If the weather is warm and you’ve got fresh fruit on your counter, chances are you’re chomping at the bit to find out how to keep fruit flies away from bananas. Never worry – the secret is out! In this post, we’ll detail exactly what attracts fruit flies and how to prevent them from spreading. Moreover, we’ll be delving into how you can stop a fruit fly infestation in its tracks. So, if that sounds like the information you need, keep reading – we’ve got the details right here for you!
Table of Contents
- Why Fruit Flies Are Attracted to Bananas?
- How to Keep Fruit Flies Away From Bananas
- What Can I Use For Banana Flies?
- How to Keep Fruit Flies Away From Bananas: It Isn’t So Hard After All!
- FAQ
Why Fruit Flies Are Attracted to Bananas?
If you’ve ever let fruit like avocados, jackfruit, cantaloupe, or – yes – ripe bananas sit on your counter, you’ve likely seen your fair share of fruit flies.
Vinegar flies, often referred to as “fruit flies”, are small brown-colored flying insects that often lay eggs on rotting fruit and vegetables. These flies can lay up to 500 larvae. So once you’ve got them, they can be very hard to get rid of!
One of the major culprits of a fruit fly infestation is uncovered overripe vegetables or fruit. But out of all of the veggies and fruits available, fruit flies seem to like bananas best of all!
Unfortunately, most people find their hands tied when it comes to their love of bananas and their hatred for these miniature pests. Thankfully, there are ways you can keep your bananas without having to deal with the fruit flies that often–quite literally–come with them. To find out how, be sure to stick with us until the end of this post!
What Causes Fruit Flies on Bananas?
As mentioned, fruit flies often lay eggs on bananas. They are usually attracted to the sweet aroma of the fruit, especially if the ripe bananas are rotting. The larvae left behind are usually invisible to the eye. Once these eggs hatch, you’ll have an infestation on your hands that’ll leave you longing for winter!
Do Fruit Flies Come in on Bananas?
Unfortunately, fruit flies can lay eggs on bananas before they’ve entered your house. Once you’ve brought infested bananas home, you’ll have to deal with freshly hatched flies that will likely continue multiplying until you finally stop them in their tracks.
Where Do Fruit Flies Lay Eggs on Bananas?
Fruit flies will lay eggs directly on the skin of fruits. This is why it is helpful to wash fruit skins even if they won’t be consumed.
How to Keep Fruit Flies Away From Bananas
Now that you know a little more about how fruit flies function, it’s time to uncover ways to keep them away from your bananas.
There are several things you can do to keep fruit flies from swarming your fresh fruit. We’re ready to reveal them to you now!
How to Store Bananas to Prevent Fruit Flies
- Cover Them Up: We’ll start with the most reliable way of keeping fruit flies away from bananas, and that’s to cover the fruit. You can do this in several ways. You can buy a food tent to store your bananas in or you can put them in a dome cake holder. Whatever your choice, covering up your bananas so that fruit flies no longer have access to them is a great way to keep them from reproducing.
- Refrigerate Them: This option may not be ideal for everyone, but it sure works when you’re in a pinch. If you just can’t seem to keep fruit flies away from your bananas but still want them around, try refrigerating them. Yes, the refrigerator will make the banana’s skin turn black, but in most cases, the flesh of your bananas should remain edible for at least a couple of days. Fruit flies are unable to endure cold weather, and any eggs won’t survive chilly temps in the fridge.
- Get Them Ice Cold: Another great way to keep your bananas off your counter is to place them in the freezer. Simply peel your bananas and place them whole or sliced into freezer bags. Throw these bags in your freezer and pull them out when needed.
- Wash Them Off: Another tip is to gently wash your bananas after they arrive home from the store. An easy way to do this is to dilute 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one cup of water. Dip a paper towel or clean cloth in the solution and gently wipe the exterior of each banana to hopefully whisk away fruit fly larvae.
- Use Them Up: Of course, if your fruit fly problem is getting to be more than you can bear, it might be best to use up all of your bananas in one go. Consider making a healthy smoothie or banana bread. Once they’re gone, you can consider any of these other tips before you try bringing a fresh bunch of bananas back home.
- Buy Only What You Need: Last but not least, we recommend you only buy the number of bananas you actually need. Most of us get a little ambitious when it comes to buying food at the grocery store. Buying excess produce can be especially troublesome as pesky fruit flies love to get their digs in overripe fruit. So do yourself a favor and only purchase enough bananas to get you by.
What Can I Use For Banana Flies?
So you’ve learned the tips and tricks for keeping fruit flies from entering your house, but what about the swarms of fruit flies that already exist? Don’t worry, we’ve got recommendations for that too. Check out these methods for killing the fruit flies currently invading your space:
Hide It All
Though fruit flies love banana peels, they also seem to have a special place in their heart for cleaning supplies. Yes, your wet mop, old dish scrub, and rugged dishcloths all spell trouble when it comes to fruit flies. Because of this, you’ll either need to find a place to store all of your wet cleaning supplies after using them, or you’ll need to find a way to dry your equipment before putting it up.
Clean It Up
No, we’re not calling your house dirty, but we all know that countertops and drains can fall by the wayside when you’re busy. During fruit fly season, try to be extra diligent about keeping surfaces and drains clean. Anything sticky, sweet, or sour-smelling can be appealing to fruit flies.
Apple Cider Vinegar Jar Method
To use the apple cider vinegar method to kill fruit flies, place 1-2 inches of cider vinegar into a jar. Cover the jar with plastic wrap and place a tight-fitting rubber band around the neck. Using a toothpick, gently poke small holes in the plastic to allow the fruit flies to get in. Be careful not to make the holes too big. Otherwise, the fruit flies will be able to get back out.
The point of this apple cider vinegar trap method is to attract fruit flies into the jar but make it impossible for them to get back out.
Dish Soap Method
Another very effective alternative method is to simply fill a shallow bowl with 1 cup of cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Do not mix. Sit the bowl out in the open, but also in a place where it can’t be accessed by children or pets.
The fruit flies will become attracted to the scent of the vinegar. But the dish soap will work to trap them in the solution.
This method is tried and true; trust us, it works!
How to Keep Fruit Flies Away From Bananas: It Isn’t So Hard After All!
Though fruit flies can be a nuisance, the truth is that keeping them away from your bananas isn’t hard once you know what to do. Try the methods mentioned in this post to give yourself a much-needed break from these pesky insects.
And don’t forget to try the apple cider vinegar methods for existing infestations!
FAQ
Can fruit flies penetrate bananas?
Fruit flies usually lay eggs on the outside of a banana, rather than on the inside. If there are small cracks within the banana skin, it is possible for fruit flies to enter.
Does washing bananas prevent fruit flies?
Yes, washing banana skins can help prevent fruit fly larvae from entering your home.
How do I keep fruit flies off my fruit?
Use a food tent or refrigerator to keep fruit flies at bay in warm weather.
How to keep fruit flies away from fruit bowl?
Try using a covered fruit bowl or storing the fruit bowl in the fridge until you’ve gotten the situation under control.
