit flies are usually attracted by sweet, organic matter in overripe fruits or fermenting foods. If you don’t wash produce before storing, there are high chances of fruit flies getting in through the fruits and vegetables.
Through the Door
Fruit flies are quite tiny. If they are already hanging out in your home, they will find a way to get into the fridge. They only need only a few minutes of the door open for them to get access to the inside.
Faulty fridge
Fruit flies may also find their way into your fridge through a faulty door seal. Remember, they are super tiny, so they can quickly gain entry if the door does not close completely.
Can Fruit Flies Survive in The Fridge?
Fruit flies can survive for two to four weeks in the fridge if you’ve not turned the cold to the lowest. However, it’s good to know that they cannot reproduce in the cold fridge temperature. Thus, if they have a way to enter the fridge, you’ll be dealing with dead fruit flies now and then.
Conclusion
You can eliminate fruit flies in the fridge by cleaning it with a vinegar solution and baking soda. Nevertheless, it’s best to prevent any infestation by storing clean fruits and vegetables. In addition, be sure to store food in airtight containers. Since fruit flies can be breeding in your kitchen, you’ll also want to do a complete kitchen scrub to uncover their hiding spots.